Vetiver Research Articles

Evaluation of ecotechnology performance in treating textile wastewater: constructed treatment wetlands and natural adsorbents

The development of environmentally friendly technology for water ecosystem rehabilitation has become a challenge in solving pollution control problems in water bodies. Ecotechnology is a technology to improve water quality using an ecosystem approach, including the technology of constructed treatment wetlands and natural adsorbents. This study aims to produce an alternative ecotechnology for textile industrial waste remediation, on-site treatment of water bodies contaminated with textile waste, using a constructed treatment wetlands system and natural adsorbents. The result was conducted for 6 months using a reactor on a pilot scale with a continuous system. The result showed that CTWs’ ability effectively reduced ammonia in textile wastewater with a 20% dilution of up to > 80% and > 90% respectively using plants Vetiveria zizanioides and Heliconia psittacorum. Meanwhile, at 50% textile wastewater dilution, CTW with Heliconia psittacorum was more effective in reducing ammonia (> 80%) than CTW with Vetiveria zizanioides (> 60%). CTW with Vetiveria zizanioides and Heliconia psittacorum was able to reduce the dye content up to < 69.68% and < 54.39%, respectively. The natural adsorbent ability of bentonite has a higher ability to reduce dyes and ammonia, which is up to < 64.84% and < 91.12%. Good performance in these two eco-technology systems will result in better waste disposal by combining these two systems into one ecotechnology system.

Phytoremediation for Nutrient Removal in an Environmentally Friendly Floating Cage System: A Field Experiment

Aquaculture is one of the efforts to optimize the utilization of water bodies. Aquaculture using floating net cages is detrimental to water, namely causing pollution from uneaten feed and fish excretion. Water quality would be degraded due to eutrophication, oxygen depletion, and uncontrolled growth of algae and aquatic plants. High concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus mainly trigger water quality degradation and eutrophication. To reduce the negative impact of aquaculture activities in floating net cages in reservoir/lake waters, an environmentally friendly cage technology that is low waste is needed. The technology offered is a loop bio-phytoremediation system equipped with floating net cages, a water management system with recirculation, and plants. The floating net cage used is a double net where the upper net consists of two nets and a bottom net. The upper net is used for rearing carp fish, and the bottom net for tilapia. The plants used as phytoremediation agents were water spinach and vetiver grass. Moreover, the physical filter used for processed water before recirculating to the waterbody in the FNC consists of sand, palm fiber, and limestone layers. The results showed that the effectiveness of nutrient removal on water spinach hydroponic (HRT=15 h), vetiver grass wetland (HRT=36 h), and physical filters (HRT=2,4 h) in reducing nitrate was 83%, 86%, and 67%, respectively; maximal reduction of the organic matter reached 94%, 96%, and 96%, respectively; as well as the highest reduction in total phosphorus was 78%, 89%, and 82%, respectively.

VETIVER (VETIVERIA ZIZANIOIDES L.) ECOTYPES ASSESSMENT FOR SALINITY TOLERANCE

Vetiver is one of the essential oil-producing plants, commonly called vetiver oil. With a deep, broad, and thick root system, the species is characteristically well-adapted to various environmental stresses, including salinity. The presented study strived to evaluate several vetiver ecotypes under diverse salinity stress conditions and identify the best with enhanced salinity tolerance. The said study continued in a completely randomized design (CRD) with factorial arrangement and two factors. The first factor was salinity stress comprising six varying levels, i.e., control (without salinity) and saline soils with 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 dsm-1. The second factor consisted of three vetiver ecotypes: Bogor, Bojonegoro, and Padang. The results revealed that salinity stress levels, ecotypes, and their interactions significantly affected the growth, physiological, and oil yield traits, such as plant height, leaf area, number of tillers, chlorophyll a and b, root length and volume, and oil yield. Salinity stress at 16 dsm-1 significantly impacted plant growth but enhanced chlorophyll a and b content. The ecotype Bojonegoro had better canopy growth, while the ecotype Padang had better root growth, resulting in higher oil production compared with the ecotype Bojonegoro. The ecotype Bojonegoro with 16 dsm-1 salinity stress significantly increased chlorophyll a and b content, and the ecotype Padang showed the highest oil production without salinity stress compared with salinity stress conditions.

