Characterization of a macrophyte microcosm as a surface water treatment system for antibiotics

Abstract

Natural water treatment systems provide for a means to manage nutrient (and carbon) cycles while improving water quality. We present chemical engineering design characteristics from an example flow through and model tertiary water treatment microcosm. This research demonstrates that aquatic macrophytes (Pistia stratiotes and Eichhornia crasippes) can degrade concentrations (0–10 mg/L) of oxytetracycline (OTC). First order OTC degradation rate coefficients (0.07–4.5/day) can be adjusted by altering; agitation, pH, temperature, and aeration mass flows in exudate treatment strategies when simulated wastewater was fed at 10 L/day. Further, we suggest that electronic paramagnetic resonance can be used to aid in hypothesis testing that external elicitation with phytohormones can be used to promote biological based oxidative bursts with methyl jasmonate during water treatment. Finally, we suggest there is a lack of research that considers macrophytes in more holistic natural and human use cycles. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 34: 1605–1612, 2015