EFFECT OF MACROPHYTIC PLANTS ON THE REMOVAL OF HEAVY METALS IN DOMESTIC WASTEWATER

Abstract

Abstract— In this research it was possible to identify the percentage of heavy metal removal and find the appropriate macrophyte plants. The following species Phragmites australis, Schoenoplectus colifornicus and Eichhornia crassipes were studied, three suitably impermeable wooden ponds were built, which had the following dimensions: 0.30 m wide x 0.40 m high and 1.60 m long, giving a volume of 0.192 m3, the experiment was carried out in the Province of Huaura, Lima, Peru. Three varieties of macrophyte plants were grown in each tank with domestic wastewater in each tank without disturbance, and after 120 days of macrophyte growth, the plants were analyzed by an INACAL-accredited laboratory. The results showed that the heavy metals considered were absorbed by the three types of macrophyte plants according to the following result: for Phragmites Australis it was 79.90% nickel, 60.23% lead and 29.11% cadmium, for Schoenoplectus Colifornicus, it was 83.00% for nickel, lead 61.23% and cadmium 51.90%, and for Eichhornia crassipes the results were 93.73% for nickel, 84.36% lead and 78.48% cadmium, it can be seen that Eichhornia crassipes turned out to be the most efficient and therefore this plant would be recommended for its better removal capacity to recover heavy metals from domestic wastewater.