ABSTRACT

The technology of using rhizofiltration for the treatment of institutional wastewater or

industrial waste water is an alternative method to the conventional methods available. It
is more cost effective. Through the use of rhizofiltration, considerable amount of BOD in
the wastewater is biodegraded and mineral constituents are removed however, the overall
performance did not meet the required effluent standards laid down by the national
regulatory body, National Environmental Safety and Regulations Enforcement Agency
(NESREA). This was traced to lack of adequate maintenance, breakdown of the
hardware, negligence by the operators and lack of proper maintenance procedures for
dislodging and harvesting of the plant biomass. In order to make the wastewater suitable
for disposal into receiving water body, the system needs to be upgraded and proper
maintenance culture should be ensured with adequate supervision of the Operation &
Maintenance activities on site.

1. INTRODUCTION

Rhizofiltration is a form of phytoremediation that involves filtering water through a mass

of roots to remove toxic substances or excess nutrients. Rhizofiltration is a type
of phytoremediation, which refers to the approach of using hydroponically cultivated
plant roots to remediate contaminated water through absorption, concentration, and
precipitation of pollutants. It also filters through water and dirt. The contaminated water
is either collected from a waste site or brought to the plants, or the plants are planted in
the contaminated area, where the roots then take up the water and the contaminants
dissolved in it. Many plant species naturally uptake heavy metals and excess nutrients for
a variety of reasons: sequestration, drought resistance, disposal by leaf abscission,
interference with other plants, and defense against pathogens and herbivores Some of
these species are better than others and can accumulate extraordinary amounts of these
contaminants. Identification of such plant species has led environmental researchers to
realize the potential for using these plants for remediation of contaminated soil and
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Rhizofiltration refers to the use of plant roots to remove toxic metals from aqueous
environment. The process involves uptake, accumulation, and precipitation of toxic
metals from contaminated water rather than from soil. Rhizofiltration allows in-situ
treatment, and minimizes the cost of transport. Plants are grown directly in the
contaminated water body or in the form of hydroponics, where the dense root system can
efficiently remove metals from aqueous solution. These plants continue to extract
contaminant until they are harvested. The plants are then harvested and fresh plants are
again grown and harvested until a satisfactory level of contaminant reduction is achieved.
Rhizofiltration can be used for the removal of metals from surface water and
groundwater, industrial and domestic effluents, acid mine drainage, agricultural runoffs
and radionuclide contaminated solutions. Different plant species have been shown to
successfully remove toxic metals such as copper, cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead and
zinc from aqueous solutions. Trees have also been successively used for rhizofitration.
The most commonly used trees are willow and poplar tree. These trees act like a pump
and can cycle large amount of water per day per tree.

Problem Statement

The world faces a number of problems due to inadequate access to, and ineffective
management of, water resources (Gleick, 1998). Water scarcity has quickly spread to
many regions of the world due to increases in population size and consumption levels
(Postel, 2000). South Africa is a largely semi-arid country with finite water resources,
however greater urbanisation and industrial development are placing increasing
pressure on an already depleted fresh water supply. Additionally, the development of
informal settlements on the outskirts of major cities has increased the amount of urban
runoff which flows into various water systems. This runoff increases the level of both
pathogenic microbes and nutrients in rivers and dams, the water of which is routinely
used for drinking, bathing and irrigation. The use of polluted water has a detrimental
effect on both the health of individuals and the ecosystem, and could lead to major
world-wide epidemics in the future (Lee et al., 1996; Jackson, 2012).

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Process

This process is very similar to phytoextraction in that it removes contaminants by

trapping them into harvestable plant biomass. Both phytoextraction and rhizofiltration
follow the same basic path to remediation. First, plants are put in contact with the
contamination. They absorb contaminants through their root systems and store them in
root biomass and/or transport them up into the stems and/or leaves. The plants continue
to absorb contaminants until they are harvested. The plants are then replaced to continue
the growth/harvest cycle until satisfactory levels of contaminant are achieved. Both
processes are also aimed more toward concentrating and precipitating heavy metals than
organic contaminants. The major difference between rhizofiltration and phytoextraction
is that rhizofiltration is used for treatment in aquatic environments, while phytoextraction
deals with soil remediation.

