Comparison of Pistia stratiotes and Lemna minor plants potentials in bioremediation of domestic wastewater

Abstract

Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly and cost-effective biotechnological method of wastewater treatment that involves the use of plants. In this research work, the potentials of Pistia stratiotes and Lemna minor aquatic plants in the treatment of wastewater were examined. The two plants were cultivated in the wastewater sample for 10 days. Water quality parameters (turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphate, ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate) tests were conducted on the untreated (influent) and treated water (effluent) samples at a detention time of 24 hours. The outcome of the analysis demonstrates that P. stratiotes effluent achieved a reduction efficiency of up to 91.9%, 68%, 79.6% and 71% for turbidity, phosphate, ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate, respectively. Whereas for L. minor treated water samples, the highest reduction efficiency for turbidity, COD, phosphate, ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate was found to be 87.2%, 46%, 48.7%, 83% and 56%, respectively. Hence, the overall outcome obtained indicated that P. stratiotes improved the domestic wastewater quality than L. minor plants.