Further Treatment of Fertilizer Wastewater by Phytoremediation

Phytoremediation was known as an alternative technology in treating various type of
wastewater. This application has been used worldwide and proven effective. Water
hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) was used as the phytoremediation plant in treating
PETRONAS Fertilizer Kedah Wastewater Treatment Plant effluent. The objectives of
this project were to study the effectiveness and ability of phytoremediation method in
treating fertilizer wastewater at three different detention time of 2, 4 and 6 days and to
evaluate the effect of fertilizer wastewater in the growth of water hyacinth. Two reactor
tanks each with a dimension 40 em width, 90 em length and 25 em height were prepared
and set up at the UTP Sewage Treatment Plant. Both reactors were divided into three
compartments (Compartment I, Compartment 2 and Compartment 3). Each
compartment was 40 em x 30 em x 20 em. Water hyacinth was planted in the Wetland
Tank with nine water hyacinths (three water hyacinths each compartment) while another
tank without any plant acts as the Control Tank. Influent was pumped from the influent
tank into the both reactor with fixed flow rate 12 Llday. Influent and effluents from
each compartment were analyzed for Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Phosphorus and
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The results showed that water hyacinth was able to
remove 79% of COD, 94% of Ammonia, 55% of Nitrate, 45% of Phosphorus. Water
hyacinth also shown that it cans double its population in wastewater condition after the
fortnights. This study concluded that water hyacinth was capable to remove the nutrient
and COD from the fertilizer wastewater and growth perfectly in that condition.