Next Article in Journal
A Comprehensive Evaluation Method of Bench Blast Performance in Open-Pit Mine
Next Article in Special Issue
Enhanced Growth of Mungbean and Remediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Enterobacter sp. MN17 and Biochar Addition in Diesel Contaminated Soil
Previous Article in Journal
Variations of Macro- and Microelements in Yellow-Fleshed Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Genotypes as a Function of Storage Root Portion, Harvesting Time, and Sampling Method
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Phytoremediation of TSS, NH3-N and COD from Sewage Wastewater by Lemna minor L., Salvinia minima, Ipomea aquatica and Centella asiatica

by
Nur Izzah Hamna Abdul Aziz
1,
Marlia Mohd Hanafiah
1,2,*,
Nasrun Hisyam Halim
1 and
Putri Amylin Sofea Fidri
1
1
Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
2
Centre for Tropical Climate Change System, Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(16), 5397; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165397
Submission received: 7 July 2020 / Revised: 19 July 2020 / Accepted: 21 July 2020 / Published: 5 August 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollution: From Phytoremediation to Phytomonitoring)

Abstract

:
The rapid growth of industries has resulted in wastewater generation containing different organic and chemical substances channeled into the water body. This causes the arising of water pollution issues in many regions. The phytoremediation method was introduced in the process of treating water pollution as it is low cost and environmentally friendly. Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica were chosen in this study because they have tolerance to various pollution conditions and are able to remove organic pollutants and heavy metals. The objectives of this study were to determine the water quality before and after treatment, to determine the rate of reduction in total suspended solids (TSS), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in sewage water through the phytoremediation method and to assess the effectiveness of the plants in the phytoremediation of sewage wastewater. It was found that, Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica were able to reduce TSS by 50.8%, 77.6%, 85.6% and 67.6%, respectively; NH3-N by 80.4%, 89.9, 97.3% and 79.1%, respectively; and COD by 75%, 82%, 44.8% and 36.46%, respectively. In this study, it was found that sewage wastewater treatment using Ipomoea aquatica was more efficient in reducing NH3-N and Salvinia minima was more efficient in reducing TSS and COD values.

1. Introduction

Wastewater is generated from the industrial, domestic, commercial and agricultural sectors [1,2]. Untreated wastewater contains various types of pollutants consisting of organic and inorganic materials with different concentrations [3], depending on the type of human activity that produces the wastewater. The water body can be contaminated when exposed to a high volume of wastewater and high concentration of contaminants [4]. The untreated wastewater should not be released into the environment because it contains harmful pollutants that can affect human health and ecosystem quality. Three-quarters of the organic carbon in wastewater presents as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, amino acids and volatile acids and inorganic pollutants including sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, chlorine, sulfur, phosphate, bicarbonate, ammonium salts and heavy metals [5].
Domestic wastewater generated from the household includes water from the sink, bathroom, toilet, washing machine and dishwasher. Industry and business centers also produced wastewater that must be treated before being released to the environment. Hazardous materials such as heavy metals and hazardous chemicals from the road surface, parking lot, roof and building can penetrate and pollute the river, lake and water body. Accordingly, treatment plants were built in every industry, factory and even residential area to treat wastewater. A treatment plant can help in reducing the pollutants in wastewater to the extent that the environment can be sustained and not harmed. However, most of the wastewater treatment technologies require high capital investment and also contribute to the problem of sludge disposal [6]. Thus, an environmentally friendly method of phytoremediation has been introduced as one of the wastewater treatment technologies. Phytoremediation uses green plants which make it an attractive biological treatment method [7].
Phytoremediation is a technology or method that used natural or genetically modified plants to remove, transfer, stabilize or reduce various pollutants contained in soil or water media [8]. The phytoremediation agents can remove organic and inorganic contaminants and interact with microorganisms [9,10]. Wastewater treatment using a phytoremediation method offers several advantages, such as a cost-effective approach, minimum energy requirement, minimal environmental disturbance, conservation of soil biological activity, etc. [11]. Phytoremediation can also occur naturally in soil and water ecosystems [12]. This technology has been accepted in the last two decades as an environmentally friendly and low cost approach in wastewater treatment. According to Mojiri [13], the use of plants for the recovery of soil and water which was contaminated with heavy metals have been proved to be effective. Kasim and Rahman [1] found that lake water treatment using aquatic plants was beneficial to improving water quality, with high efficiency in reducing chemical oxygen demand (COD).
Table 1 shows several previous studies that were conducted in Malaysia on the removal of TSS, NH3-N and COD by phytoremediation treatment. In Malaysia, the use of plants to treat polluted water or soil has gained popularity. Many studies have been conducted to study the capability of the plant in reducing different types of contaminants in soil or water, and the research outputs can be practiced in various sectors [14,15,16]. To date, phytoremediation is not only important for universities and research centers, but also creates new business for contractors and consulting firms. The objectives of this study were to determine the water quality before and after treatment, to determine the rate of reduction in total suspended solids (TSS), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), and COD in sewage wastewater through the phytoremediation method by Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica, and also to evaluate the effectiveness of these plants in the phytoremediation of sewage wastewater. These plants were selected as the phytoremediation agents in this study because of their rapid growth rate and tolerance to various environmental conditions.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Sampling and Laboratory Analysis