Rhizofiltration has been shown to be highly effective in the removal of uranium and
radium from contaminated waters both in the laboratory and field (Dushenkov et
al,1997,Tome et al.2008) Ex-situ rhizofiltration systems are essentially a closed
hydroponic system where contaminated waters are circulated through the rooting medium
of plants. In-situ systems usually are in the form of a creted wetland with specific
pollutants pumped into the wetland and all probably captured. The most appropriate plant
for a rhizofilitration system is one capable rapid growth,high root biomass,and has the
ability to remove radionuclides and heavy metals from the water in relatively high
concentrations (Tome et al.2008).Annual sunflower (Helianthus annuus) has used by
Dushenkov et al.(1997) and Tome et al.(2008)for uptake studies of uranium and radium
and additionally research should screen ecotypes or varieties of the species and consider
transgenic modification water hyacinth (Eichhornia ssp.) has been used for rhizofiltration
both the sunflower and water hyacinth rapidly removed. Large concentrations of the
radionuclides from the water,often in less than 24 hours. The majority of radionuclides
accumulate in the roots of plants (50-70%) or as precipitates on the roots (Dushnekov et
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al.1997,Tome et al.2008).Following Rhizofiltration of the radioactive water, the plants
biomass and waters must be treated and disposed of properly.

Applications

Rhizofiltration may be applicable to the treatment of surface water and groundwater,

industrial and residential effluents, downwashes from power lines, storm waters, acid
mine drainage, agricultural runoffs, diluted sludges, and radionuclide-contaminated
solutions. Plants suitable for rhizofiltration applications can efficiently remove toxic
metals from a solution using rapid-growth root systems. Various terrestrial plant species
have been found to effectively remove toxic metals such as Cu2+, Cd2+, Cr6+, Ni2+, Pb2+,
and Zn2+ from aqueous solutions. It was also found that low contaminants can
level radioactive successfully be removed from liquid streams. A system to achieve this
can consist of a “feeder layer” of soil suspended above a contaminated stream through
which plants grow, extending the bulk of their roots into the water. The feeder layer
allows the plants to receive fertilizer without contaminating the stream, while
simultaneously removing heavy metals from the water. Trees have also been applied to
remediation. Trees are the lowest cost plant type. They can grow on land of marginal
quality and have long life-spans. This results in little or no maintenance costs. The most
commonly used are willows and poplars, which can grow 6 - 8‟ per year and have a high
flood tolerance. For deep contamination, hybrid poplars with roots extending 30 feet deep
have been used. Their roots penetrate microscopic scale pores in the soil matrix and can
cycle 100 L of water per day per tree. These trees act almost like a pump and treat
remediation system.

Cost

Rhizofiltration is cost-effective for large volumes of water having low concentrations of

contaminants that are subjected to stringent standards. It is relatively inexpensive, yet
potentially more effective than comparable technologies. The removal of radionuclides

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from water using sunflowers was estimated to cost between $2 and $6 per thousand
gallons of water treated, including waste disposal and capital costs.

Advantages

Rhizofiltration is a treatment method that may be conducted in situ, with plants being
grown directly in the contaminated water body. This allows for a relatively inexpensive
procedure with low capital costs. Operation costs are also low but depend on the type of
contaminant. This treatment method is also aesthetically pleasing and results in a
decrease of water infiltration and leaching of contaminants. After harvesting, the crop
may be converted to biofuel briquette, a substitute for fossil fuel.

Disadvantages

This treatment method has its limits. Any contaminant that is below the rooting depth
will not be extracted. The plants used may not be able to grow in highly contaminated
areas. Most importantly, it can take years to reach regulatory levels. This results in long-
term maintenance. Also, most contaminated sites are polluted with many different kinds
of contaminants. There can be a combination of metals and organics, in which treatment
through rhizofiltration will not suffice. Plants grown on polluted water and soils become
a potential threat to human and animal health, and therefore, careful attention must be
paid to the harvesting process and only non-fodder crop should be chosen for the
rhizofiltration remediation method.

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2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Aini syuhaida*,Sarva mangala1,Suriyani Awang2 Stated that Neptunia oleracea or

water mimosa has a phytoremediation ability which is rarely being assessed .This plant
also can be eaten as raw or cooked and but brought such concern on its safety for human
consumption. The objective of this paper was to assess the phytoremediation ability of
water mimosa.
I. Arduini a, A. Masoni a, L. Ercoli b Stated that a Chromium levels comprised
between 50 and 200 mg L−1 Cr were toxic to miscanthus and growth was completely
stopped with concentrations equal or higher than 150 mg L−1 Cr. Root growth was less
affected than shoot growth, but root morphology changed drastically. Up to
100 mg L−1 Cr, total length of roots increased and their average diameter decreased,
whereas the opposite occurred with higher Cr levels. The net uptake rate of nitrogen, its
net translocation rate from the hypogeal to the aerial plant part, and the N content of all
plant parts decreased in parallel to growth reduction. Whereas the overall ability of this
species to remove Cr from solution was higher with moderate toxicity. And its safety for
human consumption.
Gholam Reza* Hoseinizadeh1, Ebrahim Azarpour2, Hami Ziaeidoustan3, Maral
Moradiand Ebrahim Amiri4 Stated That Measurement of pollutant amount is rational
due to complications of determining biological effects in a habitat. Hydrophytes due to
existence in ecosystem are useful indicators for heavy metal pollution. Wet digestion
method was employed for extraction of metals in samples by and through a solution
containing HNO3 and HCL. Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometry was employed for
measurement of the heavy metals. In order to study was performed to study heavy metals
accumulation in hydrophytes in 2007 from 5 stations of Anzali wetland by factorial
statistical format based on randomized complete block design. Experimental factors were
heavy metals (M = Cu, M = Cr, M = Cd and M = Zn)

