Phytoremediation of Lebanese polluted waters: a review of current initiatives

“…Excessive fertilization, particularly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contaminates soil and water resources [7]. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the main contributors to the eutrophication of freshwaters [8,9]. Eutrophication results in algal blooms that produce harmful toxins such as neurotoxins, hepatotoxins, cytotoxins, dermotoxins and endotoxins, which can have detrimental impacts on humans, animals and the ecosystem [10,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The term ''phytoremediation'' comes from the Greek word "phyto" = plant, and Latin ''remedium'' = restoring balance. It describes the ability of plants to remove, uptake or stabilize contaminants from soil, water or air [8,10]. Most phytoremediation studies have focused on cleaning contaminated soils, but less attention has been given to purifying polluted water.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wastewater to Wetlands: Turning the Tide with Azolla Ferns

Kamaleddine,

Keniar,

Yanni

et al. 2023

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Water pollution is a major problem exacerbated by untreated wastewater discharged into the environment, leading to eutrophication and algal blooms. This research at the American University of Beirut explores the potential of using Azolla pinnata, an aquatic fern, to rid wastewater from ammonium (NH4-N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), which are the main contributors to eutrophication. A controlled phytoremediation experiment conducted at the Advancing Research and Enabling Communities (AREC) center in the Bekaa valley showed that A. pinnata can decrease NH4-N and SRP in the primary treated wastewater by 98.2% and 96.4% respectively, within 20 days. The color and odor of treated wastewater reverted to the characteristics of fresh water, making this recycling method highly sustainable due to its relatively low cost. The prospective project would be scaled to the university’s farm level by constructing artificial wetlands at AREC using wastewater generated by the farm facilities. The harvested Azolla can be used as animal feed and/or as a green fertilizer. Successfully reintroducing the precarious wetlands in that arid region would alleviate the stress on aquifers and replenish many endemic species currently on their way to extinction. As a result, the university would be treating its wastewater in a sustainable way while contributing to greening the landscape slowly transfigured by desertification.

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Ways of Improving the Environmental Safety of Urbanized Areas: Technologies and Innovations

Teliurа

Lomakina

2022

MEC

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The paper describes a technique for identifying appropriate environmental technology options for populated areas. Based on the method of analysis of hierarchies (MAI), a methodical approach for determining the priority technologies of phytoremediation for the treatment of various types of wastewater from settlements has been developed. The developed approach makes it possible to involve experts in environmental, urban planning, social, and economic direction of municipal management bodies of a specific settlement, industrial, residential, and military facilities, where the construction of treatment facilities is planned, to justify decisions in the management of environmental safety of surface water bodies located near the specified settlements. According to the developed approach, criteria formulated as influencing groups of factors reflecting: input and output parameters of the cleaning system were proposed and used; circumstances that exist in the place where treatment facilities are planned to be built, and requirements that directly relate to phytoremediation technologies. Relevant experts, relying on various types of information (data of direct measurements, statistical and predictive estimates) on the specific purpose and location of treatment facilities, give their own judgments regarding the priority of the advantages of the specified criteria. Expert judgments are processed according to the formal procedure of the MAI, which is implemented on a computer, and is the basis for decision-making when choosing the priority technology of phytoremediation in specific conditions. The multi-criteria hierarchical structure of phytoremediation technology selection is represented by a sequence of actions that include the following stages: development of elements of a methodical approach; verification of the consistency of the proposed hierarchical structure for determining priority technologies based on the input data of several objects of settlements; obtaining data on the priority of phytoremediation technology for implementation on these objects. The advantages of the proposed methodical approach should include the possibility to link to a single algorithm for the justification of the required decision data that differ both in their content (ecological, biological in terms of higher aquatic plants, urban planning, social and economic) and in the form of presentation (data of direct measurements, statistical and predictive estimates). Keywords: environmental safety, system approach, technologies, tools and ecological and economic aspects of environmental protection activities, environmental quality, processing of eco-data, regulatory framework.

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Phytoremediation of Lebanese polluted waters: a review of current initiatives

Cited by 3 publications

References 30 publications

Choosing the phytoremediation technologies for cleaning various types of wastewater

Choosing the phytoremediation technologies for cleaning various types of wastewater

Wastewater to Wetlands: Turning the Tide with Azolla Ferns

Ways of Improving the Environmental Safety of Urbanized Areas: Technologies and Innovations

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