Leveraging Elodea canadensis for Effective Wastewater Treatment Solutions

Abstract

This study assesses the effectiveness of Elodea canadensis, a submerged aquatic macrophyte, in treating municipal wastewater at different concentrations (20–100%). The analysis included physicochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), total solids (TS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate (NO₃⁻), phosphate (PO₄³⁻), sulphate (SO₄²⁻), chloride (Cl⁻), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₄⁺–N), and total nitrogen, both before and after treatment. The results indicated significant reductions in both organic and inorganic pollutants, with the highest removal rates recorded for BOD (81%), ammoniacal nitrogen (83%), and total nitrogen (82%). Minor increases in pH (4–10%) and decreases in EC and TDS suggest an enhancement in water quality. These findings imply that E. canadensis serves as an effective, environmentally friendly, and cost-efficient solution for wastewater treatment, especially in constructed wetlands and natural aquatic environments.