Improving Wastewater Quality By Using Ceratophyllum Demersum L.

Abstract

Abstract The current study aims to improve the quality of wastewater collected from the secondary sedimentation tank of Hamdan sewage water treatment plant, Basrah, Iraq, using C. demersum L. for phytoremediation potential in the laboratory experiment. The experiments were also designed to establish some toxicological effects of wastewater on plant physiology as a response to wastewater stresses. The selected physio-chemical parameters of wastewater were conducted. Plant analyses were also measured before and after 21st day of exposure. The results showed the efficiency of the plant in improving the water quality in a different ratio. The dilution 1:3 (T3) was the most efficient with a significant difference (p<0.05) between treatment and control for most of the measured parameters. The result showed the efficiency of Ceratophyllum demersum in removing the Total hardness, Ca+2, Mg+2, BOD5, COD, NO3-2, PO4-2, Na+ and Cl- in 1:3 dilution (55.88, 13.27, 89.55, 90, 47.37, 50.65, 48.51, 16.28 and 40.24)% compared with (17.65, 5.42, 27.31, 50, 15.79, 16.30, 13.86, 6.73 and 15.77 )% in control respectively. The Ceratophyllum demersum plant has proven to be effective in improving the quality of wastewater, and therefore it can be considered an effective candidate in phytoremediation technology.