Nitrogen and Phosphorus Remediation by Three Floating Aquatic Macrophytes in Greenhouse-Based Laboratory-Scale Subsurface Constructed Wetlands

Abstract

In the greenhouse and container nursery production industry there is potential for runoff of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which may contaminate surface and groundwater. Since the 1950s constructed wetlands (CWs), as a simple, lowtechnology method, have been shown to effectively treat agricultural, industrial, and municipal wastewater. We investigated the N and P attenuating potential of three floating hydrophytes planted in a laboratoryscale subsurface flow (SSF) CW system. Over an 8-week period plants were supplied with N and P (0.39 to 36.81 mg·L −1 N and 0.07 to 6.77 mg·L −1 P) that spanned the rates detected in nursery runoff between the discharge and inflow locations of a commercial nursery currently employing CWs. Whole plant dry weight was positively correlated with N and P supplied. Highest N recovery rates were exhibited by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart.] Solms.) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.). P recovery rates were similar for water hyacinth, water lettuce, and dwarf redstemmed parrotfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum [Vell.] Verdc.). These floating hydrophytes can be cultivated in a SSF CW to remediate runoff losses of N and P. The possibility exists for integrating them into a polycultural remediation system that includes emergent aquatic macrophytes for processing and polishing nursery/greenhouse wastewater.

Short-term physiological responses to copper stress in Salvinia auriculata Aubl.

“…Currently, the use of aquatic macrophytes is under investigation as a viable alternative for remediation of a wide range of contaminants including heavy metals (Hughes et al, 1996;Lee et al, 1998;Rodgers and Bunce, 2001;Miglioranza et al, 2004;Miretzky et al, 2004;Polomski et al, 2009;Augustynowicz et al, 2010;Rahman and Hasegawa, 2011). These researches emphasize that the plant-based approach to remediation of the environments highly contaminated has an interesting cost-effective, because it is cheaper than other methods and safe for human.…”

Nitrogen removal from Lake Caohai, a typical ultra-eutrophic lake in China with large scale confined growth of Eichhornia crassipes

“…Eichhorni a crassipes is a common free floating aquatic plant native to South America and is now widespread in all tropical and sub-tropical climate areas. It has a high capability to grow in heavily polluted water to assimilate nutrients, metal ions and reduce organic accumulations (Malik, 2007;Mishra and Tripathi, 2009;Polomski et al, 2009 ). Lake Caohai, an internal lake of Lake Dianchi, is located in the southwest city of Kunming, and received large quantities of sewage from the city through the influx from rivers.…”

“…However, the polluted levels (especially TN) had not significantly decrease d. In 2011, an experimental plan focused on large-scale growth of E. crassipes (ultimately covering $4.3 km 2 ) to remove the pollutants from the lake was executed in Lake Caohai. Previous studies about pollutant removal using E. crassipes usually were conducted in laborator ies, or in small water bodies, such as rivers, ponds (Polprasert and Khatiwada, 1998;Rommens et al, 2003;Jayaweera and Kasturiarach chi, 2004;Zimmels et al, 2006;Polomski et al, 2009 ). There were few applications of E. crassipes for pollution control in large water bodies.…”

Seasonal dynamics in the trophic status of water, floral and faunal density along some selected coastal areas of the Red Sea, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

“…Phosphorus has been considered the principal limiting nutrient for primary production of phytoplankton in aquatic bodies (Philips 2002;Sharpley et al 2003). Various studies showed that the anthropogenic nutrients input are directly related with intensity of coastal eutrophication and degradation of coastal areas (Polomski et al 2009). Nonpoint sources of nutrients are more responsible than the point sources for eutrophication in many regions (Carpenter 2005).…”