A review of the mechanisms of pollutant removal in water hyacinth systems

Abstract

Presence of aquatic plants in natural or constructed wetlands not only reduces the concentration of problematic nutrients from the wastewater, but also alters the physico-chemical environment of the water, rhizosphere and underlying sediment (Reddy & Patrick, 1984). In addition to plant assimilation of nutrients, changes in the environment of the water also help in reducing the pollutant level of the wastewater through biochemical processes brought about by micro-organisms. This paper gives a review of the biochemical and physico-chemical processes occurring in a floating aquatic plant system.

Keywords : Water hyacinth, pollutant removal, biochemical/ physico-chemical processes.