Phytoremediation process in wastewater treatment using vetiver grass (vetiveria zizanoides)

• Main Author: Nur Shatira, Fauzi
• Format: Undergraduates Project Papers
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
• Online Access: http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/30113/1/Phytoremediation%20process%20in%20wastewater%20treatment%20using%20vetiver%20grass.pdf; http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/30113/

During this era of globalization with the growing population, water pollution had become serious pollution issues and it needs to take action for maintain the quality of fresh water in Malaysia. Phytoremediation is a green technology that can use in remediation of polluted wastewater. This research was aimed to investigate the quality of wastewater based on parameter of BOD, COD, DO, Turbidity, TSS, Ammonia Nitrate, pH value and selected heavy metals. Besides, this research was conducted to determine the efficiency and performance of vetiver grass as phytoremediation agent. Pollutant uptake of vetiver grass was conducted in Environmental Laboratory and heavy metal analysis was done by using acid digestion and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. This research took 3 weeks of collecting data and do the laboratory test. The concentration of wastewater were 100%, 75% and 50%. The results were obtained from 100%, 75% and 50% of wastewater showed that the performance removal was highest at 75% concentration of wastewater. The removal percentage for BOD (62.87%, 82.11% and 58.74%), COD (56.41%, 64.87% and 57.14%), DO (75.2%, 79.76% and 75.40%), Turbidity (26.44%, 29.44% and 25.47%), TSS (65.47%, 72.90% and 71.88%), ammonia nitrate (86.36%, 93.75% and 85.19%), pH value (23.36%, 23.86% and 21.48%). For the selected heavy metals Zinc (3.22%, 4.98% and 3.04%), Lead (14.83%, 15.86% and 13.10%), Copper (20.69%, 35.48% and 23.33%) were recorded also. The experiments were conducted for 3 weeks. Therefore, this research had shown the effectiveness of using vetiver grass as phytoremediation agent in wastewater treatment in phytoremediation process.