Assessment of the efficiency of duckweed (Lemna gibba) in wastewater treatment
2007
El-Kheir, W.A. (Ain Shams Univ., Cairo (Egypt). Botany Dept.) | Ismail, G. (Ain Shams Univ., Cairo (Egypt). Botany Dept.) | El-Nour, F.A. (Nuclear Chemistry Dept., Cairo (Egypt). Environment Specimen Bank) | Tawfik, T. (National Water Research, Cairo (Egypt). Central Lab. for Environmental Quality Monitoring) | Hammad, D. (National Water Research, Cairo (Egypt). Central Lab. for Environmental Quality Monitoring)
In the present study the efficiency of duckweed (Lemna gibba L.) as an alternative cost effective natural biological tool in wastewater treatment in general and eliminating concentrations of both nutrients and soluble salts was examined in an outdoor aquatic systems. Duckweed plants were inoculated into primary treated sewage water systems (from the collector tank) for aquatic treatment over eight days retention time period under local outdoor natural conditions. Samples were taken below duckweed cover after every two days to assess the plant's efficiency in purifying sewage water from different pollutants and to examine its effect on both phytoplankton and total and fecal coliform bacteria. Total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, nitrate, ammonia, ortho-phosphate, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd decreased by: 96.3%, 90.6%, 89.0%, 100%, 82.0%, 64.4%, 100%, 100%, 93.6% and 66.7%, respectively. Phytoplankton standing crop decreased by 94.8%. Total and fecal coliform bacteria decreased by 99.8%. Dry and wet weights and protein content of Lemna gibba increased with increasing treatment period.
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