Investigating the Efficiency of Constructed Wetlands for the Phytoremediation of Nanosilver and Microplastics
by Anagha Iyer
Category: Environmental Science
Abstract – As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of pollution entering waterways, including nanosilver and microplastics, has increased greatly. Thus, constructed wetlands, a form of water treatment that utilizes microorganisms and plants to remove pollutants, shows potential for remediating aquatic environments. This study employed L. minor, aquatic floating plant, in combination with 3 plant growth promoting bacteria to see which combination could effectively remove more pollutants. L. minor’s removal efficiency of nanosilver and microplastics increased significantly with bacterial inoculation, and increased chlorophyll levels. This method can be utilized in primary wastewater management to remove these particles before chlorination.