Ekkasit Aksorn and Pornsawan Visoottiviseth* this study focused on the selection of
suitable emergent plants for arsenic removal from water. The arsenic uptake abilities of
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Typha spp, Canna spp, Colocasia esculenta, Heliconia psittacorum and Thalia dealbato J.
Fraser were determined for plants harvested at 14 and 28 days after being treated with 1
mg As L1. Colocasia esculenta was the best plant for removing arsenic from water for a
28 day exposure period. Arsenic accumulated mainly in the root (approximately 195 µg
As g-1 dry weight of Colocasia esculenta at 28 days of exposure). The efficiency of the
plants for arsenic accumulation depended on the arsenic content in the nutrient solution
and exposure time. As the exposure period gets longer, the greater the amount of arsenic
is up taken by the test plants.

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3. METHODOLOGY
The availability of safe drinking water is a basic human right and is essential for health
(Hodgson and Manus, 2006). It is however, becoming increasingly difficult to find safe
groundwater and surface water sources due to the increased incidence of pollution in
urban areas. Microbiological and chemical pollution are the two most prominent forms
of water pollution that have an impact on human health. In both developed and
developing countries, pathogenic microbes in water sources result in a range of
diseases in both infants and adults which can prove fatal (WHO, 1996). The ultimate
goal of water treatment is to remove such pathogens and provide a stable supply of
potable water that meets the standards set by local governing authorities (Khan, 2004).
However, the current physical, chemical and biological water treatment methods are
often expensive to install and difficult to operate, thus not all water that enters these
facilities is treated effectively (Shannon et al., 2008). Apart from groundwater and
surface water, runoff from heavily populated and highly industrialised areas is also of
concern as this water usually enters river systems directly. A promising technology for
the treatment of urban runoff is rhizofiltration as it is a cost-effective and utilises an
environmentally acceptable manner to remove contaminants from water before it
enters water systems (Boyajian and Carreira, 1997; Singh et al., 2003). Rhizofiltration
systems make use of plant roots to absorb and sequester metal pollutants or excess
nutrients from wastewater (Dushenkov et al., 1995; Arthur et al., 2005). The roots also
facilitate microbial activity by providing attachment sites for microbes as well as
releasing organic carbon and oxygen in the rhizosphere. Ultimately, the process of
rhizofiltration should produce an effluent that is cleaner and safer for both human use
and crop irrigation.

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4. SCHDULE OF EXECUTION
Task/Mo JU AU SEP OCT NO DE JA FE MA AP MA JU
nth Y G T O V C N B R R Y N
Preparatio
n of
synopsis
Literature
survey &
collection
of data
Part 1
Developm
ent of
Membran
e material
Part 2
Experime
ntal
Analysis
Part3
Optimizat
ion of
membrane
Writing &
submissio
n
dissertatio
n

