Applications of Australian Native Aquatic Plants on Purifying Wastewater Sources.

Wastewater treatment plants play an important role in maintaining the health of ecosystems and ensuring the economic, social and political soundness of communities. However, current wastewater treatment methods are economically and environmentally unsustainable. Aquatic plant restoration has been receiving attention because of its high efficiency and ecofriendliness compared to previous methods. Three types of aquatic plants: duckweed (Lemna disperma), azolla (Azolla pinnata) and hornworts (Ceratophyllum demersum) were tested for their effects in removing constitutes (pH, total alkalinity, hardness, sulfite, copper, nitrite, nitrate, total N) and reducing the number of bacteria colonies in a wastewater source, over the course of 7 days. The results show that all three aquatic plants were capable of recovering and removing bacteria in water. Duckweed, however, was the most effective of all three plants. A 3D digital model of a duckweed based wastewater treatment plant was devised to showcase how duckweed could be incorporated into full-scale water treatment systems. The uptake of aquatic-plant based wastewater treatment systems has been slow. The conducted research adds to the advantages and the feasibility of full-scale aquatic-plant based wastewater systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]