Multi-metal phytoremediation using <i>Salvinia molesta</i> : the role of EDDS and SDS in enhancing metal removal efficiency

Significant environmental damage to aquatic ecosystems is caused by heavy metals, and the situation necessitates strategies against the contaminants. The present study was intended to explore <i>Salvinia molesta</i>'s potential for the phytoremediation of contaminating water to remove three metals: chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd), with an emphasis on the influence of chemical amendments, ethylene diamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), applied independently. Plants were treated for a period of 60 days with single and combined metal solutions supplemented with EDDS (0.05-0.2%) and SDS (0.5-2%), and responses were measured through morphological factors and biochemical indicators, including bioaccumulation factor (BAF) with translocation factor (TF) used cautiously due to the floating habit of <i>S. molesta</i>. It was observed that <i>S. molesta</i> was capable of substantial heavy metal accumulation, with the highest accumulation recorded under EDDS amended and SDS amended treatments at elevated metal concentrations. EDDS treatments primarily enhanced metal bioavailability and uptake while maintaining plant growth and physiological stability under moderate metal stress, whereas SDS treatments, particularly at higher concentrations, resulted in increased metal accumulation accompanied by reductions in biomass, chlorophyll content and protein levels, indicating stress driven accumulation linked to altered membrane permeability. The application of EDDS or SDS resulted in higher metal uptake compared to untreated controls, with BAF values reaching 3.8 for Cr, 4.2 for Ni, and 3.5 for Cd; however, maximum accumulation under SDS treatments did not consistently correspond to biologically sustainable phytoremediation performance. Statistical analysis showed significant differences (<i>p</i> < 0.05) between treatments and control in metal bioavailability following amendment application, highlighting a dose-dependent tradeoff between metal uptake efficiency and plant health. This study represents the first integrated evaluation of EDDS and SDS under multi-metal (Cr-Ni-Cd) conditions in <i>S. molesta</i>, addressing a major gap in chemical-assisted phytoremediation research. Future work should be aimed at determining the optimum concentrations of these chemical amendments to facilitate the scale-up of phytoremediation projects.