Correction to: Mechanical responses of Chrysopogon zizanioides roots under cyclic loading conditions

Correction to: Mechanical responses of Chrysopogon zizanioides roots under cyclic loading conditions

Potentials of mycorrhizal fungi in altering eight biomechanical properties of plant roots

AbstractArbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous and impactful symbionts of most land plants and can regulate essential ecological processes. AM fungi can increase the cellulose content of root cell walls and hence the root tensile strength of grass. How AM fungi can alter other essential biomechanical properties is not clear. This study aims to study the contribution of AM fungi in altering biomechanical properties by comparing mycorrhizal and non‐mycorrhizal roots. We inoculated three fungal species to vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) for comparison. Eight root biomechanical properties (i.e., yield strain, yield stress, break strain, tensile strength, Young's modulus, plastic modulus, plastic strain, and toughness) were determined for each root using a newly developed Fortran language‐based program. Inoculating AM fungi decreased both Young's modulus and plastic modulus by 23% and 17%, respectively, versus control, although it was species‐dependent. Yield stress was not significantly affected, but tensile strength was increased by 7%–17% upon fungal symbiosis. Together with the increases in break strain by 15%–20%, mycorrhizal roots possessed a notably higher toughness than non‐mycorrhizal roots by up to 36%. Greater root cohesion of mycorrhizal roots confirmed the enhanced (1.5‐fold) factor of safety in the soil‐root system. Our findings imply that AM fungi are of significant interest in plant biomechanics and geotechnical engineering. Applying AM fungi on soil slopes has considerable potential to improve vegetation and stability of green slopes.

Valorization of wasted-derived biochar in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC): pretreatment, characterization, and environmental benefits

This study presents the feasibility of utilizing wasted-derived biochar in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) to alleviate autogenous shrinkage, mitigate environmental effects, and further improve mechanical strengths. Two types of wasted-derived biochar are investigated, including the fresh biochar from pyrolysis process of vetiver grass roots and the used biochar after purifying the contaminated water with heavy metals. The wasted-derived biochar is pre-saturated and then used to substitute the cement in UHPC. Experimental results showed that the 1 % of pre-saturated biochar in UHPC enhanced the mechanical strengths (up to 20 %) and toughness (up to 25 %) as well as reduced the autogenous shrinkage (up to 15 %). The underlying mechanisms of the property enhancement are the improved hydration degree of UHPC due to the internal curing effect. However, as non-negligible micro-defects, the utilization of over 1 % biochar reduced mechanical performance instead. Moreover, the sustainability analysis indicated the use of biochar can significantly reduce carbon emissions of UHPC. Specifically, every 1 kg biochar would reduce 1.30 kg CO2-eq emissions. In addition, the incorporation of used biochar in UHPC eliminated the possibility of heavy metal leaching. This study successfully proposed a carbon sequestering admixture and internal curing agent in UHPC production that also provides a new avenue for wasted-derived biochar recycling.

Evaluation Of The Root Oil of Vetiveria Zizanioides for Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Cattle

Between October 2020 and June 2021, 200 cows were screened for subclinical mastitis using the California mastitis test and the White Side test, and Ushir (Vetive-Ria zizanioides) (Linn.) was tested for its antimicrobial activity against mastitis pathogens. A positive control, namely the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, was used to compare the in vitro effectiveness of Vetiveria root oil. In the experimental investigation, the lowest bactericidal concentration against E. coli was recorded at 12.5%, whereas the minimum inhibitory concentration of E. coli and S. aureus were both observed at this level. The largest inhibitory zone was measured against S. aureus, whose lowest zone of inhibition was measured against, which had a mean diameter of 10.67 ± 0.81 mm. E. coli had a mean diameter of 10.89 mm. As a result, the antimicrobial efficacy of Vetivera root oil was found to be effective in controlling subclinical mastitis.

Exploring sound absorption properties of porous wood-based eco-friendly materials for noise reduction in buildings

In the last few years, there has been an increase in the use of eco-friendly materials in the area of acoustics made from natural fibers. These materials are preferable to synthetic materials because of their benefits, such as raw material availability, cost-effective processing costs, safe handling, and equivalent acoustic qualities. The main objective of this study is to find out how well the material made from vetiver grass absorbs sound. Following the International Standard ISO 354-2003 and ASTM 423-90, sound absorption tests were done in a reverberation chamber to find the Sound Absorption Coefficient (SAC) and Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) over a wide range of frequencies from 100–4000 Hz. To enhance the way the material absorbs noise, several ASTM E795-16 mountings were examined and tested. These mountings, which have air cavity sizes ranging from 0 mm (hard base) to 50, 100, and 300 mm, include J, E600, C50, D10, and C10. The most effective technique to enhance the material's acoustic qualities to lower noise was identified by comparing the SAC and NRC readings of samples with various-sized air gaps. The fitting of C10 with a SynthPF 10 × 50 back and a 50 mm air gap produced the best results (NRC 0.82). The produced porous pine boards with a density of 400 kg/m3 and a width of 20 mm met all the physical and mechanical property standards of the Indian Standards. The study shows that noise-absorbing materials made from vetiver grass could be used in buildings in ways that are better for the environment.