The sewage wastewater samples were collected at the sewage treatment plant at a residential area located in Melaka. Initial data parameter analysis involved in-situ measurement (temperature, pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen (DO)), while the ex-situ measurement parameters such as TSS, NH3-N, COD and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) were performed in the laboratory. The readings were taken in triplicate for each parameter. All recorded values were in the form of standard deviation and mean values. The reading of temperature, pH, conductivity and DO was recorded using the YSI 5000 multiparameter instrument (YSI Inc., Yellow Springs, OH, USA). BOD was determined by using the following formula (Equation (1)). After the first reading was taken (DOi), the samples were kept in the incubator for five days at 20 °C (DO5).
BOD5 = DOi − DO5
COD content was measured using HACH DR2500. The NH3-N reading was determined using the Nessler method and the instrument used was a HACH DR/2010 spectrophotometer (HACH, Loveland, CO, USA). TSS was determined using the gravimetric method. Prior the analysis, distilled water was filtered through 0.45 µm filter paper to remove foreign substances. The filter paper was then dried in the oven at 105 °C and weighed. The sewage wastewater sample was filtered and the filter paper was dried again at 80 °C. The dried filter paper with residual substances was weighed. The calculation of TSS content was obtained using Equation (2):
TSS (mg/L) = (A − B)/V × 1000 mL
where,
  • A = Weight of filter paper after filtration
  • B = Weight of filter paper before filtration
  • V = Volume of filtered water sample.

2.2. Phytoremediation Treatment

Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica were selected as phytoremediation agents in this study. These plants were chosen because they have a rapid growth rate and were tolerant to various conditions. Prior to the experiment, the plant samples were first rinsed thoroughly, especially at the root area, to remove foreign substances, and were left in a tank filled with distilled water for a week to neutralize the plants. The sewage wastewater samples were filtered to remove foreign substances before being used for the experiment. Four containers with dimensions of 38 cm × 25 cm × 15 cm were filled with plants and sewage wastewater for treatment. Each plant was weighed 30 g and were placed in a container containing 6 L of sewage wastewater. All containers were placed under lighting in the laboratory to maintain the optimum surrounding conditions for the aquatic plants. The reading of COD, TSS and NH3-N values of sewage wastewater samples were recorded alternately every two days for a duration of 8 days. Figure 1 shows the experimental set up in this study.

2.3. Statistical Analysis

One-way ANOVA test using the IBM SPSS Statistics software (Version 23, IBM, New York, NY, USA, 2019) was performed in this study to determine the significant differences between the parameters of sewage wastewater quality before and after the 8 days of phytoremediation treatment by Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Initial Parameters for Water Quality Prior Treatment

The results of preliminary data on water quality in the study area found that the average temperature reading for the sewage wastewater samples was 26.77 °C and the average reading of pH was 7.33. The pH of sewage wastewater showed an alkaline value because the samples were collected at a sewage treatment plant at a residential area which may contain wastes such as soap, urine and detergent generated from the household activities. The average reading of DO content was 3.19 mg/L. The low value of DO in the study area was due to the high amounts of bacteria and excessive amount of BOD from the untreated sewage which used DO. DO refers to the level of free oxygen, which does not accumulate in water or other fluids. It is an important parameter in assessing water quality because of its influence on living organisms in water body. Too high or too low a level of DO can endanger the aquatic organisms and affect the water quality [17].
The mean value of the TSS of the sewage water was 83.33 mg/L. The TSS value was influenced by the presence of algae and also the presence of soil in the water body. When it rains, soil from the surrounding area will enter the water body and cause an increase in suspended solids volume. TSS is a particle larger than two microns in a water body. The suspended solids were made up of inorganic materials, bacteria and algae. Organic particles from the decomposition materials can also contributed to the increase in suspended solids volume. When algae, plants and animals decompose, the decomposition process allows small organic particles to enter the water body as suspended solids. TSS is an important factor in determining the purity of water. The higher the amounts of suspended solids present in the water, the cloudier the water [26]. The average reading for COD was 40 mg/L. COD value was related to the DO parameter because a higher COD value means more organic matter was oxidized in the water which will reduce the DO level. COD is a measure of the oxygen required to oxidize the dissolved materials and organic matter in water [27]. It is an important water quality parameter as it provides an index to assess whether the discharged sewage will have an impact on the environment.
The average value of BOD recorded was about 26 mg/L. BOD represents the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by microorganisms in the aerobic process of the decomposition of organic matter. BOD was used as an indicator to determine the amount of organic pollutants in most aquatic ecosystems [28]. The permitted limit for BOD issued by the Department of Environment (DOE) in Malaysia is 50 mg/L. A low BOD value indicated a good quality, whereas a high BOD value indicated a contaminated water quality. Finally, the average content of NH3-N in the sewage sample was 10.20 mg/L. NH3-N is a common pollutant in a domestic wastewater which results from the degradation of nitrogenous organic matter. The degradation of organic matter in the biological treatment stage also produced a large amount of ammonia compounds [29]. The Environmental Quality (Sewage) Regulations 2009 has been revised by the DOE Malaysia, which significantly reduced the limit for the released of NH3-N from 50 mg/L to 5 mg/L. Sewage wastewater which contains high ammonia nitrogen will prevent the natural nitrification and reduce the water purification capacity and consequently endanger the water environment. Excess nitrogen released into the water body can contribute to eutrophication and rapid growth of algae, which results in a reduction of oxygen in water. Figure 2 shows the preliminary data on the water quality of sewage wastewater samples in this study.

