Water Lettuce for Cleaning Up Heavy Metals from Landfill Leachate: Electro-assisted Phytoremediation

What is it about?

This research paper examines the problem of municipal solid waste in Malaysia and how landfills generate leachate containing hazardous heavy metals. To address this issue, the researchers used a technique called EAPR (electro-assisted phytoremediation) with water lettuce plants to remove heavy metals from synthetic leachate samples. It was found that Pb and Fe were more efficiently removed than other elements such as Mn, Cd, Ni or Zn. Furthermore, BCF and TF values indicated P.stratiotes' potential for hyperaccumulation of these heavy metals at roots. Overall, the findings suggest that water lettuce could be an effective plant alternative for remediation of real landfill leachates which are difficult to treat due to high levels of pollutants present in them.

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Photo by Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash

Photo by Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The most significant implication of this research is that utilizing water lettuce in EAPR can be an effective means of removing harmful substances such as heavy metals, BOD (biological oxygen demand), color and turbidity from landfill leachate. The study found that the removal efficiency was higher for some elements than others, but overall it showed promise as a viable solution. This could help reduce pollution due to landfills and protect human health and the environment.