Prof. ZHU Yongguan and his team at the Institute of Urban Environment investigated a variety of macrophytes to determine the uptake and accumulation of arsenic. Results so far have showed that Wolffia globosa has a high ability to sequestrate arsenic thus removing it from water. They quantified the efficiency of arsenic removal by W. globosa, characterized the speciation of arsenic accumulated in this plant and determined some key mechanisms of arsenic uptake and accumulation in this unique plant. Dominant arsenic species in plant is arsenite, and it is believed that arsenite can be complexed with phytochelatins to be detoxified in plant. W. globosa was shown to remove 58% of the arsenic present in water but effluxed some arsenite. The current study reveals that it is important to protect wetlands and aquatic environments for human health. The results were published in New Phytologist, a leading international journal in plant sciences.