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Aquatic Procedia 4 (2015) 349 356

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WATER RESOURCES, COASTAL AND OCEAN

ENGINEERING (ICWRCOE 2015)

Phytoremediation of Phosphorus and nitrogen with Canna x

generalis Reeds in Domestic Wastewater through NMAMIT
Constructed Wetland
Samson O. Ojoawoa*, Gaddale Udayakumarb and Pushparaj Naikb
a
Department of Civil Engineering, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, PMB 4000, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
b
Department of Civil Engineering, NMAM Institute of Technology, Nitte-574110, Udupi District, India
*Corresponding Author, e-mail: soojoawo@lautech.edu.ng

Abstract

A proven method of removing contaminants from secondary wastewater being more recently embraced is bioremediation. This
paper focuses on phytoremediation of excessive phosphorus and nitrogen using Canna x generalis reeds through a constructed
wetland in the domestic wastewater of NMAM Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Nitte, Udupi District, India. The 30.0m x
6.0m x 1.0m wetland was constructed as an adjoining facility to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) of the Institute, for post-
secondary treatment. The reeds were transplanted over3 the gravel bed after being grown for 2 months in the Institutions nursery.
Reeds with rhizomes measuring approximately 15cm were planted over the gravel just touching the roots to the effluent, at a
density of 4 to 5 clumps per square meter, approximately 30-40cm apart. The compartmentalized wetland is being fed by a 4 inch
pipe leading effluent from the Secondary Sedimentation tank at a Hydraulic Loading Rate (HLR) of 0.02m 3s-1 and with a
Retention Time (R.T) of 3hrs. Replicate Samples were obtained weekly for a period of one month from the raw wastewater inlet,
constructed wetland inlet and outlet sewers, and the final effluent from the Wastewater Treatment Plant (W.T.P). Tap water from
the Institute was also sampled over same period as the control. These were all subjected to Laboratory analysis for pH, Turbidity,
Nitrate, Phosphate and the Phenolic compounds using APHAs Standard Method. Findings revealed that treatment with the
Cannas made the Sample slightly more alkaline (pH ranged from 6.73 to 6.76); reduced the turbidity from 30NTU to 20NTU;
mean concentration values of Nitrate, Phosphate and Phenolic compounds at the end of treatment were respectively reduced by
51.9, 8.9, and 1.0 % respectively. The study concludes that Canna plant is very efficient in remediating Nitrogen contaminants,
fairly effective on Phosphorus and incapable of removing Phenolic compound pollution. Canna x generalis is therefore
recommended for Nitrogen bioremediation in domestic wastewater.
2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of organizing committee of ICWRCOE 2015.
Peer-review under responsibility of organizing committee of ICWRCOE 2015

Keywords: Phytoremediation; Canna x generalis; Wastewater; Wetland

2214-241X 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of organizing committee of ICWRCOE 2015
doi:10.1016/j.aqpro.2015.02.047
350 Samson O. Ojoawo et al. / Aquatic Procedia 4 (2015) 349 356

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: soojoawo@lautech.edu.ng

1. Introduction

Phyto-remediation is the utilization of plant to remove and accumulate contaminants from environment. It includes the use of plants to
mitigate, transfer, stabilize or degrade pollutants in soil, sediments and water. Recent studies on biomass of some selected plants, particularly
macrophytes and rhizomes, provide leading clues on means of improving the quality of wastewater (Misbahuddin and Farduddin, 2002; Mohan et
al., 2006; Dana, 2014; Alade and Ojoawo, 2009; Aremu et al., 2012). A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or
seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem (DEP, 2011). For most or all times of the year, wetlands have wet
areas. While natural wetlands are capable of reducing the pollution load of the adjacent water bodies, the artificial or constructed wetlands are
constructed either to reintroduce a wetland in an area or to treat wastewater, in which case they are also referred to as treatment wetlands. (Baskar
et al., 2014; Jay, 2014).

Wetland construction is usually done in shallow pits that are installed with a drain pipe in a bed of pebbles or gravels and sand layers, upon
which the native vegetation is planted. The vegetation may be emergent macrophyte, floating plant or submerged plant species. To prevent
pollution of the underground water beneath the wetland, an impermeable membrane is provided at the bottom. According to (Baskar et al., 2014),
the basic types of treatment wetlands are free water surface (FWS) wetland and subsurface flow (SSF) wetland. The SSF constructed wetland is
further classified into horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) and vertical subsurface flow (VSSF). When the wastewater is channeled to flow through
the constructed wetland, it is treated by the various processes of sedimentation, filtration, oxidation, reduction, adsorption, precipitation, bacterial
metabolism, nitrification, de-nitrification, and plant uptake (Jay, 2014). Constructed wetlands have the potential to treat a variety of wastewaters
by removing organics, suspended solids, pathogens, nutrients and heavy metals (Antoniasdis et al., 2007). Evapotranspiration may significantly
reduce the amount of discharged flow and may influence the removal rate of nutrients from constructed wetlands (Gikas et al., 2013).

