PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS AS A BIOMARKER FOR TRACE METAL POLLUTION: A STUDY OF UTAH LAKE AND SURROUNDING WETLANDS

Utah Lake is the third-largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, and a critical resource for over 600,000 residents of Utah Valley, supporting agricultural, residential, and recreational activities. The lake harbors an extensive network of biodiverse ecosystems within its wetlands. However, Utah Lake faces significant challenges from trace metal pollution and the encroachment of invasive species including the Phragmites australis (P. australis) plant. Despite investments by state agencies, these issues continue to persist. Trace metals, while naturally occurring, pose a significant threat to human health and ecosystems when present in elevated concentrations. P. australis, a resilient and fast-growing macrophyte with the ability to thrive in adverse environmental conditions and a complex root system, competes with native species for limited resources. P. australis has also been utilized in phytoremediation purposes to extract trace metals from sediment. This study investigates the levels and distribution of trace metals in P. australis samples collected from habitats surrounding Utah Lake. Fifteen samples of soil, roots, and stems of P. australis were collected from both polluted and unpolluted wetland sites to evaluate potential differences in trace metal uptake and accumulation. Samples were analyzed for key trace metals including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). The polluted sites were near an industrial manufacturer, a coal and natural gas plant, and a major highway; whereas, the unpolluted sites were in undeveloped areas. The concentrations of trace metals were measured using a digester, a CEM filtration system, and an ICP machine. The results of this study show that the P. australis surrounding Utah Lake contained elevated levels of trace metals suggesting that P. australis may be used as a biomarker for trace metal pollution. High accumulation of trace metals in P. australis is indicative of their ability to bioaccumulate in Utah Lake wetlands.