Microbes-assisted phytoremediation of lead and petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated water by water hyacinth.

An experiment was carried out to explore the impact of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs)-degrading microbial consortium (MC) on phytoremediation ability and growth of water hyacinth (WH) plants in water contaminated with lead (Pb) and PHs. Buckets (12-L capacity) were filled with water and WH plants, PHs (2,400 mg L) and Pb (10 mg L) in respective buckets. Plants were harvested after 30 days of transplanting and results showed that PHs and Pb substantially reduced the agronomic (up to 62%) and physiological (up to 49%) attributes of WH plants.