Copper hyperaccumulators

Fig. 4-2. World map showing the locations of hyperaccumulators of copper, cobalt, nickel, and zinc.

Table 4-2. Hyperaccumulators of copper and cobalt (maxium concentrations in pg g 1 dry weight).

Among the hyperaccumulators of copper listed in Table 4-2, Aeollanthus bifor-mifolius has the greatest concentrating ability. Malaisse et al. (1978) reported as much as 13500 pg g1 (1.35%) Cu in the whole plant (dry weight). This is by far the highest copper content ever reported for any higher plant. Brooks et al. (1978) deter-... 

Brooks RR, Reeves RD, Morrison RS and Malaisse F (1980) Hyperaccumulation of copper and cobalt. A review. Bull Soc R Bot Belg 113 166-172. 

Aquatic species were also found to be hyperaccumulators in wetland ecosystems (Williams, 2002). Ceratophyllum demersum is described as an arsenic accumulator (Kalbitz and Wenrich, 1998), whereas water hyacinths, Eichhornia crassipes, have been found to be effective in accumulating cadmium, lead, and mercury, and in the uptake of pesticides residues. Duckweed Lemna minor) and water velvet (Azolla pinnata) were both found to effectively remove iron and copper at low concentrations in laboratory experiments, and also cadmium. The yellow water lily (Nuphar variegatum) accumulated copper and zinc. 

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