Phosphorous is one of the major nutrients contributing in the increased eutrophication of lakes and natural waters. Its presence causes many
water quality problems including increased purification costs, decreased recreational and conservation value of an impoundments, loss of
livestock and the possible lethal effect of algal toxins on drinking water. (Metcalf and Eddy, 1991; Gray, 2005). Controlling phosphorous
discharged from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants is a key factor in preventing eutrophication of surface waters. Usually, the
removal of phosphorous from wastewater involves the incorporation of phosphate into total suspended solids and the subsequent removal from
these solids. Phosphorous can be incorporated into either biological solids (e.g. micro organisms) or chemical precipitates.

Large input of nitrogen, to ground and surface waters may result in excessive growth of algae and other aquatic weeds. Moreover, a build-up
of nitrate in drinking water supplies poses a health hazard to humans particularly infants, as well as livestock (Kotaiah and Swamy, 1994).
Nitrates cause Methemoglobinemia or Blue baby disease among infants. Nitrate determination is essential to ascertain the state of
decomposition of organic matters present in wastewater. It is used to assess the self-purification properties of water bodies and nutrient balance in
surface water and soil. Nitrate is highly mobile anion formed by microbial conversion of nitrite, and drinking water Standards has recommended
a permissible nitrate value of 10 mg/l (Kotaiah and Swamy, 1994).

Kim et al., (2012) employed a constructed wetland composed of a pond- and a marsh-type wetland to remove nitrogen (N) and phosphorus
(P) from effluent of a secondary wastewater treatment plant. Nutrient concentrations in inflow water and outflow water were closely monitored.
In the field monitoring, ammonium (NH 4 +) decreased from 4.6 to 1.7 mg L1, nitrate (NO3) decreased from 6.8 to 5.3 mg L1, total N (TN)
decreased from 14.6 to 10.1 mg L1, and total P (TP) decreased from 1.6 to 1.1 mg L1. Average removal efficiencies (loading basis) for NO3,
NH4+, TN, and TP were over 70%. Phosphorus was significantly removed similarly in the system and it was concluded that a constructed wetland
composed of a pond- and a marsh-type wetland is highly effective for the removal of N and P from effluents of a secondary wastewater treatment
plant.

This paper examines the phytoremediation potentials of Canna x. generalis in reducing nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants of domestic
wastewater through a constructed wetland

2. Materials and method

 Samson O. Ojoawo et al. / Aquatic Procedia 4 (2015) 349 356 351

2.1 Sewage treatment in the study area

NMAM Institute of Technology has the vision of controlling water pollution by internally treating the all wastewater from the campus
before finally discharging the effluents. In line with this, by June 2006 a Sewage Treatment Plant was established behind the Boys Hostel in
order to treat the large amount of sewage and kitchen/bath waste emerging from the hostel. The design capacity of the plant was 125,000
liters/day for the hostel population strength of 400 students. After the commencement of Plants operation, 3 more hostel blocks have been
constructed and the student strength rose to 1,083 (NMAMIT Resident Engineers Records, 2014). The key Unit Operations of the plant include
Screening, Equalization, Aeration, Sedimentation, Disinfection, and Reed Bed Phytoremediation. The flowchart of the Plants Layout is given in
Figure 1.

Fig. 1. Flow chart of Sewage Treatment Plant at NMAMIT Campus

Source: NMAMIT Resident Engineers Records, 2014

At the initial stages, in non monsoon period, the treated sewage effluent was effectively used for gardening and lawn watering purposes and in

monsoon sewage was disposed outside of the campus after treatment. Recently due to the development of massive gardens, increased student

strength and stressed water sources, the treated effluent is being utilized for flushing the urinals and water closets along with gardening

applications.

2.2 The experimental Reed-Bed Unit

The NMAMIT reed bed is a treatment HSSF wetland of dimensions 30.0m x 6.0m x1.0m and of two (2) equal-sized shallow masonry
watertight tanks constructed in parallel along the length (Figure 2).

