| Sumario: | Feedlots have increased in several
regions of Argentina, particularly in the Pampas.
The absence of adequate treatments of the
effluents produced in these establishments
creates serious problems to the society.
Phytoremediation can be defined as inexpensive
and environmentally sustainable strategy used
to remove pollutants by plants. The aim of
this study was to evaluate the remediation
potential of two macrophyte species (Eichhornia
crassipes and Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) on
a feedlot effluent. This effluent was treated
with these species for 31 days. Control and
macrophyte treatments decreased dissolved
inorganic nitrogen (DIN), Kjeldahl nitrogen
(Kj N), biological oxygen demand (BOD),
chemical oxygen demand (COD), total
dissolved salts (TDS), total phosphorus (TP),
Pb, Zn and Cr levels. At macrophyte treatments,
relatively constant pH levels were kept and
decreased EC and TDS values were obtained
compared to control, mitigating the release
of contaminants and potential greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere. Moreover, significant
increases in biomass were obtained, being
higher in E. crassipes. The results allow
concluding that the presence of aquatic plants
increases the removal rates of nutrients, organic
matter and heavy metals from wastewater in
approximately 10-17 days for a feedlot effluent
with high organic load.
|
|---|
Biblioteca Digital de Vanguardia