Uptake of Ammonia by Four Aquatic Plant Species

Project

WateRedisc

over

Team Swapnodorshi Bangladesh

Content

Project Location The Research TeamRationale for ResearchExisting Knowledge – ObservationsObjectivesHypothesis Experiment DetailsResultsLessons LearntAcknowledgements

Project Location

Map of the World Map of Bangladesh Map of Chittagong

The Research Team

Name of the School: Alipur Rahmania High School

Class: X

Researchers

Md. Abdullah Al EmonMd. Rashed, Md. Jobaer UddinRezaul Karim

Mentor

Enayet Hossain Research Associates

Tasmeena Sultana YousufMd. Afnan Hossain

Rationale

The humankind is living in a world of diminishing resources. Soil, water, forests, plants, and animals are renewable resources as long as they are judiciously used. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water, and only 3% is fresh water. Of the 3%, a two third is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. The remaining unfrozen freshwater is found mainly as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground.

The world's supply of clean, fresh water is steadily dwindling.

Major water sources are getting polluted.

The survivability of the life systems in many water bodies is in jeopardy.

Impact of water pollution on human is very apparent.

The depletion of Fresh water resources could very well create the resource crisis of the 21st Century.

There will be wars for water rather for oil.

Rationale

Rapid population growth is adding to the water problem.

Environmentally friendly technologies for water management are needed.

Recycling wastewater generated in households and discharged by industries will reduce water scarcity.

Ammonia is a major contaminant in many industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and human and animal waste. It causes eutrophication in lakes and other water bodies, and it is toxic to aquatic organisms. There is need for ammonia removal from water.

Rationale

Some plant species have the ability to uptake, tolerate and even accumulate heavy metals and other toxic substances from soil and water. They uptake these contaminants through their roots and concentrate them in roots, stems and leaves.

Observation

Hypothesis

Aquatic plants will uptake ammonia from wastewater and, thus, clean the polluted water.

To find out whether aquatic plants can uptake ammonia from water. To find out what plant species can remove ammonia more efficiently from water.

Objectives

An experiment was undertaken to study the potential for removing ammonium by four aquatic plant species:

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) Helencha (Enhydra fluctuans) Kochu/Arum (Colocasia esculenta) A plant with aerenchyma

Plants were collected from a water body near the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The Experiment

Research: Review of literature was done about the role of aquatic weeds in wastewater treatment. Survey: Local survey was conducted from January to April 2011. Plant Selection: Four aquatic plant species were selected for the study. The plants were selected because of their apparent resistant nature. Rationale for Plant Selection: These plants were seen growing vigorously in a water body where the Department of Chemistry, University of Chittagong discharges chemical wastes from the laboratory.

Study Method

Photo 1: The water body from where the plants were collected

Plants for the Study

Photo 2: Research team members are collecting plants for the study

Plants for the Study

Photo 3: Kochu (Colocasia esculenta)

Photo 4: Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Plants for the Study

Photo 5: Helencha (Enhydra fluctuans)

Photo 6: A plant having aerenchyma

Plants for the Study

Five plastic troughs of 16-L capacity were taken. The troughs were filled with 14 L distilled water containing ammonium (NH4

+ = 25 mg L-1).

Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) was used to make ammonium solution. The four test plants were readied for transfer into individual plastic troughs. The weight of the biomass plants was kept equal (60 gm) for all plants. The biomass weight was taken after keeping them on a filter paper to remove excess water. Plants were transferred to the troughs.One plastic trough was kept as a control (not plants but only ammonia water).

Experimental Set-up

Photo 7: Team members with the reactors

Experimental Set-up

Experimental Set-up

Photo 8: Team members with the reactors

Ammonium concentration in water in the five plastic troughs was measured after completion of Day 1.From then onwards ammonium concentrations were measured at 3-day intervals up to Day 46. After 46 days, the experiment was terminated.

BAKER TESTRIPS for Ammonium (NH4+) were

used for the ammonium measurement.

Ammonia Measurement

Photo 9: Ammonium was measured with BAKER TESTRIPS

Ammonia Measurement

Photo 10: Ammonia was measured with BAKER TESTRIPS

Ammonia Measurement

0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 480

5

10

15

20

25

30

ControlWater Hyacinth

Days

NH

4+ C

once

ntra

tion,

m

g L-

1

0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 480

5

10

15

20

25

30

ControlArum

Days

NH

4+ C

once

ntra

tion,

mg

L-1

Results

Water Hyacinth

Kochu/Arum

The graph are developed with the lower values of measured concentrations

0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 480

5

10

15

20

25

30

ControlHelencha

Days

NH

4+ C

once

ntra

tion,

m

g L-

1

0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 480

5

10

15

20

25

30

Control

Plant w/aerenchyma

Days

NH

4+ C

once

ntra

tion,

m

g L-

1

Results

Helencha

Plant with aerenchyma

The graph are developed with the lower values of measured concentrations

Moderate to complete ammonium removal was observed in planted systems. There was no change in ammonium concentration in the water where no plant was grown. So, ammonia removing bacteria (nitrifiers) that could have converted ammonia into nitrite and nitrate, might have been absent. It was concluded that there was no loss of ammonia due to nitrification. Changes in ammonium concentration were only on account of plant uptake. Helencha worked the best for ammonium removal.Further studies may be needed.

Summary of Results

What Have We Learnt

Aquatic plants can be used to remove ammonia from polluted water.The potential of different aquatic plants to take up ammonia from water is not equal.

AcknowledgementsWe are thankful to:

1. WateRediscover International for organizing this program

2. Dr. Achintya Bezbaruah

Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering

North Dakota State University

3. Mohammad Jahidul Anar

Environmental and Conservation Science

North Dakota State University

4. Tasmeena Sultana Yousuf

5. Md. Afnan Hossain

THANK YOU ALL