3.2. Removal of TSS, NH3-N and COD

3.2.1. Reduction Rate of TSS

Phytoremediation treatment of sewage wastewater using Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica showed a decreasing in TSS reading (Figure 3). The average initial reading for TSS was 83.33 mg/L. On the second day of phytoremediation treatment, the TSS value was decreased to 67.33 mg/L, 61.67 mg/L, 68 mg/L and 70 mg/L for the treatment by Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica, respectively. On the final day of treatment, the TSS value in the treatment sample for Ipomoea aquatica recorded the lowest average reading, which was 12 mg/L, followed by Salvinia minima (18.67 mg/L), Centella asiatica (27 mg/L) and Lemna minor (41 mg/L). The reduction in the average reading for TSS was primarily due to the plants’ root systems. On that account, plants with fibrous roots were usually able to accumulate more TSS compared to those with taproot [30]. The root capacity increases with the growth of the plant, thus more suspended solids can be filtered [31]. Besides, a lower water flow also caused the increase in suspended solids and solids filtration by plant tissues.

3.2.2. Reduction Rate of NH3-N

Figure 4 shows the average reading value of NH3-N in the treatment sample by the four plants. The average of initial reading for NH3-N in the sewage sample was approximately 10.20 mg/L. On day 2 of treatment, the graph shows a slightly decreased NH3-N reading when treated with Lemna minor (9.70 mg/L), Salvinia minima (8.53 mg/L) and Centella asiatica (6.45 mg/L). While the average reading of NH3-N reduction by Ipomea aquatica was significant, with a value of approximately 5.8 mg/L. On day 8, the phytoremediation of sewage wastewater by Ipomea aquatica shows the highest reduction in NH3-N content, which was about 0.28 mg/L, followed by Salvinia minima, Lemna minor, and Centella asiatica, with average values of 1.03 mg/L, 2 mg/L and 2.13 mg/L, respectively. Plants need nitrogen as a nutrient requirement for growth. The decreased NH3-N value observed when the ammonium ions and nitrogen were absorbed by plants through the root system. The selection of plants to reduce the NH3-N content in wastewater is important because the effectiveness of the treatment through phytoremediation can be enhanced by selecting aquatic macrophytes with a high tolerance towards ammonia level in wastewater [32]. The present of NH3-N content in wastewater was due to the processes of organic waste matter decomposition and nitrogen fixation [33].

3.2.3. Reduction Rate of COD

The graph of COD content reduction in sewage wastewater sample by phytoremediation treatment by Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica is shown in Figure 5. The average of initial reading for COD was about 96 mg/L. The reading of COD content was decreased on day 2 of treatment with the average value of 66.33 mg/L, 56.33 mg/L, 90 mg/L and 91 mg/L when treated with Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica, respectively. The average of final COD value was approximately 24 mg/L, 17.33 mg/L, 53 mg/L and 61 mg/L for the phytoremediation by Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica, respectively. The reduction in COD was obtained because the plants underwent the process of photosynthesis. The photosynthesis activity increases the dissolved oxygen in water, thus creating aerobic conditions in wastewater in favor of aerobic bacterial activity to reduce BOD and COD contents [34]. This can be an indication that wastewater would have a lesser impact on the environment after being treated using the phytoremediation method [35].

