Abstract
This work has examined the effects of pH on the treatment efficiency and biomass production rate of water hyacinth ponds (WHP) treating domestic wastewater. Experiments were carried out outdoor in WHP, working under batch and subtropical environmental conditions, using pre-treated sewage with pH varying from 5 to 9. It was observed that the plants regulated the pH of the medium to within 6.4 to 7.1 during the treatment processes independently of influent wastewater pH ranges. This adjustment reduced the treatment performances and the biomass production in ponds, the alkaline conditions in ponds being less favorable to the activities of the plants. The optimal removal and biomass production was achieved with influent pH of 7 lying in the above interval. So the optimum influent pH for the growth of plants and the removal of nutrients and organic matters in WHP is within pH 6.4 to pH 7.1.
Highlights
Water hyacinth (WH), Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms-Laubach, is an erect, stoloniferous, free-floating, perennial and vascular aquatic weed with elongated petioles (5 cm of diameter; 30 to 50 cm of length, but can reach up to 1.5 m) [1] [2]
This work has examined the effects of potential of hydrogen (pH) on the treatment efficiency and biomass production rate of water hyacinth ponds (WHP) treating domestic wastewater
The changes in temperature did not depend on the initial pH of the pond but were related to the weather conditions
Summary
Water hyacinth (WH), Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms-Laubach, is an erect, stoloniferous, free-floating, perennial and vascular aquatic weed with elongated petioles (5 cm of diameter; 30 to 50 cm of length, but can reach up to 1.5 m) [1] [2]. In the absence of its original suite of natural, enemies, and usually in nutrient-enriched waters, E. crassipes populations increase rapidly, doubling under suitable conditions every 6 to 18 days [3]. Due to their vigorous productivity and their ability to reproduce successfully in new nutrient-enriched habitats make. As for all biochemical processes, the potential of hydrogen (pH) could be a limiting factor to this ability of WH to treat wastewater and produce biomass [10]. Water pH affects many biochemical processes involved in macrophyte growth and metabolism, including the bioavailability of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and the availability and absorption of nutrient ions. High pH increases the concentrations of toxic ammonia [11] [12]
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