TY - JOUR
T1 - Phytoremediation of Nitrogen-Polluted Water Using Water Hyacinth
AU - Fang, Y.Y.
AU - Yang, X.E.
AU - Chang, H.Q.
AU - Pu, P.M.
AU - Ding, X.F.
AU - Rengel, Zed
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Aquatic plants can be used for treating eutrophicated water in a simple and cost-effective manner, but many such plant systems remain to be characterized. The effects of growing Eichhornia crassipes on removal of nitrogen (N) from the eutrophicated water were investigated in a large-scale enclosure system installed in hyper-eutrophicated water in Hua-jia-chi pond, Hangzhou city, China. Total N concentration in the enclosures decreased from 2.1 to 0.50 mg L-1 after growing Eichhornia crassipes for 44 d. Ammonium concentration decreased at least 2-fold after plant growth. Nitrite concentration decreased to below detection limit after growing Eichhornia crassipes for only 14 d and was maintained at that level afterwards. Chlorophyll a concentration (an indicator of water eutrophication) decreased to 10 mu g L-1 after 44 d. The water transparency increased significantly, reaching the depth of 1.8 m (i.e., to the bottom of the pond) after 44 d. Eichhornia crassipes removed 21.7 kg nitrogen from 6,000 t of hyper-eutrophicated water in the enclosures, thus quickly and effectively improving the water quality. Growing Eichhornia crassipes is the first step toward re-establishing natural ecosystem functions in eutrophicated water bodies.
AB - Aquatic plants can be used for treating eutrophicated water in a simple and cost-effective manner, but many such plant systems remain to be characterized. The effects of growing Eichhornia crassipes on removal of nitrogen (N) from the eutrophicated water were investigated in a large-scale enclosure system installed in hyper-eutrophicated water in Hua-jia-chi pond, Hangzhou city, China. Total N concentration in the enclosures decreased from 2.1 to 0.50 mg L-1 after growing Eichhornia crassipes for 44 d. Ammonium concentration decreased at least 2-fold after plant growth. Nitrite concentration decreased to below detection limit after growing Eichhornia crassipes for only 14 d and was maintained at that level afterwards. Chlorophyll a concentration (an indicator of water eutrophication) decreased to 10 mu g L-1 after 44 d. The water transparency increased significantly, reaching the depth of 1.8 m (i.e., to the bottom of the pond) after 44 d. Eichhornia crassipes removed 21.7 kg nitrogen from 6,000 t of hyper-eutrophicated water in the enclosures, thus quickly and effectively improving the water quality. Growing Eichhornia crassipes is the first step toward re-establishing natural ecosystem functions in eutrophicated water bodies.
U2 - 10.1080/15226510701375507
DO - 10.1080/15226510701375507
M3 - Article
SN - 0190-4167
VL - 30
SP - 1753
EP - 1765
JO - Journal of Plant Nutrition
JF - Journal of Plant Nutrition
IS - 11
ER -