3.2.4. Phytoremediation Efficiency by Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica

The results indicated that all plants used as phytoremediation agents in this study were able to reduce the TSS, NH3-N and COD contents in sewage wastewater samples with different rates of reduction. Figure 6 shows the percentage of reduction of the three parameters after the 8 days of phytoremediation treatment by Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica. Based on the results, Lemna minor reduced about 50.8% of the TSS content. While the average reading of NH3-N was reduced by up to 80.4%. For COD content in the sewage wastewater sample, Lemna minor able to absorbed approximately 75% of COD after 8 days of treatment. A one-way ANOVA test showed that there was a significant difference (p > 0.05) in the contaminants reduction. According to Hazmi and Hanafiah [18], Lemna minor was able to remove COD and NH3-N by 93.7% and 66.4%, respectively. El-Khair et al. [36] found that Lemna minor reduced the TSS content by 96.3%. Lemna minor has been reported as a highly efficient floating macrophyte in organic pollutant removal [37,38].
As for Salvinia minima, the results showed that after 8 days of treatment, this plant had reduced the content of TSS, NH3-N and COD by 77.6%, 89.9% and 82%, respectively. The ANOVA analysis conducted shows that there was a significant difference (p > 0.05) in the reduction reading of pollutants. Salvinia minima is a fast-growing aquatic fern which has high adaptability to various aquatic environments [39,40,41]. Salvinia minima was able to accumulate pollutants in different physiological conditions, as it consists of floating leaves and a submerged leaves structure [42,43]. According to Olguin et al. [44], their study indicated that Salvinia minima was more effective compared to Spirodela polyrrhiza in the phytoremediation of high-strength organic wastewater at a maximum initial NH3-N concentration of 70 mg/L and at a pH of 6.
Farraji et al. [45] reported that Ipomoea aquatica can accumulate up to 80% of TSS, 36.3% of COD and 30% of NH3-N in palm oil mill wastewater. In this study, 85.6% of TSS was removed by Ipomoea aquatica after the phytoremediation treatment of sewage wastewater for 8 days. Ipomoea aquatica was able to trap TSS because of its larger and longer root structure with a lot of hair. Ammonia is one of the nutrients that macrophytes need to survive. It can be seen in this study which the average reading of NH3-N was decreasing during the phytoremediation treatment. Ipomoea aquatica reduced approximately 97.3% of NH3-N in the sewage wastewater sample. This plant was useful for removing nitrates from polluted water. By means of COD content, Ipomoea aquatica has absorbed about 44.8% of COD in the sewage wastewater sample. The long and fibrous roots of Ipomoea aquatica make it able to absorb nutrients in wastewater efficiently. This species is a fast-growing plant and needs pollutants as food to grow [46]. The statistical analysis using a one-way ANOVA test showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) for the rate of reduction in the TSS, NH3-N and COD contents during the 8 days of phytoremediation treatment of sewage wastewater.
With regards to Centella asiatica, the reduction percentage of TSS, NH3-N and COD in the sewage wastewater sample was about 67.6%, 79.1% and 36.46%, respectively. According to Nizam et al. [19], Centella asiatica can remove 98% of NH3-N from wastewater. A medicinal plant such as Centella asiatica can serve as phytoremediation agent as it has the ability to absorb different concentrations of contaminants in wastewater [47]. Centella asiatica can accumulate heavy metals through its roots, stems and leaves [48,49]. The roots of Centella asiatica play an important role in this study which the roots trapped the suspended particles in wastewater sample. At the beginning of the phytoremediation treatment, the average reading of NH3-N was high. This is due to the decomposition of organic solid matter by the existing bacterial reaction in the sewage wastewater sample [50,51]. Ammonia is one of the important nutrients for Centella asiatica to grow. The reduction in pollutants such as TSS, NH3-N and COD in this study showed that sewage wastewater can be treated using Centella asiatica. The one-way ANOVA analysis conducted showed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the reduction rate of the selected parameters.
Based on the percentage of reduction as shown in Figure 5, it can be observed that Ipomoea aquatica was more efficient in reducing the contents of TSS and NH3-N, while Salvinia minima was more efficient in accumulating COD in the sewage wastewater sample. In a study conducted by Hanafiah et al. [52], Ipomea aquatica was found to be more efficient than Centella asiatica by its ability to accumulate higher concentration of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe). Nizam et al. [19] found that Centella asiatica was the most efficient for NH3-N removal compared to Pistia stratiotes, Salvinia molesta, Ipomea aquatica and Eichhornia crassipes. It was indicated that each plant that acts as phytoremediation agent has its own efficiency rate in removing different pollutants. However, there are several factors that may affect the reduction percentage of contaminants, such as the type of pollutant and wastewater, treatment duration and pollutant concentration [52,53,54].

4. Conclusions

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica as phytoremediation agents in removing TSS, NH3-N and COD from sewage wastewater samples. These plants were chosen because of their high tolerance to various pollutants and also because of their rapid growth rate. The results indicated that after the 8 days of treatment, the sewage wastewater treated by Lemna minor Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica showed a reduction in TSS content at 50.8%, 77.6%, 85.6% and 67.6%, respectively. For the NH3-N removal, the four treatment samples showed a reduction of approximately 80.4%, 89.9%, 97.3% and 79.1%, respectively. The value of COD in sewage wastewater treated by Salvinia minima reduced about 82% compared to Lemna minor, which reduced only 75% of COD content. Ipomoea aquatica able to remove up to 44.8% of COD and Centella asiatica removed 36.46% of COD. The one-way ANOVA test showed a significant different on sewage wastewater quality before and after the treatment by all plants. Based on the reduction percentage of TSS and NH3-N, sewage wastewater treatment with Ipomoea aquatica showed a more efficient reduction, while Salvinia minima was more efficient in reducing the COD content. Hence, phytoremediation treatment method was proven to be able to remove pollutants and enhance the water quality with a low capital cost. This method is also safe to be implemented as it is environmentally friendly.

