HPLC-ICP-AES Based Methodology for Cadmium and Mercury Speciation in
Floating Macrophytes
T.E. Romanova,1,2 O.V. Shuvaeva1,2
1
Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SB RAS, 630090, Russia, Novosibirsk, Acad. Lavrentiev
Ave., 3
2
Novosibirsk State University, 630090, Russia, Novosibirsk, Pirogova str., 2
E-mail: romanova-toma@mail.ru
It is well known that phytoremediation is an efficient tool for contaminated waters
purification due to the capability of the plants to remove toxic substances. Unfortunately biological
essence of this phenomenon is not clear and needs a careful study. To understand the
bioaccumulation phenomenon knowledge of contaminant transformation and transport in the plant’s
body is needed. Nevertheless, there are only a few publications concerning the binding of heavy
metals with biologically active molecules in water hyacinth, moreover, these data are often
contradictory.
In present work the authors suggested an approach for identification of cadmium and
mercury species in water hyacinth which is based on the analytes extraction followed by their
HPLC separation with UV (Milichrom A-02, Econova, Novosibirsk) and element-selective
detection (ICP-AES, iCap 6500 Duo, Thermo Scientific), and at last amino-acids and sulfhydryl
groups determination in the isolated fractions, for this the optimal parameters for the interfacing of
microcolumn chromatograph and ICP-AES have been developed. It has been shown as a result that
cadmium and mercury containing compounds can be attributed to peptides similar to
phytochelatins.
On the example of the synthesized model compounds of mercury and cadmium with
cysteine and glutathione, which can be produced in plants, applicability of HPLC-ICP-AES method
for identification of pollutants’ species in plants was studied.
In contrast to the traditional “black box” cosiderations, investigations of contaminant
speciation in plant tissues have given sound understanding of the phytoremediation phenomenon.
Such advancements could provide a basis for future improving the efficacy of the biological
remediation processes.
This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research [№ 14-03-31971].