NITROGEN AND PHOSHPORUS REMOVAL BY FIVE ORNAMENTAL AND WETLAND PLANTS FROM UPSTREAM OF HUNHE RIVER, CHINA

Authors Liu, Zhouli; Fu Xiaoyun; Chen, Wei; Yu, Shuai; He, Xingyuan

Journal FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN , 2016,5:25

Abstract Phytoremediation is a promising technique to remove nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from wastewater by plants, and it is useful to control eutrophication and restore the water ecosystem. In the present study, five ornamental and wetland plants, Lythrum salicaria, Alisma orientale, Acorus calamus, Monochoria korsakowii and Sagittaria sagittifolia, are chosen to study the effects of N and P on plant growth and chlorophyll contents, and evaluate the removal ability of N and P by the five aquatic plants. It was shown that the changes of chlorophyll contents in A. calamus and M. korsakowii were accordance with their better growth. The results indicated that the good tolerance of the two plants to N and P might result from the effective mechanisms including the capacity to maintain good growth and photosynthetic pigment composition, which would be useful for the plant''s utility in phytoremediating water contaminated by N and P. A. calamus had the highest relative growth rate (RGR), and had the best removal efficiency of TN (95.3%) and TP (95.4%), which indicated that the plant could be considered as the most promising one for phytoremediating N and P contamination in the wastewater. The study results would provide a reference for the construction of wetland technology.

Species covered 菖蒲 Acorus calamus 雨久花 Monochoria korsakowii 欧洲慈姑 Sagittaria sagittifolia 千屈菜 Lythrum salicaria 东方泽泻 Alisma orientale