Author Contributions

Formal analysis, N.H.H. and P.A.S.F.; writing—original draft preparation, N.I.H.A.A. and M.M.H.; writing—review and editing, M.M.H.; supervision, M.M.H.; project administration, M.M.H.; funding acquisition, M.M.H. and N.I.H.A.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, grant number DIP-2019-001.

Acknowledgments

Nur Izzah Hamna A. Aziz was financed by the UKM research grant (MI-2020-005).

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Harun, S.N.; Hanafiah, M.M. Estimating the country-level water consumption footprint of selected crop production. Appl. Ecol. Environ. Res. 2018, 16, 5381–5403. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  2. Hanafiah, M.M.; Ghazali, N.F.; Harun, S.N.; Abdulaali, H.; AbdulHasan, M.J.; Kamarudin, M.K.A. Assessing water scarcity in Malaysia: A case study of rice production. Desalin. Water Treat. 2019, 149, 274–287. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  3. Banch, T.J.; Hanafiah, M.M.; Alkarkhi, A.F.M.; Amr, S.S.A.; Nizam, N.U.M. Evaluation of different treatment processes for landfill leachate using low-cost agro-industrial materials. Processes 2020, 8, 111. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  4. Safauldeen, S.H.; Hasan, H.A.; Abdullah, S.R.S. Phytoremediation efficiency of water hyacinth for batik textile effluent treatment. J. Ecol. Eng. 2019, 20, 177–187. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  5. Bong, P.; Malek, M.; Mardi, N.; Hanafiah, M.M. Cradle-to-Gate Water-Related Impacts on Production of Traditional Food Products in Malaysia. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5274. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Al-Raad, A.A.; Hanafiah, M.M.; Naje, A.S.; Ajeel, M.A. Optimized parameters of the electrocoagulation process using a novel reactor with rotating anode for saline water treatment. Environ. Pollut. 2020, 265, 115049. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Ashraf, S.; Ali, Q.; Zahir, Z.A.; Ashraf, S.; Asghar, H.N. Phytoremediation: Environmentally sustainable way for reclamation of heavy metal polluted soils. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 2019, 174, 714–727. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  8. Al-Thani, R.F.; Yasseen, B.T. Phytoremediation of polluted soils and waters by native Qatari plants: Future perspectives. Environ. Pollut. 2020, 259, 113694. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Idris, M.; Abdullah, S.R.S.; Titah, H.S.; Latif, M.T.; Abasa, A.R.; Husin, A.K.; Hanima, R.F.; Ayub, R. Screening and identification of plants at a petroleum contaminated site in Malaysia for phytoremediation. J. Environ. Sci. Manag. 2016, 19, 27–36. [Google Scholar]
  10. Lai, W.; Lee, F.; Chen, C.S.; Hseu, Z.; Kuo, Y. The removal efficacy of heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons from contaminated soils by integrated bio-phytoremediation. J. Soil Groundw. Environ. 2014, 19, 35–44. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  11. Vangronsveld, J.; Herzig, R.; Weyens, N.; Boulet, J.; Adriaensen, K.; Ruttens, A. Phytoremediation of contaminated soils and groundwater: Lessons from the field. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 2009, 16, 765–794. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  12. Ashraf, M.A.; Maah, M.J.; Yusoff, I. Evaluation of natural phytoremediation process occuring at ex-tin mining catchment. Chiang Mai J. Sci. 2013, 40, 198–213. [Google Scholar]
  13. Mojiri, A. Phytoremediation of heavy metals from municipal wastewater by Typha domingensis. Afr. J. Microbiol. Res. 2012, 6, 643–647. [Google Scholar]
  14. Gerhardt, K.E.; Gerwing, P.D.; Greenberg, B.M. Opinion: Taking phytoremediation from proven technology to accepted practice. Plant Sci. 2017, 256, 170–185. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  15. Sarwar, N.; Imran, M.; Shaheen, M.R.; Ishaque, W.; Kamran, M.A.; Matloob, A.; Rehim, A.; Hussain, S. Phytoremediation strategies for soils contaminated with heavy metals: Modifications and future perspectives. Chemosphere 2017, 171, 710–721. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  16. Selamat, S.N.; Abdullah, S.R.S.; Idris, M. Phytoremediation of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) by Melastoma malabathriculum L. from contaminated soil in separated exposure. Int. J. Phytoremediat. 2014, 16, 694–703. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  17. Hanafiah, M.M.; Mohamad, N.H.S.M.; Aziz, N.I.H.A. Salvinia molesta dan Pistia stratiotes sebagai agen fitoremediasi dalam rawatan air sisa kumbahan. Sains Malays. 2018, 47, 1625–1634. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  18. Hazmi, N.I.A.; Hanafiah, M.M. Phytoremediation of livestock wastewater using Azolla filiculoides and Lemna minor. Environ. Ecosyst. Sci. 2018, 2, 13–16. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  19. Nizam, N.U.M.; Hanafiah, M.M.; Noor, I.M.; Karim, H.I.A. Efficiency of five selected aquatic plants in phytoremediation of aquaculture wastewater. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 2712. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  20. Akinbile, C.O.; Yusoff, M.S.; Shian, L.M. Leachate characterization and phytoremediation using water hyacinth (Eichorrnia crassipes) in Pulau Burung, Malaysia. Bioremediat. J. 2012, 16, 9–18. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  21. Akinbile, C.O.; Yusoff, M.S. Assessing water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) effectiveness in aquaculture wastewater treatment. Int. J. Phytoremediat. 2012, 14, 201–211. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  22. Akinbile, C.O.; Ogunrinde, T.A.; Che Man, H.; Aziz, H.A. Phytoremediation of domestic wastewaters in free water surface constructed wetlands using Azolla pinnata. Int. J. Phytoremediat. 2016, 18, 54–61. