Potential use of the plant species Eichhornia Crassipes in the constructed wetland of the Arturo Pazos pilot plant

Abstract

Eichhornia crassipes (common water hyacinth) has shown promise in wastewater treatment in limited experimental settings. However, its potential use in the Central American region remains unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, a wetland system was constructed using Eichhornia crassipes at the Arturo Pazos pilot plant by the ERIS/USAC. This study aimed to evaluate the biogas generation potential based on the percentage of volatile solids and examine the behavior of various wastewater quality parameters. Physicochemical analyses were conducted on the influent and effluent of the constructed wetland to assess the concentrations of nutrients, organic and inorganic matter, and solids. Additionally, the dry weight and ash content of Eichhornia crassipes samples were determined. The findings indicate that the Eichhornia crassipes cultivated in the wetland have the ability to generate biogas. However, the observed percentage of volatile solids was found to be low. Therefore, the feasibility of utilizing Eichhornia crassipes for biogas production should be further evaluated in a co-digestion setting. Moreover, the study demonstrated the significant potential of Eichhornia crassipes in the removal of BOD, COD, turbidity, and TSS from wastewater. Notably, reductions exceeding 90% were achieved for these parameters. These findings underscore the remarkable efficacy of Eichhornia crassipes as an environmentally sustainable approach for wastewater treatment.