Detection of an aromatic compound at the roots of cyperus hermaphroditus by photoacoustic techniques

Some plants are used to remove organic and inorganic contaminants like chlorinated solvents, petrochemicals, pesticides, and explosives. These contaminants can be captured by the plant roots and then sequestered, degraded, immobilized, or transformed into other less toxic or non-toxic products. Cyperus hermaphroditus is a species endemic to the Santa Alejandrina swamp in Veracruz, Mexico, which is a site highly contaminated with industrial and petroleum wastes. The capability of Cyperus hermaphroditus to remove phenanthrene is reported in this study. Removal occurs by adsorption of this contaminant on the plant roots and can be assessed by analyzing the evolution of the absorption spectrum of the root system. Cyperus hermaphroditus plants of three months were cultivated in a hydroponic culture and exposed to 40, 80, and 120 ppm phenanthrene for twelve days. Photoacoustic spectra of the root system indicate that higher amounts of phenanthrene are adsorbed with increasing phenanthrene concentrations, suggesting the use of Cyperus hermaphroditus for phenanthrene removal.