Phytoremedation technologies fortreating agricultural wastewater using Eichhornia Crassipes Sp. Pistia Stratiotes Sp. and Typha Latifolia Sp.

Abstract

Phytoremediation techniques for the treatment of different types of wastewater have been used by several researchers. This is new option for wastewater treatment in developing country. They are cheap to construct, simple and easy to operate and maintain. Aquatic plants have been found to aid the wastewater treatment process. The problem with the use of these plants is how to control them from becoming an environmental problem. As a solution to such problem, other plants have been tried elsewhere. These include water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), Water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes) and cattail (Typha latifolia). However, not much information has been documented about water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), Water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes) and cattail (Typha latifolia). This study was therefore, aimed at finding: To study the potential of phytoremediation process in treating agricultural wastewater, to determine the removal efficiency of BOD and COD in agricultural wastewater by using phytoremediation process and to compare the differences in growth of selected aquatic plants during the process. The environmental conditions considered were pH, temperature, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Turbidity.