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

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.