Fig.2. Construction process of the Reed bed

It is partitioned into ten (10) cells and each of the cells is separated by alternating baffle walls to increase the Hydraulic Retention Time (H.R.T)
as the secondary effluent travels through the system. The effluent from sewage treatment plant is fed from one end just below the gravel line and
it flows along the length of the pond, takes U turn enters into another pond and flows in reverse direction from where effluent is finally taken to
352 Samson O. Ojoawo et al. / Aquatic Procedia 4 (2015) 349 356

the polished water storage tank. The pond is given a bed slope of 0.5 in 100, filled with 20mm and downsizes granite metal for a depth of 0.6 m
from the bottom. The outlet to the tank is at about 50 mm lower than gravel line.
The reeds (Cannas spp), which resemble banana plant but with a thin stem are locally available in limited numbers in campus garden, so they
were planted in separately prepared nursery yard for 2 months and grown into about a foot near the treatment plant before transplanting them over
3
the gravel bed (Figure 3). Reeds with rhizomes measuring approximately 15cm were planted over the gravel just touching the roots to the
effluent, at a density of 4 to 5 clumps per square meter, approximately 30-40cm apart. The compartmentalized wetland is constantly being fed by
a 4 inch pipe leading effluent from the Secondary Sedimentation tank at a HLR of 0.02m3s-1 and a RT of 3hrs.

(a) A transplanted seedling (b) Growing plants after 3 weeks of transplant

(c) Matured reed bed after 2 months of transplant

Fig. 3. Transplanted and grown reed bed of Canna x generalis

2.3 Sampling and Laboratory analysis

Replicate Samples were obtained weekly for a period of one month from the raw wastewater inlet (RWI), constructed wetland inlet
(PrePhyto) and outlet (PostPhyto) sewers, and the WTPs final effluent (WTPFE). Tap water (TW) from the Institute was sampled over same
period as the control. On each occasion they were collected in stoppered 2-litre plastic containers and were immediately subjected to Laboratory
analysis for pH, Turbidity, Nitrate, Phosphate and the Phenolic compounds at the Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratories of
NMAM Institute of Technology. Digital pH meter; Systronics pH System361 was employed the pH measurement; Turbidity measurement was
also electrometrical, with the use of Systronics Digital Nephelo-turbidimeter 132; Determination of Nitrates in the samples was by
spectrophotometry, conducted with the aid of Systronics Spectrophotometer169 ( = 410nm). Phosphate concentrations were monitored by Fiske
 Samson O. Ojoawo et al. / Aquatic Procedia 4 (2015) 349 356 353

& Subbarows 1,2,4-aminonaphthosulphonic acid (ANSA) method using Photochem 0-18 Colorimeter ( = 660nm), while Phenolic compounds
were estimated by Amino-Antipyrene method with the use of same Colorimeter but at = 530nm, all in line with APHA, 2005 Standards.

3. Results and discussion

3.1 The laboratory analysis results

The mean values of results from the measured parameters in the samples over the 4 weeks period are as presented in Table I. The last row of
the Table indicates the maximum limits specified by the Effluent Standard (EPA, 2010). The recorded temperature ranged between 31.2 and 32.5
in the phytoremediation process. It is observed that on the average, the turbidity value in the PostPhyto sample is about two-third the initial inlet
one into the wetland. Similarly, reduction is noted in the post-treatment values of nitrate, pH, phosphate and phenolic compounds. The pH
slightly became more alkaline during the treatment, it was observed to have marginally increased from 6.73 in the inlet to 6.76 at the wetland
outlet. Nitrate removal is however at a higher magnitude with a drastic reduction of about 52% in its value after the treatment. The mean
phosphate reduction in the treatment is 8.9% while the wetland shows insignificant removal of 1% phenolic compound after 4 weeks.

Table 1. Mean values of measured parameters over 4 weeks, minimum and maximum values are indicated in italicized brackets.
Average results (min max)

Phenolic
Sample/Standards Tempe- Turbidity pH Nitrate (mg/l) Phosphate (mg/l) Compounds
rapture (NTU) (mg/l)
o
( C)
RWI 32.1 (31.4 40 (37 42) 6.71 (6.36 - 130.0 (121.3 1.92 (1.73 45.20 (42.1
32.3) 6.99) 139.4) 2.12) 47.2)

PrePhyto 32.0 (31.5 30 (23 42) 6.73 (6.44 108.0 (93.4 1.78 (1.74 38.00 (35.4
32.5) 7.19) 123.5) 1.82) 40.0)
PostPhyto 31.4 (31.2 20 (18 21) 6.76 (6.71 52.0 (32.9 1.62 (1.56 37.62 (34.7
32.0) 6.84) 67.8) 1.69) 39.5)
WTPFE 30.7 (30.5 20 (18 21) 6.30 (5.98 20.0 (14.4 1.56 (1.43 10.00 (9.5 10.5)
30.9) 6.50) 23.5) 1.66)
TW 28.7 (28.5 2.2 (2.1 2.3) 6.60 (6.64 22.0 (18.5 N.D N.D
28.9) 7.0) 26.4)
% reduction in PrePhyto and 1.9 33.3 -0.4 51.9 8.9 1.0
PostPhyto values

