The objective of this study was to investigate the concentration of manganese and zinc in effluents from coal treatment and in Typha domingensis Pers. Samples of sediment, water, roots, stems and leaves (n = 8 each one) were collected in the Mina do Trevo Coal Washer, Siderópolis, SC, and in a swamp free of mining influence (control area). The contents of Mn and Zn in the sediment dissolved in the water and total in Typha domingensis Pers were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Data on concentration of metals in the different compartments were submitted to t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA I) and Pearson correlation analysis (r). The statistical significance between the differences found in the analysis of variance was evaluated by the Student-Newman-Keuls-Test, P < 0,05 and < 0.01. Zn and Mn presented higher concentrations in the sediment than in the water in both areas. Levels of Mn and Zn in water showed to be higher in the mining area than in the control area, while in the sediment only Zn followed this tendency. T. domingensis concentrated higher levels of Zn in the root and of Mn in the leaves, indicating higher Zn concentration in the mining area than in the control area. The coal exploitation has increased the available content of Zn and Mn in the mining area to concentrations higher than those recorded in the control area, causing thus damage to the biota. T. domingensis acted as an accumulator species of heavy metals, showing potential for use in phytoremediation of degraded areas.
Heavy metals; Wetlands; Phytoremediation
