Assessment of heavy metal contamination in the Düzce watershed (Türkiye) and sustainable remedies through aquatic flora

Heavy metal pollution in the Düzce watershed of Türkiye was assessed and the phytoremediation potential of native aquatic plants was evaluated. The majority of heavy metals were found in water within legal limits, except for cadmium concentrations, which exceeded water quality standards; the main pollution load was accumulated in bottom sediments. Dominant wetland plants were analyzed to establish species-specific and tissue-specific metal accumulation patterns. Key species included Plantago major and Paspalum distichum with impressive copper accumulation capacity that may possibly classify them as good candidates for biomonitoring and phytoremediation applications. The results scientifically substantiate the use of local aquatic vegetation for ecological restoration efforts throughout Türkiye and similar regions as it pertains not merely to pollution mitigation but also a circular economy via the metal-accumulating plant biomass, which can serve these species afterward as sustainable resources for bioenergy production and biobased materials after phytoremediation activities. This brings forth new approaches to thinking about cleaning up an environment while recovering resources from polluted water ecosystems at the same time.