Phragmites australis (common reed) is one of the most extensively distributed species of emergent plant worldwide. The adaptive features of this plant show its competitive character. Owing to high intraspecific diversity of common reed, as well as its phenotypic plasticity, the plant shows a broad ecological amplitude. Moreover, the plant exhibits a high capacity for acclimatization to environmental conditions which are considered adverse. This plant has been used for many years in phytoremediation to purify various types of wastewater. Phragmites australis has a high ability to accumulate various nutrients, heavy metals, and micropollutants, and in this respect, it is superior to other aquatic plants. This review examines the existing literature on the biological and ecological properties of common reed, the use of common reed in wastewater treatment for removing pollutants and tolerance for metals, and in hydrophyte treatment systems. It seems vital to conduct further research on the physiology and biochemistry of the common reed, with the aim of increasing the plant’s efficiency for pollutants removal.

The paper presents the assessment of possibilities and limitations of the use of Lemna minor, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae and Ceratophyllum demersum in removing metals from contaminated waters. Synthetically discussed the role of these species in phytotechnology and their importance in the assessment of surface water status. The variability of concentration of selected metals in waters and the content of metals in the organs of the analysed plants are presented. Their advantages and disadvantages in removing metals from waters due to biological features have been characterized. Minimum and maximum efficiency of metal removal depending on the scale of water pollution was determined. It was found that analysed plants can be used for phytoremediation of metals from water, but the limitation of effectiveness of treatments is the toxicity of these metals to plants and the time of exposure. The highest removal efficiency can be obtained thanks to the use of sequences of single-species filtration systems.

Pollution of aquatic ecosystems continues to be a problem in developed countries, resulting in a reduction in the biodiversity of organisms associated with these habitats. In many countries, macrophyte indices are used to assess surface water pollution. They apply both to determining the ecological status of lakes and rivers. The presence of aquatic plants informs, among others, on the level of water eutrophication, and the analysis of the content of metals in plants indicates the pollution of water ecosystems with metals. Failure to reach the key objective of the Water Framework Directive, i.e. good water status, by 2015 forces the search for new ways of water management, including cheap and environmentally friendly methods of treatment of contaminated and used waters. The results of research on the possibilities and limitations in the functioning of individual species of aquatic plants in polluted and used waters allow for the rational selection of plants for phytoremediation of aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this review was to discuss the biological features of common mare's tail and its habitat and to determine the plant's ability to develop in waters contaminated with biogenic compounds and metals, and to determine its ability to uptake metals measured by the effectiveness of removing contaminants. It was found that mare's tail occurs in waters with variable concentration of biogenic compounds and metals. Irrespectively of the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the plant growth medium, each introduction of lead, zinc, copper, manganese and iron into the plant growth medium, in quantities corresponding to the limit values for V class water quality, caused their increased uptake by mare's tail. The accumulation of these elements reflects the state of water pollution with metals. Nevertheless, water pollution with some metals causes the biomass of the plant to be reduced. Due to high efficiency of removing various impurities by mare's tail, the plant can be used in the hydrophytic systems of wastewater treatment but its best use is for the purpose of after-treatment of municipal wastewater.

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