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Procedia Environmental Sciences 10 (2011) 1904 – 1907

2011 3rd International Conference on Environmental

Science and Information Application
Conference Title Technology (ESIAT 2011)

An Application of Phytoremediation to River Pollution

Remediation
Hongyu Wang a*, Hangli Zhang a and Guoqiang Caib
a
School of civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
b
Supervision center of Hangzhou urban rivers, Hangzhou, 310018, China
chunhongdou@yahoo.cn

Abstract

To study the application of phytoremediation, the floating bed was constructed with thick bamboo tube on Guxin
River in Hangzhou, and the potential of Eichornia crassipes and Lolium perenne L to serve as a phytoremediation
plant in the cleaning up of contamination from polluted river was evaluated in this study. Eichhonia crassipes and
Lolium perenne L were planted on the floating bed in turn. The results showed that NH3-N, COD, TP of study river
reduced 48.6%, 20.0%, 63.3% respectively. Harvesting Eichhonia crassipes can carry quantities of contaminant from
aquatic system. In which case, Phytoremediation is an effective way to remove organic matter from the polluted river.
© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Conference ESIAT2011
© 2011 Published
Organization by Elsevier
Committee. Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of [name organizer]
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Keywords: phytoremediation, Plants Floating Bed, Eichhonia crassipes, Lolium perenne L.

1.Introduction

Water pollution from human activities, either industrial or domestic, is a major problem in many
countries. Every year, approximately 25 million persons die as a result of water pollution. Developing
models to enable us to understand how to control and predict water quality is of crucial interest[1]. When
assessing the quality of water in a river, there are many factors to be considered: the level of dissolved
oxygen; the presence of nitrates, chlorides, phosphates; the level of suspended solids; environmental
hormones; chemical oxygen demand, such as heavy metals, and the presence of bacteria[2].
Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove pollutants from the environment, is a growing field of
research in environmental studies because of the advantages of its environmental friendliness, cost
effectiveness and the possibility of harvesting the plants for the extraction of absorbed contaminants such
as metals that cannot be easily biodegraded for recycling among others[3-6]. Over the last two decades,
phytoremediation has become an increasingly recognized pathway for contaminant removal from water
and shallow soils and is an aesthetically pleasing, solar-driven, passive technique useful for remediation

1878-0296 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Conference ESIAT2011 Organization Committee.
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
doi:10.1016/j.proenv.2011.09.298
 Hongyu Wang et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 10 (2011) 1904 – 1907 1905

of shallow plumes with low to moderate levels of contamination[7].

Eichornia crassipes (water hyacinth) is a member of pickerelweed family (Pontederiaceae)[8]. It
reproduces sexually by seeds[9] and is one of the most productive plants on earth thus it is considered the
world’s worst aquatic plant[10]. It forms dense mats that interfere with navigation, recreation, irrigation
and power generation[11].These mats competitively exclude native submersed and floating leaved
plants[12]. The low oxygen conditions develop beneath the water hyacinth mats and the dense floating
mats impede water flow and create good breeding conditions for mosquitoes [7]. However, its rate of
breeding, its other qualities and the growing research work on the use of plants for remediation of
chemical contamination in the environment inform the need for the investigation of this plant for
phytoremediation potentials[13].
The objective of this research is therefore to evaluate the potential the potential of Eichornia crassipes
and Lolium perenne L to serve as a phytoremediation plant in the cleaning up of contamination from
polluted river.

Methods

Study area. The section of Guxin River used for this study is 1047 meters long. There is one water quality
monitoring section. Among the 12 times of water quality monitoring in 2008, Grade II ~ III accounted for
41.7%; Grade IV 33.3%; Grade V 16.7% and worse than Grade V 8.3%. The pollution share rate of total
phosphorus (TP) was 21.71 %, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) 32.49 % and chemical oxygen demand (COD)
46.14%. The result of water quality monitoring also showed that water quality was better in winter more
than in summer. Eichhonia crassipes and Lolium perenne L planted in the sides of river (Picture.1).
Design of Plants Floating Bed. The framework of Plants Floating Bed was made by two kinds of thick
bamboo tube (TBT). One kind of TBT needed to be punched holes at regular intervals (Picture.2a)and the
plant was transplanted in the upper holes (Picture.2b). The other kind of TBT which did not need to be
punched holes was used to fix TBT with holes and make floating (Picture.2c). Two kinds of TBT were
fixed together and net was hauled up them (Picture.2d).

