Evaluación de la capacidad fitorremediadora de Eichhornia crassipes y Pistia stratiotes en efluentes secundarios de industrias textiles y de curtiembre de la Planta de Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales Puerto Arturo (EP-EMAPA-A)

Abstract

The growing issue of water pollution due to industrial discharges has led to an urgent need to find effective solutions in wastewater treatment plants worldwide. This study aims to investigate the phytoremediation capacity of Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes in wastewater from textile and tanning industries, contributing to the improvement of the treatment process at the Puerto Arturo Wastewater Treatment Plant (EP-EMAPA-A). Experiments were conducted using the plants individually and in combination. Subsequently, physicochemical analyses of the parameters were carried out over a period of 2 months, with samples taken every 7, 15, 30, and 60 days. Wastewater was then analyzed during the decontamination process using protocols established by Hanna and Hach, adapted from the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. The results revealed that, individually, E. crassipes and P. stratiotes demonstrated notable abilities to remove contaminants, reaching optimal levels on the 30th day of the study. Specifically, E. crassipes excelled in the removal of turbidity, sulfates, and surfactants with percentages between 80 and 90 percent, while P. stratiotes proved effective in total suspended solids, total solids, COD, and BOD5, with percentages also ranging between 80 and 90 percent. The combination of both plants exhibited synergy only in color removal, with a percentage of 87,08 percent, although favorable results were not observed in other parameters.