PHYTOREMEDIATION OF SOIL CONTAMINATED WITH BREWERY AND BEVERAGE EFFLUENTS USING CYNODON DACTYLON

Abstract

Phytoremediation is a natural treatment process that involves the use of green plants and microorganisms to degrade, accumulate, or eliminate various types of contaminants and pollutants in soil and water through physical, chemical and biological processes. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of green plant (Cynodon dactylon L.) in phytoremediation of soil contaminated with brewery and beverage wastewater (BBW). Four microcosm plots were used to conduct this experiment, the plots were irrigated with BBW and tap water (control). The results indicated that BBW is characterized with high organic contents [BOD5 (270.25 mg/L), COD (591.50 mg/L)], suspended solids [total suspended solids (372.75mg/L), total solids (74.75 mg/L)], and nutrients [phosphate (20.83 mg/L)], no significant change in the soil texture was observed, however, there was increase in pH, electrical conductivity and chlorine content of the soil. The phytoremediation of the polluted soil decreased the concentrations of Cu by 25% after 49 days of the experimentation with about 75% of the heavy metal retained in the soil. However, future studies should focus on decrease of the build-up of salts (electrical conductivity) in the soil which could negatively affect crop yield as well as the determination of sodium adsorption ratio of the brewery and beverage wastewater to ascertain its suitability for irrigation purpose.