Phytoremediation of Physico-chemical Parameters in Wastewater Effluents from Car Wash Bays in Yenagoa Metropolis, Nigeria

Surface water pollution through the discharge of untreated wastewater is on the increase globally. Efforts made using conventional techniques had not yielded the needed results. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of some native aquatic plants for the removal of some physico–chemical parameters from car wash wastewater effluents in Yenagoa metropolis. The plants used for this study were lemna minor, nymphaea nouchalli, pistia-stratiotes, eichhornia crassipes and ceratophyllum demersum; while the physico-chemical parameters investigated in this study include pH, DO, COD, BOD5, NO3, PO4 and turbidity. The wastewater samples collected from car wash bays were analysed to determine the level of the physico-chemical parameters concentrations using standard methods. The experiment was conducted in a green house for 42 days retention period. The results indicated that the cultured plants reduced the physico-chemical parameters to a minimum level, except DO, which increased in concentration. Therefore, they are considered good bioremediators of the parameters under review and the bioremediation potentials of the plants are in the order of P. stratiotes > L. minor > E. crassipes > N. nouchalli> C. demersum. It is therefore recommended that these plants should be used to treat wastewater effluents based on the investigated physico-chemical parameters.