title: Efficiency of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia for heavy metal removal from wastewater.
abstract: A cost-effective and promising technology has been demonstrated for the removal of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) from urban sewage mixed with industrial effluents within 14 days. With the help of P. australis and T. latifolia grown alone and in combination batch experiments were designed to assess the removal of heavy metals from the wastewater collected from 5 sampling stations. The results revealed that P. australis performed better than T. latifolia for Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, Fe, Pb and Zn removal, while mixing of the plant species further enhanced the removal of Cu to 78.0±1.2%, Cd to 60.0±1.2%, Cr to 68.1±0.4%, Ni to 73.8±0.6%, Fe to 80.1±0.3%, Pb to 61.0±1.2% and Zn to 61.0±1.2% for wastewater samples from Raj Ghat. Negative correlation coefficients of Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, Fe, Pb and Zn concentrations in wastewater with the retention time revealed that there was an increase in the heavy metal removal rate with retention time. P. australis showed higher accumulative capacities for Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni and Fe than T. latifolia. P. australis and T. latifolia grown in combination can be used for the removal of Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, Fe, Pb and Zn from the urban sewage mixed with industrial effluents within 14 days.
authors.affiliation: Pollution Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India. Electronic address: mnkbhu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Menka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Science and Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India. Electronic address: tripathibd@gmail.com.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Tripathi
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D007194:India; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D032401:Typhaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Adsorption; Heavy metal; Mixed culture; Retention time; Wastewater