The Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Phytoremediation Species of Sonneratia caseolaris, Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests of Peninsular India

Mangrove forests in Godavari Estuarine are increasingly threatened by heavy metal pollution. Due to their unique location, mangroves receive heavy metal pollution from upstream areas and the sea. However, little is known about the capacity of mangrove plants to take up and store heavy metals. In this study, the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in an important mangrove species, Sonneratia caseolaris, were measured. It was found that the total concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the sediments were below the general critical soil concentrations. However, the total concentrations of Cu and Pb in both the ischolar_mains and leaves of Sonneratia caseolaris exceeded the general normal upper range in plants. This study has therefore shown the potential of Sonneratia caseolaris as a phytoremediation species for selected heavy metals in Godavary Estuarine mangrove ecosystem.