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5. EXPECTED OUTCOMES
This phytoremediation technique is usually intended to restore aquatic ecosystems. It
involves the use of both aquatic as well as terrestrial plants to treat industrial discharge,
agricultural runoff or acid mine drainage. It is mainly used for the removal of Ni, Cd, Cu,
Zn, Cr and Pb which are primarily retained within the roots (United States Protection
Agency, 2000). Formerly some chemical- and mechanical-based techniques such as
precipitation, flocculation followed by sedimentation were utilized for the removal of
industrial pollutants. However, there are certain limitations to this conventional
technology as it is not eco-friendly and cost-effective. Thus, the rhizofiltration technique
which is sustainable, eco-friendly and cost-effective has gained worldwide importance to
restore contaminated sites. In this process, plants are raised hydroponically and later
transplanted into contaminated sites in order to absorb and concentrate the toxicants in
their roots and shoots (Zhu et al., 1999b). It has also been reported that some chemicals
ooze out of the roots that lead to a change in rhizosphere pH which ultimately causes
metals to precipitate on to the root surface. Once roots get saturated with these toxicants,
either only the roots or the whole plants are harvested for further processing (Zhu et al.,
1999b). This process is not feasible in those areas where metal concentration is high in
water because the contaminants should be in the solution form in order to be sorbed into
the plant system. Other complications associated with this technique involve drying,
composting or incineration. For efficient removal of contaminants from the site, plants
must possess efficient and fast-growing root systems with the ability to scavenge these
toxicants and thus neutralize their harmful effects. Low maintenance costs, easy handling
and resistance of plants to heavy metals are other important criteria for effective removal
of heavy metals from a particular area. A number of aquatic plant species show a better
response in the removal of toxicants from water. These include: water hyacinth
(Eichhornia crassipes Mart.; Zhu et al., 1999c), pennywort (Hydrocotyle
umbellata L; Dierberg et al., 1987) and duckweed (Lemna minor L; Mo et al., 1989).
However, there are certain limitations to these plants as they have limited potential
for rhizofiltration, because of their small, slow-growing root systems (Dushenkov et al.,
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1995). Zhu et al. (1999c) reported that water hyacinth is a potential candidate for the
removal of trace elements from waste streams. A number of plants such as tobacco, corn,
rye, spinach, Indian mustard and sunflower have been studied for their ability to remove
Pb from effluents and the results revealed that sunflower has the greatest potential to
detoxify Pb content. Experimental evidences show that terrestrial plants with dense and
fibrous root systems are suitable for this technique as they possess greater metal-
absorbing powers, and the leading examples include Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)
and Indian mustard (Brassica juncea Czern.). Indian mustard is known to remove a wide
concentration of Pb (4–500 mg l−1) (Raskin and Ensley, 2000). These terrestrial plants are
also being used to remove various metals such as Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni and Cr (Dushenkov
et al., 1995), uranium (Dushenkov et al., 1997a) and 90Sr (Dushenkov et al., 1997b) from
hydroponic solutions. Currently, researchers are in the process of improving the
efficiency of rhizofiltration technology in order to decontaminate the soil. Salt et al.
(1995) carried out an experimental analysis and concluded that young seedlings exhibit
better abilities to remove heavy metals from water. This technique of using young plant
seedlings in order to remove toxicants (heavy metals) from water is known as
blastofiltration (blasto is „seedling‟ in Greek) and is considered to be second-generation,
plant-based water treatment technology. In this technique there is a dramatic
enhancement in surface to volume ratio that usually occurs after germination and some
germinating seedlings also ab / adsorb huge quantities of toxic metal ions; this is why
young seedlings are suitable for restoring water quality. Indian mustard is considered to
be a potential crop for blastofiltration as it is effective in sorbing divalent cations of toxic
metals (Salt et al., 1997) due to some unique features of Indian mustard such as fast
growth rate and resistance to heavy metals or microbial infection. Through data analysis,
it has been reported that for a few metals, blastofiltration techniques are more potent and
economical than rhizofiltration; however the main advantage of rhizofiltration is that it
can be utilized both in situ as well as ex situ and species other than hyperaccumulators
can also be taken into account.

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6. REFERENCE
1. Aini Syuhaida Abdul Wahab1,*Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail 1 ,Sarva Mangala
Praveen 1 , Suriyani Awang2
2. I. Arduini a, A. Masoni a, L. Ercoli b a.Dipartimento di Agronomia e Gestione
dell‟Agroecosistema, Universit`a di Pisa, Via S. Michele degli Scalzi, 2, I-56124 Pisa,
Italy.
b.Scuola Superiore Sant‟Anna di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento, Piazza Martiri
della Libert`a 33, I-56127 Pisa, Italy.
3. Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals by Hydrophytes of Anzali Wetland (Iran) Gholam
Reza Hoseinizadeh, Ebrahim Azarpour, Hami Ziaeidoustan, Maral Moradi and Ebrahim
Amiri Department of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan Branch, P.O. Box;
1616, Iran.

4. Investigating the removal of Candida and other potential pathogens from wastewater
via an experimental rhizofiltration system.by Prof. A. Botha Co-promoter: Dr. J. A.
Wilsenach .

5. Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals by Hydrophytes of Anzali Wetland (Iran) Gholam

Reza Hoseinizadeh, Ebrahim Azarpour, Hami Ziaeidoustan, Maral Moradi and
Ebrahim AmiriDepartment of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan Branch,
P.O. Box; 1616, Iran

6. Selection of Suitable Emergent Plants for Removal of Arsenic from Arseni

Contaminated Water Ekkasit Aksorn and Pornsawan Visoottiviseth* Biology
Department, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Road, Bangkok 10400,
Thailand.

7.Bisma Malik ,Reiaz Rehman in soil Remediation and Plant 2015.

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