Wastewater management by using effective phytoremediator duckweed

Water pollution and the increasing discharge of untreated wastewater into natural water bodies are intensifying the pressure on aquatic environments. Sustainable and eco-friendly methods are essential for restoring water quality and mitigating pollution. One such approach is water phytoremediation, which involves the use of aquatic plants to remove pollutants from water bodies and ecosystems. This study explored the removal of contaminants from municipal wastewater using floating aquatic plants such as Lemna minor, which have proven highly effective for phytoremediation due to their low cost, high pollutant uptake capacity, minimal generation of chemical and biological sludge, ease of transport, adaptability to diverse climatic conditions, and rapid reproduction rates.
Notable findings from the research include reductions in chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 82.2%, biological oxygen demand (BOD) by 84.3%, phosphates by 63.8%, ammonium nitrogen by 75.4%, and nitrates by 79.1% for Lemna minor. Maximum plant growth occurred during the experiment at pH levels between 7 and 8. The study demonstrated that large-scale remediation could be effectively achieved using Lemna minor as a phytoremediation agent within 17 days. This method offers a cost-effective, efficient tertiary treatment for heavily polluted wastewater. Additionally, it can serve as an independent treatment solution when integrated with preliminary wastewater treatment systems in smaller communities.