IRON UPTAKE IN LACTUCA SATIVA: WATER IRRIGATION TREATMENT BY PHYTOREMEDIATION

Trace elements presence in living organisms are positive and necessary. If they are accumulated by autotrophy, in tolerated concentration, they can contribute to the plant bio fortification. If they are translocate to the heterotrophy, by the food chain, they can contribute to the organisms improvement. For these two reasons the main transport vehicle for the trace elements to the humans are food and water. Several time water contains elements that are in high concentration. Water depuration has heavy costs and request good technologies. There are some situation (poor areas, or agricultural lands, or damaged tube-well water) in which is not easy to provide the best available technologies. Directly consequence is often the use of wastewater and industrial water as irrigation water without any treatment. The goal of our research is to find out a balanced solution to treat “contaminated” irrigation water with the best and cheapest available technologies. The experimental study was focused to show the results rising out from years of experiments. We use a phytoremediation plant to treat wastewater highly polluted by iron. (Phytoremediation is a suitable technology with high performance rates, low cost and easy management). After the pre-treatment the water iron rate removal has been calculated, and the treated water was used to irrigate Lactuca sativa. Several analyses has been performed in order to calculate the bio concentration factor (BCF) and the efficiency of the phytoremediation plants. Laboratory test analysis, give confidence that phytoremediation water treatment could be really a good “tuning system” in establish the right iron supply to the plants from irrigation water.