A research internship at the Department of Forest Products and Paper Science at the University of the Philippines Los Banos on assessing the potential of paragis (Eleusine indica (LL.) Gaertn.) for arsenic phytoremediation

Date

6-2026

Adviser

Job Jonas C. Ruzgal

Principal

Buela, Mabel S.

Abstract

Arsenic contamination in the soil and water has posed risks in the environment and health due to its persistence and toxicity. One key solution is phytoremediation, and although it can be a sustainable approach for heavy metal removal, the ability of commonly occurring plants such as Paragis (Eleusine indica L. Gaertn) remains inadequately explored. Previous studies have indicated the possibility of Paragis for arsenic phytoremediation. The studies suggest that certain hardy plants may possess tolerance and uptake mechanisms for heavy metals. This study determined the effects of varying arsenic concentrations on the growth of Paragis and compared the arsenic accumulation in Paragis in varying arsenic concentrations. To achieve this, Paragis plants were grown in controlled conditions using recycled PET bottles, with three treatment groups consisting of different arsenic concentrations (controlled, 0.1 mg/L, and 0.2 mg/L) and three replicates per treatment through a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) set-up. Growth was monitored weekly for three months through periodic height measurements, while the biomass was determined 18 weeks after harvesting. Plant tissue extracts were obtained from composite samples analyzed for their arsenic concentration. The results showed that varying arsenic concentrations had no significant effect on the height of Paragis plants or on biomass across the treatment groups. The arsenic concentration in the tissue samples was also less than 20 ppm, regardless of treatment. This shows that although an increase in the arsenic concentration has no significant effect on the growth of Paragis, the arsenic concentration found in the plant tissue doesn’t provide conclusive evidence that Paragis has the capability to bioaccumulate arsenic, and consequently, can be used for arsenic phytoremediation.

Language

English

Location

UP Rural High School

Document Type

Capstone

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