Formulation and Comparative Evaluation of Physical Characteristics of different Essential Polyherbal Hair Oils

Objective: To prepare essential hair oil from Eucalyptus, Poduthalai, Vettiver, Bhringraj, Alovera, Neem, Hibiscus, Henna and Fenugreek extracts in different combinations. Methods: Five different formulations (F1-F7) were prepared and subjected to general evaluation like color and odor, density and physical characteristics like specific gravity, pH, acid value, saponification value, ester value, sensitivity test, irritation test, grittiness and biological evaluation of anti dandruff activity. Results: The general evaluation of the essential oil preparations showed a different characteristic in each preparation. The Sensitivity test reveals no irritation, redness or marked skin changes and grittiness revealed the smooth texture of the oil. All formulations exhibited a good anti dandruff activity against Malassezia furfur. The maximum zone of inhibition was observed in F5 (Phyla nodiflora, Chrysopogon zizanioides and Eucalyptus in coconut oil) against M.furfur. Conclusion: The study showed that the formulation of F5 consisting Phyla nodiflora, Chrysopogon zizanioides and Eucalyptus globulus in coconut oil base was best suitable to control dandruff in scalp in human beings.

Chemical sterilisation and vetiver grass performance on gold tailings dump chrono-toposequences at Muriel mine, Zimbabwe

Chemical sterilisation and vetiver grass performance on gold tailings dump chrono-toposequences at Muriel mine, Zimbabwe

APPLICATION OF COCONUT COIR MATTING AND VEGETATION FOR RIVERBANK EROSION PROTECTION

In this paper, a sustainable and non-structural solution is identified to solve the problem of riverbank erosion by using the case study of Pusu River in the district of Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. Several types of non-structural and sustainable materials were used as riverbank protection in the study area with the application of coconut coir mat and vetiver grass and their effectiveness were evaluated. The coconut coir was fabricated in the laboratory as per ASTM D6525 and it was applied in four plots at the riverbank that consist of different configurations namely bare soil, coconut coir mat with natural vegetation, coconut coir mat with vetiver grass, and vetiver grass on its own. To analyse the effectiveness of the configurations, two tests such as visual inspection test and riverbank erosion assessment using erosion pins were conducted. This study concludes that coconut coir helps vetiver grass roots to grow more expansively as compared to the growth of the vetiver grass without coconut coir. The application of vetiver grass is proven to be 90.5 % effective which is higher than other types of configurations with a 0.05 cm/day mean erosion rate observed.

Root chemistry and microbe interactions contribute to metal(loid) tolerance of an aromatic plant – Vetiver grass

Aromatic plants, such as vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides), possess strong abilities to resist environmental stresses. However, whether such abilities stem from the interaction between specific chemical characteristics and the associated microbes in roots and rhizosphere remains unclear. We conducted pot experiments to analyze stress-tolerant parameters, organic compounds, and bacterial communities in roots and rhizosphere of vetiver under typical metal(loid) stress [cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), or Cd + As] over time. The results showed that the vetiver displayed limited toxic symptoms in terms of oxidative stress-antioxidant balance and chlorophyll content. The root low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs), fatty acids, and sterols were highly sensitive to growth stage (increased from the 4-month to the 8-month stage), and less sensitive to metal(loid) stress. The sugar contents in the rhizosphere soils also notably increased over time. Such endo and rhizosphere chemical changes strongly correlated with and enriched the functional bacteria including Streptomyces, which can resist stress and promote plant growth. The compound-bacteria interaction highly depended on growth stage. Vetiver demonstrated a progressive adaptation to stresses through metabolite modulation and cellular defense reinforcement. Our study evidenced that vetiver shapes the interaction between organic compounds and bacterial community in the root-soil interface and provides notable stress-resistant functions.

Mechanical responses of Chrysopogon zizanioides roots under cyclic loading conditions

Mechanical responses of Chrysopogon zizanioides roots under cyclic loading conditions

Diversity and distribution of vetiver grass (Chrysopogan zizanioides (L) Roberty) and its manifold uses: A review

During the last few decades essential oils derived from different herbs and aromatic plants have received a growing focus of scientific investigation due to their multifunctional uses beyond their traditional roles as food additives and scents. Over 3000 species have been identified as medicinal plants that produce essential oils. Vetiver grass has wide range of diversity throughout the world with diverse genotype variability. It has multifarious uses in various agricultural, medicinal, aromatic, engineering, conservational and in industrial sector. The C. zizanioides is well known in various regions of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Africa. Vetiver roots, particularly those from Karnataka, have been utilised to make herbal drinks that are energising to combat tiredness. The vetiver grass, referred as "vetiver" or "vetiver–vetiver" in India, serves a variety of purposes in aromatic, pharmaceuticals, food, and beverage industries. This paper presents a review of the diversity &amp; distribution of this crop along with its various uses and applications.

