I have detected contents of metal Mn in water and submerged macrophyte species Eichhornia C. The obtained concentration of Mn in plant sample is 2988mg/kg and 1.08 mg/l in the water medium. What will be the BCF value? , I calculated it as 2766.66. is it correct? What is significanthe ce of BCF?
Hello Dnyaneshwar,
The Bioaccumulation Factor (BCF) expresses the ability to accumulating metals in the roots. BCF is calculated as: [roots]/[soil].
Usually plants with BCF higher than one (>1) have potential for phytoextraction (soil) or rhizofiltration (water).
To macrophytes, I reccomend to you to try other calculations, as the Translocation Factor (TF), that is: [shoots]/[roots].
BCF= Plant tissue concentration (mgkg-1 ) / Concentration in external environment (mgL-1 or mgkg-1 )
2988/ 1.08 = 2766.666
The answers above already confirm that your calculation is right.
Concerning the second part of your question, Bioconcentration Factors were developed by toxicologists to predict which chemicals in water were likely to accumulate in higher, and potentially toxic, concentrations in organisms. They also tell us which plants and animals are likely to pass on high concentrations of toxicants to higher trophic levels through feeding. My reading of your calculated BCF is that it is rather high, but not alarmingly so for a relatively harmless metal like Manganese.
If you can wade through this citation, which is freely available for download, it will tell you more about BCFs than you want to know:
Arnot, J.A. and Goba, F.A.P.C. 2006. A review of bioconcentration factor (BCF) and bioaccumulation factor (BAF) assessments for organic chemicals in aquatic organisms. Environmental Reviews 14: 257-297.
how to calculate BCF?
the concentration in water is to take initial or the heavy metal remaining after phytoremediation
plz clear my doubt
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