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  23. Darajeh, N.; Idris, A.; Truong, P.; Abdul Aziz, A.; Abu Bakar, R.; Che Man, H. Phytoremediation potential of vetiver system technology for improving the quality of palm oil mill effluent. Adv. Mater. Sci. Eng. 2014, 2014, 683579. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  24. Ng, Y.S.; Chan, D.J.C. Wastewater phytoremediation by Salvinia molesta. J. Water Process Eng. 2017, 15, 107–115. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  25. Rezania, S.; Din, M.F.M.; Taib, S.M.; Dahalan, F.A.; Songip, A.R.; Singh, L.; Kamyab, H. The efficient role of aquatic plant (water hyacinth) in treating domestic wastewater in continuous system. Int. J. Phytoremediat. 2016, 18, 679–685. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  26. Chen, Z.; Hu, C.; Muller-Karger, F. Monitoring turbidity in Tampa Bay using MODIS/Aqua 250-m imagery. Remote Sens. Environ. 2007, 109, 207–220. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  27. Hanafiah, M.M.; Yussof, M.K.M.; Hasan, M.; AbdulHasan, M.J.; Toriman, M.E. Water quality assessment of Tekala River, Selangor, Malaysia. Appl. Ecol. Environ. Res. 2018, 16, 5157–5174. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  28. Sricoth, T.; Meeinkuirt, W.; Pichtel, J.; Taeprayoon, P.; Saengwilai, P. Synergistic phytoremediation of wastewater by two aquatic plants (Typha angustifolia and Eichhornia crassipes) and potential as biomass fuel. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2018, 25, 5344–5358. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  29. Ng, Y.S.; Chan, D.J.C. Phytoremediation capabilities of Spirodela polyrhiza, Salvinia molesta and Lemna sp. in synthetic wastewater: A comparative study. Int. J. Phytoremediat. 2018, 20, 1179–1186. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Umar, K.J.; Muhammad, M.J.; Sani, N.A.; Muhammad, S.; Umar, M.T. Comparative study of antioxidant activities of the leaves and stem of Ipomea aquatica forsk (water spinach). Niger. J. Basic Appl. Sci. 2015, 23, 81–84. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  31. Ng, Y.S.; Samsudin, N.I.S.; Chan, D.J.C. Phytoremediation capabilities of Spirodela polyrhiza and Salvinia molesta in fish farm wastewater: A preliminary study. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Proceedings of the 29th Symposium of Malaysian Chemical Engineers (SOMChE) 2016, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia, 1–3 December 2016; IOP Publishing: Bristol, UK, 2017; Volume 206. [Google Scholar]
  32. Ting, W.H.T.; Tan, I.A.W.; Salleh, S.F.; Wahab, N.A. Application of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) for phytoremediation of ammoniacal nitrogen: A review. J. Water Process. Eng. 2018, 22, 239–249. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  33. Le, P.T.T.; Boyd, C.E. Comparison of phenate and salicylate methods for determination of total ammonia nitrogen in freshwater and saline water. J. World Aquacult. Soc. 2012, 43, 885–889. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  34. Singh, D.; Tiwari, A.; Gupta, R. Phytoremediation of lead from wastewater using aquatic plants. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. 2012, 8, 1–11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  35. Alkimin, G.D.D.; Paisio, C.; Agostini, E.; Nunes, B. Phytoremediation processes of domestic and textile effluents: Evaluation of the efficacy and toxicological effects in Lemna minor and Daphnia magna. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2019, 4, 4423–4441. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  36. El-Kheir, W.A.; Ismail, G.; El-Nour, A.; Tawfik, T.; Hammad, D. Assessment of the efficiency of duckweed (Lemna gibba) in wastewater treatment. Int. J. Agric. Biol. 2007, 9, 681–687. [Google Scholar]
  37. Ekperusi, A.O.; Sikoki, F.D.; Nwachukwu, E.O. Application of common duckweed (Lemna minor) in phytoremediation of chemicals in the environment: State and future perspective. Chemosphere 2019, 223, 285–309. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  38. Mohedano, R.A.; Costa, R.H.R.; Tavares, F.A.; Filho, P.B. High nutrient removal rate from swine wastes and protein biomass production by full-scale duckweed ponds. Bioresour. Technol. 2012, 112, 98–104. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  39. Leal-Alvarado, D.A.; Estrella-Maldonado, H.; Saenz-Carbonell, L.; Ramirez-Prado, J.H.; Zapata-Perez, O.; Santamaria, J.M. Genes coding for transporters showed a rapid and sharp increase in their expression in response to lead, in the aquatic fern (Salvinia minima Baker). Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 2018, 147, 1056–1064. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  40. Benyo, D.; Horvath, E.; Nemth, E.; Leviczky, T.; Takacs, K.; Lehotai, N.; Feigl, G.; Kolbert, Z.; Ordog, A.; Galle, R.; et al. Physiological and molecular responses to heavy metal stresses suggest different detoxification mechanism of Populus deltoides and P. x canadensis. J. Plant Physiol. 2016, 201, 62–70. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  41. Fuentes, I.I.; Espadas-Gil, F.; Talavera-May, C.; Fuentes, G.; Santamaria, J.M. Capacity of the aquatic fern (Salvinia minima Baker) to accumulate high concentrations of nickel in its tissues, and its effect on plant physiological processes. Aquat. Toxicol. 2014, 155, 142–150. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  42. Leal-Alvarado, D.A.; Espadas-Gil, F.; Saenz-Carbonell, L.; Talavera-May, C.; Santamaria, J.M. Lead accumulation reduces photosynthesis in the lead hyper-accumulator Salvinia minima Baker by affecting the cell membrane and inducing stomatal closure. Aquat. Toxicol. 2016, 171, 37–47. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  43. Prado, C.; Rodriguez-Montelongo, L.; Gonzalez, J.A.; Pagano, E.A.; Hilal, M.; Prado, F.E. Uptake of chromium by Salvinia minima: Effect on plant growth, leaf respiration and carbohydrate metabolism. J. Hazard. Mater. 