Synergistic Repellent and Irritant Effects of a Mixture of β-Caryophyllene Oxide and Vetiver Oil against Mosquito Vectors.

Repellents play a major role in reducing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases by preventing mosquito bites. The present study evaluated the mosquito-repellent activity of β-caryophyllene oxide 1% (BCO), vetiver oil 2.5% (VO), and their binary mixtures (BCO + VO (1:1), BCO + VO (2:1), BCO + VO (1:2)) against four laboratory-colonized mosquito species, Aedes aegypti (L.), Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Anopheles minimus Theobald, and Culex quinquefasciatus Say, using an excito-repellency assay system. In general, the compound mixtures produced a much stronger response in the mosquitoes than single compounds, regardless of the test conditions or species. The greatest synergetic effect was achieved with the combination of BCO + VO (1:2) in both contact and noncontact trials with An. minimus (74.07-78.18%) and Cx. quinquefasciatus (55.36-83.64%). Knockdown responses to the binary mixture of BCO + VO were observed for Ae. albopictus, An. minimus, and Cx. quinquefasciatus, in the range of 18.18-33.33%. The synergistic repellent activity of BCO and VO used in this study may support increased opportunities to develop safer alternatives to synthetic repellents for personal protection against mosquitoes.

Integral Agroforestal plot with Sapindus saponaria associated with aromatic and medicinal species to conserve the ecosystems

The propagation and processing of Sapindus saponaria, (Boliche) and Caesalpinea spinosa (Tara) will make it possible to manage ecosystems sustainably, obtaining biological soap and natural dyes and contribute to the fight against climate change, since plant cover is increased and to the capture of CO2, reducing the pressure of greenhouse gases, increasing the production of oxygen and at the same time generating industry for the production of biodegradable cleaning and beauty products. The incorporation of Caesalpinea spinosa (Tara) interspersed with S. saponaria allowed the contribution of its fruits to the productivity of the plot, since from its fruits we obtain tannins for tanning, natural dye, and gums for the food industry. Continuing with the practice of agroforestry, aromatic and medicinal species such as Aloe vera (Sábila), Chrysopogon zizanioides (Vetiver), and Cymbopogon citratus (Lemongrass) were placed between the two tree species. By means of Soxhlet extraction with ethanol, the soap and the dyes that were used as ingredients of the biological shampoo were obtained. Using a homemade steam distiller, the extraction of essential oils from the aromatic and medicinal species was achieved. The project began under Resolution N° 0448-2009-R-UNE, which authorized the reforestation of the Universidad Nacional de Educación Enrique Guzman y Valle (UNE) and surrounding areas with native plant species. The strategy used was that of the Biology and Ecology students acting as godmothers and godfathers of the trees considered in the project.

Integrated application of morphological, anatomical, biochemical and physico-chemical methods to identify superior, lignocellulosic grass feedstocks for bioenergy purposes

Grasses have sufficient potential to be used in the biofuel industry due to many reasons. Hence, systematic assessments of the lignocellulosic biomass obtained from six grasses namely Arundo donax, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Coix lacryma-jobi, Pennisetum purpureum, Saccharum spontaneum, and Sorghum bicolor have been performed to assess their potential for bioethanol production. Selected morphological (height, internode diameter, number of internodes, fresh biomass, dry biomass, total volatile matter), anatomical (vascular bundle, stain intensity), analytical (crystallinity index of cellulose, thermal stability, hemicellulose, moisture content) and biochemical (α-cellulose, acid insoluble lignin) parameters were investigated and statistically analysed to detect the superior grass species. The study indicates that S. spontaneum harbours promising biofuel potential by having high dry biomass (56.33 g), α-cellulose (55.88–67.76%), but lower thermal stability (Tmax: 344.37 °C). Comparable ligno-cellulose properties with respect to dry biomass (54.60 g), α-cellulose content (45.95–64.14%), Tmax (360.51 °C) have been observed for A. donax. However, relatively higher lignin contents (∼17–23%) and crystalline cellulose (43.63%–46.96%) in S. spontaneum and A. donax might have resulted into lesser saccharification yield (216.04–230.08 mg/g). On that aspect, S. bicolor and C. lacryma-jobi might be useful since they possessed lower lignin (14.03–16.56%) and crystalline cellulose (32.51–33.02%) leading to higher glucose yield (263–420.06 mg/g). Taken together, this study indicates that integration of morphological, biochemical, and analytical properties of biomasses are complex, yet useful to predict a ‘superior donor plant’ for bioenergy purposes.