EPA Effluent Standard limits Below 35 N/A 6.00 9.00 50.0 4.00 1.00

Note: N/A = Not Accessed; N/D = Not Detected

3.2 Discussion of results

Comparison of trends in the measured inlet and outlet parameters of the wetland is shown from Figures 4 to 8. As illustrated, the treatment
generally led to reduction in values of all the measured parameters apart from the pH. Turbidity appears to have reached the treatment peak with
the plant when compared with its value in the final effluent, both having 20NTU values. There is however a marginal difference in the phenol
contents of both the inlet and outlet samples of the wetland culture.
354 Samson O. Ojoawo et al. / Aquatic Procedia 4 (2015) 349 356

50
40
30
20 PrePhyto
10 PostPhyto
0
1 2 3 4

Fig. 4. Comparison of Turbidity in PrePhyto and PostPhyto Samples

7.4
7.2
7
6.8
6.6 PrePhyto
6.4 PostPhyto
6.2
6
1 2 3 4

Fig. 5. Comparison of pH in PrePhyto and PostPhyto Samples

150

100
PrePhyto
50
PostPhyto
0
1 2 3 4

Fig. 6. Comparison of Nitrate in PrePhyto and PostPhyto Samples

1.9
1.8
1.7
PrePhyto
1.6
1.5 PostPhyto
1.4
1 2 3 4

Fig. 7: Comparison of Phosphate in PrePhyto and PostPhyto Samples

 Samson O. Ojoawo et al. / Aquatic Procedia 4 (2015) 349 356 355

42
40
38
PrePhyto
36
PostPhyto
34
32
1 2 3 4

Fig. 8. Comparison of Phenolic compounds in PrePhyto and PostPhyto Samples

The nutrient removal by Cannas generally occurred to lower extents, but was discovered to be within the range reported by some earlier
researchers on horizontal flow constructed wetlands (Mantovi, et al., 2003; Garcia et al., 2005; Calheiros et al., 2007). The outlet samples were
observed to be clearer as the turbidity has been reduced by about one-third of the inlet values into the wetland. The phytoremediation is also
noted to have slightly improved the colour and odour of the wastewater over the treatment period. According to Brix, 1994, 1997 wetland plants
generally take up nutrients in insignificant amount compared to the inflow loading of wastewater. In this study, the result shows that 52%
removal of nitrate when compared to other measured parameters is very significant. It is about five times the uptake of phosphorus and fifty times
the phenolic compounds removal. The order of Cannas remediation efficiency has been found as Nitrate > Phosphorus > Phenolic compounds.
These findings corroborate the report of Vymazal (2005) that the removal of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) is usually low in constructed
wetlands and does not exceed 50% when dealing municipal sewage. The present study is also in agreement with the discovery of Aremu et al.,
2012 that water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) absorbed more nitrate (45.5%) than phosphorus (37.8%) in a wastewater treatment study. In
addition, Tanner (2001) concluded that the net accumulation of phosphorus in plant tissues in mature wetlands is comparatively lower. It is also
in agreement with the report of Brix (1994) that the phosphorus uptake capacity of macrophytes is lower than the nitrogen uptake capacity.

Comparing the values of parameters in the PostPhyto with the EPA effluent Standard on Table I, it is found that the initial heavy nitrate
pollution load (108 mg/L) in the wastewater prior to treatment has been remediated to nearly an acceptable level of 52 mg/L. Phosphate has been
within the permissible limit but its concentration level was further reduced by about 10% through phytoremediation. However, the treatment has
shown an insignificant reduction in the phenolic compound pollutant level of the wastewater, which were assumed to have been introduced by
storm water eroded into the drains. The treated effluent from the system has characteristics that are relatively far from that of the tap water as the
control, but has met the wastewater effluent Standards, making it acceptable for recycling in flushing the urinals and water closets, then for
gardening and other related purposes.

4. Conclusion

Canna x. generalis constructed wetland system at NMAM Institute of Technology has been found as very efficient in remediating Nitrogen
contaminants, fairly effective on Phosphorus and incapable of removing Phenolic compound pollution. The treatment also improved the physical
characteristics of the wastewater such as colour, turbidity and odour. The treated effluent from the system has met the wastewater effluent
Standards, making it acceptable for recycling in flushing the urinals and water closets, then for gardening and other related purposes. Canna x
generalis is therefore recommended for Nitrogen bioremediation in domestic wastewater.
356 Samson O. Ojoawo et al. / Aquatic Procedia 4 (2015) 349 356

5. Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Authorities of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria and NMAM Institute of
Technology, Nitte, India for full supports leading to the success of this study.

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