(a

(b (c (d
Picture.1 Study area
Picture.2 Plants Floating Bed
Plant maintenance and management. Eichhonia crassipes and Lolium perenne L wre planted on the
floating bed in turn. Lolium perenne L was palnted from December to May,and Eichhonia crassipes from
June to December. Lolium perenne L was harvest when it growed 30-45 centimeters high ˈ and
Eichhonia crassipes was harvest every 5-7 days in summerˈevery half of a month in autumn. Eichhonia
crassipes stop growing in winter,therefore, strongseedlings need to be transplanted to greenhouse as
germchit for next year before frost descent. It is important to note that the temperature of greenhouse
should be within the range of 10 to 20ć.
1906 Hongyu Wang et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 10 (2011) 1904 – 1907

Sampling and analyses. Water samples were taken from study river every month at 10:00–11:00 a.m. for
the analysis of water quality parameters. There were two sample points at the same river cross-section.
One was under the water surface which was called sample.w, the other was under the Plants Floating Bed
which was called sample.p. Once a composite sample was collected, water temperature and dissolved
oxygen (DO) were measured immediately. Half of each sample was analyzed for ammonia nitrogen
(NH3-N). Unfiltered subsamples were analyzed for total phosphorous (TP) and oxygen demand (COD).
The soil sample taken from the Eichhonia crassipes roots was analyzed for Conductivity, pH value, nitric
nitrogen (NO3-N), NH4+-N, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic matter (OM), Proportion of Na
Adsorption (PNA), total organic carbon (TOC), etc.( Table.1)
Result and discussions
Figure.1 showed the water quality parameters of the study river. Sample.w was from the sample point
under the water surface without remediation. Sample.p was from the other sample point under Plants
Floating Bed which was restored by phytoremediation. It can be seen from the graph that NH3-N, COD,
TP of sample.p reduced 48.6%, 20.0%, 63.3% respectively in comparison with sample.w. The study of
Xu[14] showed that 1 kg Eichhonia crassipes can absorbed PO43--P 5.0mg/d and NO3--and NH4+-N 47.9
mg/d in average. Eichhonia crassipes developed root can secrete certain organic matter which will injure
or kill some algae and harmful bacterium. It was therefore not difficult to see that phytoremediation is an
effective way to remove organic matter from the polluted river.
25.0 22.0
20.0 simpl.w 18.0
simpl.p
15.0
mg/L

9.8
10.0 7.9 8.0
5.2 6.0
5.0 3.5

0.0
DO NH3-N COD TP

Figure.1 water quality parameters of the study area in Guxin River

Strong deep roots of Eichhonia crassipes can enrich and accumulate silt as soil for growth. Table 1
showed the soil characteristics. The solid state content of soil adsorbed was 88.3%. The solid state was
composed of fine silt, silt and clay particles. Therefore, the commerial growing of Eichhonia crassipes
can reduce turbidity by adsorbing a mass of silt from river and thus improve the look and feel of water
body. There are lots of metals and organic matter, wherefore harvesting Eichhonia crassipes can carry
quantities of contaminant. A 1-kg silt can carry about 100mg organic nitrogen pollutants. In the study of
Foluso O. Agunbiad[15] E.crassipes has been found to accumulate metals in both its root and shoot in a
high degree and also to be capable of transferring the metals absorbed into the shoot to give higher
translocation factors.
Table.1 characteristics of soil sample taken from the Eichhonia crassipes roots
characteristics Value characteristics Value characteristics Value
pH value 7.9 As 2.5 cmol/kg PNA 3.6
Conductivity 37.6 ms/cm Se 37.0 cmol/kg sand grains content 31%
-
NO3 -N 57.1 mg/kg Zn 34.1 cmol/kg silt grains content 22%
NH3-N 46.4 mg/kg P 14.4 cmol/kg clay grains content 47%
CEC 17.2 mg /kg Ca 22.5 cmol/kg soil texture sullage
OM 39.8 mg/kg Mg 14.6 cmol/kg TOC 68%
 Hongyu Wang et al. / Procedia Environmental Sciences 10 (2011) 1904 – 1907 1907

K 2.7 cmol/kg Na 16.6 cmol/kg solid state content 88.3%

Conclusions

Plants Floating Bed was designed rationally and thus provided a well environment for plant. Eichornia
crassipes growed well in summer. Lolium perenne L had excellent low temperature resistance in winter.
The results showed that NH3-N, COD, TP of study river reduced 48.6%, 20.0%, 63.3% respectively. The
commerial growing of Eichhonia crassipes can reduce turbidity by adsorbing a mass of silt from river and
thus improve the look and feel of water body. Therefore, Phytoremediation is an effective way to remove
organic matter from the polluted river.

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