Effect of varying retention times and feeding schemes on the performance of vertical constructed wetlands planted with vetiver grass in treating dairy wastewater in the Philippines

AbstractAdequate wastewater treatment from the dairy industry before disposal is still lacking in the Philippines, particularly in small‐scale sectors. This limitation is due to the high cost and expertise required from conventional wastewater treatment systems. One option is using constructed wetlands, a nature‐based solution with low cost, less specialized expertise and maintenance requirements and high wastewater treatment efficiency. To further evaluate the application of constructed wetlands in the Philippines, this paper studied the wastewater from the manufacturing processes of the Dairy Training Research Institute, University of the Philippines Los Baños (DTRI‐UPLB). It is a small dairy farm inside the University with economic constraints in using a conventional wastewater treatment system. The main aim of this study is to determine the effect of using vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands (VSSFCW) planted with Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) in sand and gravel media to treat the DTRI‐UPLB effluent, using very low retention times (4 and 8 h), with daily and alternate days of wastewater feeding into the VSSFCW. The average removal efficiencies for total suspended solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand for (BOD5), total phosphorus (TP), and Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) are 88.34%, 93.56%, 78.42%, and 94.63%, respectively. Moreover, alternate wastewater feeding provided a statistically significant increase in the performance of VSSFCW, while there is no statistical difference between the two retention times evaluated. Finally, it was observed that plant age significantly affects the performance of VSSFCW setup but should be explored further with longer operation times and additional nutrient uptake analysis.

Improved remediation of amoxicillin-contaminated water by floating treatment wetlands intensified with biochar, nutrients, aeration, and antibiotic-degrading bacteria

ABSTRACTResidual antibiotics have become emerging contaminants of concern for their adverse impact on the ecosystem. Additionally, their accumulation in the environment is increasing antibiotic resistance among pathogens. This study assessed the impact of intensification of biochar, nutrients, aeration, and bacteria (BNAB) on the remediation potential of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) to treat amoxicillin (AMX)-contaminated water. The FTWs were developed with saplings of Vetiveria zizanioides and intensified with biochar (1.5%), nutrients (25 mgL−1 N, 25 mgL−1 P, 20 mg L1 K), aeration (7 mg L−1), and AMX-degrading bacteria. The results showed that all the amendments enhanced the AMX degradation, while the maximum reduction in COD (89%), BOD (88%), TOC (87%), and AMX (97%) was shown by the combined application of all the amendments. The combined application also enhanced plant growth and persistence of the inoculated bacteria in the water, roots, and shoots. This approach can be employed for the low-cost, environment-friendly treatment, and recycling of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater, where BNAB intensification can further improve the bioremediation efficiency of FTWs in the case of heavily polluted waters.

Tropical range grasses can sustain soil functions despite nutrient depletion in semiarid degraded land

Soil function encompasses numerous functions and services the soil provides and can be measured using physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. In any event, research on fertility and biological activity is increasingly being stressed as indices of ecosystem services. Rangeland degradation is one of the world's most widespread land use changes, with serious consequences for soil processes and ecosystem services. The influence of uncontrolled grass cover on soil functioning in semiarid environments is little understood. In the current study, the following seven varieties of grass coverings were studied in a semiarid area of central India: Cenchrus ciliaris (CC), Megathyrsus maximus (MM), Chrysopogon fulvus (CF), Heteropogon contortus (HC), Sehima nervosum (SN), Vetiveria zizanioides (VZ), and Tri-Specific Hybrid (TSH). The carbon accumulation proficiency of TSH, MM, and HC was ~2.23, 2.17, and 2.07 times greater than fallow. The nutrient cycling capacity of grasses was ~1.1 to 1.6 times greater than that of fallow, despite the grasses' depleted macronutrients in the soil. The biological activity under MM and HC was ~1.23 and 1.67 times higher than fallow. Overall soil functionality under TSH and HC was 83 and 25% greater than MM, respectively. These soil functions augment ecosystem services like climate regulation, biomass production, nutrient recycling, water, and airflow. However, more attention should be paid to the management of inputs for greater ecosystem services from this grass cover in semiarid, degraded land.