Freshwater Macrophytes as Natural Wastewater Treatment - The Potential of Phytoremediation

 

Treated wastewater can be used to irrigate crop fields, among other beneficial applications. But sometimes this water contains dyes and other substances which may be harmful to plant growth and human health if they are not removed during the treatment process. Fortunately, studies have shown that the presence of natural macrophytes in wastewater can significantly improve the overall quality of treated water, potentially even making it safe for consumption if certain conditions are met.

Flowering Plants

As more and more manufacturers and textile industries release their dye-containing wastewater into the environment, it becomes increasingly important to find a way to treat these pollutants. Freshwater macrophytes are an environmentally friendly solution for reducing the presence of dyes in water bodies. These plants naturally remove dye from water by extracting and accumulating heavy metals. Dyes, such as textile dyes, can also be removed from wastewater through natural processes such as photolysis. This allows sunlight to break down the molecules of a dye allowing them to be removed from wastewater in a process called photodegradation.

Rushes and Grasslike Plants

Grasses and rushes are both aquatic plants that grow in freshwater. As a result, they have the ability to tolerate high levels of salt and other pollutants found in wastewater. In addition to tolerating toxins, these plants take in toxins through their roots and store them away from the plant body. Grasses can be used effectively for removing heavy metals while rushes are more efficient at removing dyes such as textile dye. There are many different types of rushes but common ones include papyrus, porcupine grass, and tule grasses. Papyrus is a tall reed with long, narrow leaves whereas porcupine grass has pointed ends and tule grasses have tubular leaves that resemble tubes of paper towel rolls.

Red, Orange, Yellow, and Purple Plants

In order to obtain the best results, it is important to grow plants that are native to your region. Not only does this provide a natural habitat for other wildlife, but it also helps the plants acclimate and become more resistant to climate change.

The first step in using macrophytes is to identify which species are best suited for your needs. For example, red and orange plants might be best for treating wastewater that contains dyes like those found in textile dyeing facilities. These plants have higher biomass and will quickly soak up the excess color molecules from the water column. In contrast, yellow and purple plants may work better for removing metals from wastewater like lead or mercury where they can accumulate at high levels near wetlands or ponds.

Green Plants

The use of green plants for wastewater treatment has been well documented in recent years. Numerous studies have been done to determine their ability to remove specific contaminants from water. Some examples include the use of duckweed and water hyacinth to remove ammonia from municipal wastewater, and the use of Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) to remove mercury from contaminated water.

Blue, White and Pink Plants

Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove pollutants from an environment, has been used for many years. It is relatively inexpensive and has a high potential for success. This technique can be done in several ways, including burial or injection into the soil. Injection involves extracting water from the contaminated area and injecting it with a polluted solution (most often a liquid dye). Once injected into the ground, sunlight activates enzymes in the plant which then break down contaminants by turning them into inert substances that are not harmful to humans or animals.