Due to widespread industrial use, chromium is considered a serious environmental pollutant. This study aimed to determine the content of hydrosoluble and liposoluble pigments in salvinia plants exposed to increasing concentrations of Cr, to establish biochemical parameters for the use of macrophyta in pollution bio-monitoring programs and/or phyto-remediation in aquatic environments by this pollutant metal. The plants were exposed to increasing concentrations of Cr and evaluated after four, six, and ten days of treatment. The test results showed that salvinia plants under stress conditions for Cr exhibit decreases in the concentrations of chlorophylls a, b, and total, and, in contrast, increases in anthocyanin concentrations. Although the concentration of carotenoids has not been altered in response to Cr, the variations in the concentrations of other liposoluble and hydrosoluble pigments found in salvinia plant leaves can be used as biochemical parameters for biomonitoring of pollution caused by this metallic element in aquatic environments.
Salvinia auriculata; bio-monitoring; phyto-remediation; macrophyte; ferns
