Assessing Pollution Mitigation in Transboundary Waters Through Biosorption Technique in Rural Andean Bolivia

Heavy metal pollution from mining activities and urban runoff poses a serious threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems in vulnerable communities around the Bolivia–Peru transboundary Lake Titicaca basin. This study evaluates the use of two abundant wetland plants—totora (Schoenoplectus californicus) and reed (Phragmites australis)—as low-cost, locally available biosorbents for the removal of dissolved iron (Fe²⁺) from the Pallina River, a major contaminant source to Cohana Bay. Monitoring data from Bolivia’s Ministry of Environment and Water (2019–2022) revealed Fe²⁺ concentrations exceeding the national legal limit (0.3 mg/L) by more than 20 times during the dry season. Laboratory experiments using synthetic Fe²⁺ solutions (20 mg/L) optimized biosorption conditions, identifying pH 5, 4–6 g/L biomass, fine particle size (0.15–0.212 mm), and a 3 h contact time as optimal. Both plants followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherms. Totora showed superior performance, achieving a maximum capacity of 7.8 mg/g compared to reed’s 2.9 mg/g. Continuous-flow column tests removed up to 95% of Fe²⁺ from synthetic water. When applied to real Pallina River water, totora achieved 50% Fe²⁺ removal despite reduced efficiency due to competing organic matter. The findings demonstrate the potential of totora-based biosorption as a scalable, nature-based solution for transboundary water management. The policy implications of this study are profound under the national and global water and wetland governance mechanisms and transboundary frameworks like the Binational Autonomous Authority of Lake Titicaca (ALT, est. 1996) and Ramsar Convention.