Bioremediation Of Paper And Pulp Mill Effluent With The Help Of Phragmites Karka And Potamogeton Pectinatus

Paper mill effluents were collected and analyzed for physic-chemical characteristics. The toxicity of effluents on chlorophyll-a content and biomass of Phragmites karka and Potamogeton pectinatus were determined by exposing these to different concentrations of paper mill effluents at different intervals. Chlorophyll-a content and biomass of both the macrophytes decreased when exposed to the paper mill effluent. Extent of reduction was in proportion to the concentration of effluent and duration of exposure. The metal (Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn) content of effluent decreased with exposure to the macrophytes for 168 h. reduction in metal contents of the effluent is probably due to uptake of these metals by the aquatic macrophytes.