2010, 177, 546–553. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  44. Olguin, E.J.; Sanchez-Galvan, G.; Perez-Perez, T. Assessment of the phytoremediation potential of Salvinia minima Baker compared to Spirodela polyrrhiza in high-strength organic wastewater. Water Air Soil Pollut. 2007, 181, 135–147. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  45. Farraji, H.; Zaman, N.Q.; Sa’at, S.K.M.; Dashti, A.F. Phytoremediation of suspended solids and turbidity of palm oil mill effluent (POME). Eng. Herit. J. 2017, 1, 36–40. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  46. Sundaralingam, T.; Gnanavelrajah, N. Phytoremediation potential of selected plants for nitrate and phosphorus from ground water. Int. J. Phytoremediat. 2014, 16, 275–284. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  47. Muthusaravanan, S.; Sivarajasekar, N.; Vivek, J.S.; Paramasivan, T.; Naushad, M.; Prakashmaran, J.; Gayathri, V.; Al-Duaij, O.K. Phytoremediation of heavy metals: Mechanisms, methods and enhancements. Environ. Chem. Lett. 2018, 16, 1339–1359. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  48. Manan, F.A.; Chai, T.T.; Samad, A.A.; Mamat, D.D. Evaluation of the phytoremediation potential of two medicinal plants. Sains Malays. 2015, 44, 503–509. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  49. Yap, C.K.; Fitri, M.R.M.; Mazyhar, Y.; Tan, S.G. Effects of metal contaminated soils on the accumulation of heavy metals in different parts of Centella asiatica: A laboratory study. Sains Malays. 2010, 39, 347–352. [Google Scholar]
  50. Manikam, M.K.; Halim, A.A.; Hanafiah, M.M.; Krishnamoorthy, R.R. Removal of ammonia nitrogen, nitrate, phosphorus and COD from sewage wastewater using palm oil boiler ash composite adsorbent. Desalin. Water Treat. 2019, 149, 23–30. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
  51. Manikam, M.K.; Syafinaz, M.I.; Halim, A.A.; Hanafiah, M.M. Penyingkiran ammonia dan permintaan oksigen kimia daripada air sisa kumbahan menggunakan media penjerap komposit karbon teraktif. Sains Malays. 2019, 48, 2529–2539. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  52. Hanafiah, M.M.; Zainuddin, M.F.; Nizam, N.U.M.; Halim, A.A.; Rasool, A. Phytoremediation of aluminum and iron from industrial wastewater using Ipomea aquatica and Centella asiatica. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 3064. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  53. Banch, T.J.H.; Hanafiah, M.M.; Alkarkhi, A.F.M.; Amr, S.S.A. Statistical evaluation of landfill leachate system and its impact on groundwater and surface water in Malaysia. Sains Malays. 2019, 48, 2391–2403. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  54. Banch, T.J.H.; Hanafiah, M.M.; Amr, S.S.A.; Alkarkhi, A.F.M.; Hasan, M. Treatment of landfill leachate using palm oil mill effluent. Processes 2020, 8, 601. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Figure 1. The phytoremediation treatment performed in the laboratory using (a) Lemna minor, (b) Salvinia minima, (c) Ipomea aquatica and (d) Centella asiatica.
Figure 1. The phytoremediation treatment performed in the laboratory using (a) Lemna minor, (b) Salvinia minima, (c) Ipomea aquatica and (d) Centella asiatica.
Applsci 10 05397 g001
Figure 2. The initial parameters reading of sewage wastewater samples for (a) pH, (b) temperature, (c) DO, (d) TSS, (e) COD, (f) BOD and (g) NH3-N.
Figure 2. The initial parameters reading of sewage wastewater samples for (a) pH, (b) temperature, (c) DO, (d) TSS, (e) COD, (f) BOD and (g) NH3-N.
Applsci 10 05397 g002
Figure 3. Graph of the average of TSS reading by the phytoremediation using Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.
Figure 3. Graph of the average of TSS reading by the phytoremediation using Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.
Applsci 10 05397 g003
Figure 4. The average of NH3-N reading by the phytoremediation using Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.
Figure 4. The average of NH3-N reading by the phytoremediation using Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.
Applsci 10 05397 g004
Figure 5. The average COD reading by the phytoremediation method using Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.
Figure 5. The average COD reading by the phytoremediation method using Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.
Applsci 10 05397 g005
Figure 6. Percentage of reduction in TSS, NH3-N and COD for Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.
Figure 6. Percentage of reduction in TSS, NH3-N and COD for Lemna minor, Salvinia minima, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica.
Applsci 10 05397 g006
Table 1. The removal of total suspended solids (TSS), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by phytoremediation treatment based on previous studies in Malaysia.
Table 1. The removal of total suspended solids (TSS), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by phytoremediation treatment based on previous studies in Malaysia.
ReferencePollutantType of PlantRemoval Rate (%)Duration
Safauldeen et al. [4]COD, TSSEichhornia crassipes83, 9228 days
Hanafiah et al. [17]NH3-N, TSSSalvinia molesta96, 887 days
Pistia stratiotes83, 95
Hazmi and Hanafiah [18]COD, NH3-NLemna minor93.7, 66.46 days
Azolla filiculoides94.2, 52.7
Nizam et al. [19]NH3-N, TSSCentella asiatica98, 9014 days
Ipomea aquatica73, 73
Salvinia molesta63.9, 89.3
Eichhornia crassipes74, 96
Pistia stratiotes78, 98
Akinbile et al. [20]NH3-NEichhornia crassipes8649 days
Akinbile and Yusoff [21]COD, NH3-NEichhornia crassipes59, 8528 days
Pistia stratiotes54, 82
Akinbile et al. [22]COD, NH3-N, TSSAzolla pinnata71, 62, 8028 days
Darejah et al. [23]CODChrysopogon zizanioides L. 9414 days
Ng and Chan [24]CODSalvinia molesta3916 days
Rezania et al. [25]COD, NH3-N, TSSEichhornia crassipes41, 64, 3421 days

