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Nutrient Removal Potential of Selected Aquatic Macrophytes

1985; Wiley; Volume: 14; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2134/jeq1985.00472425001400040001x

1537-2537

K. Raja Reddy, W. F. De Busk,

Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics

Abstract The role of eight aquatic macrophytes in removing N and P from nutrient enriched waters was evaluated using microcosm retention ponds. The aquatic macrophytes included water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes ), water lettuce ( Pistia stratiotes ), pennywort ( Hydrocotyle umbellata ), duckweeds ( Lemna minor and Spirodela polyrhiza ), azolla ( Azolla caroliniana ), salvinia ( Salvinia rotundifolia ), and a submersed macrophyte, egeria ( Egeria densa ). Nitrogen removal by aquatic macrophyte systems was in the order of water hyacinth > water lettuce > pennywort > Lemna > Salvinia > Spirodela > egeria during the summer season, while pennywort ranked first during the winter followed by water hyacinth, Lemna , water lettuce, Spirodela, Salvinia , and egeria. Phosphorus removal in summer was highest by water hyacinth and egeria systems, while pennywort and Lemna showed high P removal rates during the winter compared to other plants. Nitrogen and P removal were generally higher in summer than winter. Plant uptake accounted for 16 to 75% of total N removal, and 12 to 73% of total P removal, indicating the possibility of N and P removal by the mechanisms other than assimilation by plants.