Small Aquatic Duckweed Plants with Big Potential for the Production of Valuable Biomass and Wastewater Remediation

Abstract

Pollution and shortages in clean water supplies are some of the most serious problems that humanity is facing. In many Asian countries and elsewhere, the demand for potable water doubles every 10-15 years due to rising domestic consumption and the increasing needs of industry [1,2]. Eutrophication of municipal and industrial water reservoirs is a global concern and has been identified as a major environmental problem for water resource management. Furthermore, about 80 million tons of nitrogen fertilizers are applied globally per year to maximize yield [3], and no more than 40% of this amount is taken up by crops [4].