Assessment of phytokinetic removal of pollutants of paper mill effluent using water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart.] Solms).

Laboratory experiments were carried out to assess the phytoremediation potential of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart.] Solms) for the removal of different parameters of the paper mill effluent. The maximum removal efficiency of E. crassipes and phytokinetic removal rate were recorded at 50% concentration of the paper mill effluent followed by 60 days of phytoremediation experiments. The most percent reduction was observed in the contents of electrical conductivity (EC; 62.23%), total dissolved solid (TDS; 72.54%), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD; 79.93%), chemical oxygen demand (COD; 85.66%), total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN; 89.27%), P (72.39%), Ca2+ (51.79%), Mg2+ (51.02%), Na+ (57.10%) and K+ (71.47%) and phytokinetic removal rate in the subjects of EC (0.00011 mg l-1 d-1 ), TDS (0.045 mg l-1 d-1 ), BOD (0.0314 mg l-1 d-1 ), COD (0.0461 mg l-1 d-1 ), TKN (0.0034 mg l-1 d-1 ), P (0.0050 mg l-1 d-1 ), Ca2+ (0.0045 mg l-1 d-1 ), Mg2+ (0.003 mg l-1 d-1 ), Na+ (0.004 mg l-1 d-1 ) and K+ (0.004 mg l-1 d-1 ) after phytoremediation at 60 days. The maximum plant height (120.73 cm), fresh plant biomass (383.54 ± 0.15 gkg-1 ) and total chlorophyll content (3.74 ± 0.05 mgg-1  fwt), crude protein (19.11 mg 100 g-1  fwt), crude fiber (29.92 mg 100 g-1  fwt), total carbohydrate (35.22 mg 100 g-1  fwt) and total ash (26.88 mg 100 g-1  fwt) of E. crassipes were observed with 50% concentration of the paper mill effluent at 60 days of phytoremediation experiments. The maximum relative growth rate (13.86 gg-1  d-1 ) of E. crassipes was detected with 50% concentration of paper mill effluent at 60 days of phytoremediation experiments. Therefore, E. crassipes was recorded to be feasible for the removal of different pollutants of paper mill effluent, responsible for the eutrophication of the aquatic resources.