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Abdul Aziz, N.I.H.; Mohd Hanafiah, M.; Halim, N.H.; Fidri, P.A.S. Phytoremediation of TSS, NH3-N and COD from Sewage Wastewater by Lemna minor L., Salvinia minima, Ipomea aquatica and Centella asiatica. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 5397. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165397

AMA Style

Abdul Aziz NIH, Mohd Hanafiah M, Halim NH, Fidri PAS. Phytoremediation of TSS, NH3-N and COD from Sewage Wastewater by Lemna minor L., Salvinia minima, Ipomea aquatica and Centella asiatica. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10(16):5397. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165397

Chicago/Turabian Style

Abdul Aziz, Nur Izzah Hamna, Marlia Mohd Hanafiah, Nasrun Hisyam Halim, and Putri Amylin Sofea Fidri. 2020. "Phytoremediation of TSS, NH3-N and COD from Sewage Wastewater by Lemna minor L., Salvinia minima, Ipomea aquatica and Centella asiatica" Applied Sciences 10, no. 16: 5397. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165397

APA Style

Abdul Aziz, N. I. H., Mohd Hanafiah, M., Halim, N. H., & Fidri, P. A. S. (2020). Phytoremediation of TSS, NH3-N and COD from Sewage Wastewater by Lemna minor L., Salvinia minima, Ipomea aquatica and Centella asiatica. Applied Sciences, 10(16), 5397. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165397

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop