Journal Article

Ornamental plants for micropollutant removal in wetland systems

Doni, Serena, Peruzzi, Eleonora, Masciandaro, Grazia, Macci, Cristina, Iannelli, Renato

2015

Overview

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the efficiency of micropollutant removal, such as Cu, Zn, carbamazepine, and linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), through the use of a subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland system with ornamental plants. Zantedeschia aethiopica, Canna indica, Carex hirta, Miscanthus sinensis, and Phragmites australis were selected and planted in lysimeters filled up with gravel. The lysimeters were completely saturated with synthetic wastewater (N 280 mg L⁻¹, P 30 mg L⁻¹, Cu 3.6 mg L⁻¹, Zn 9 mg L⁻¹, carbamazepine 5 μg L⁻¹, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates 14 mg L⁻¹), and the leaching water was collected for analysis after 15, 30, and 60 days in winter-spring and spring-summer periods. Nutrients (N and P) and heavy metals decreased greatly due to both plant activity and adsorption. C. indica and P. australis showed the highest metal content in their tissues and also the greatest carbamazepine and LAS removal. In these plants, the adsorption/degradation processes led to particularly high oxidative stress, as evidenced by the significantly high levels of ascorbate peroxidase activity detected. Conversely, Z. aethiopica was the less efficient plant in metal and organic compound removal and was also less stressed in terms of ascorbate peroxidase activity.

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag,Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adsorption / Alkanesulfonates - analysis / Alkanesulfonates - chemistry / Alkanesulfonates - metabolism / Alkylbenzene sulfonate / Alkylbenzenes / Aquatic plants / Aquatic Pollution / Artificial wetlands / ascorbate peroxidase / Ascorbic acid / Biodegradation, Environmental / Canna indica / Carbamazepine / Carex / Carex hirta / constructed wetlands / Copper / Copper - analysis / Copper - chemistry / Copper - metabolism / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecotoxicology / Efficiency / Environment / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental Health / Experiments / Flowers & plants / Functions and Management / Gravel / Heavy metals / L-Ascorbate peroxidase / Leaching / Lysimeters / Metals / Metals, Heavy - metabolism / Micropollutants / Miscanthus sinensis / Nutrients / Organic compounds / Ornamental plants / Oxidative stress / Personal grooming / Phragmites australis / planting / Poaceae - metabolism / Pollutant removal / Pollutants / Sand & gravel / Spring / sulfonates / tissues / Vertical flow / Waste Water - analysis / Waste Water - chemistry / Waste Water Technology / wastewater / Wastewater treatment / Water Management / Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis / Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry / Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism / Water Pollution Control / Water Purification / Water treatment / Wetland Systems: Ecology / Wetlands / Zantedeschia aethiopica / zinc / Zinc - analysis / Zinc - chemistry / Zinc - metabolism