A STUDY OF PLANT IN

W ATE R B O D I E S
T R E ATM E N T
A I N S O F E A S YA H I R A H B T M A H A D I ( D 2 0 1 4 1 0 6 6 8 9 1 )
N U R FA R R A H N A J I H A H B T A M I R ( D 2 0 1 4 1 0 6 6 8 7 3 )
N A D Z A T U L E LY A B T M D F U A D ( D 2 0 1 4 1 0 6 6 8 8 1 )
WONG PUI YEE (D20141066893)

INTRODUCTION

Elodea, Lemnoideae, Ipomea Aquatica were tested for their

potential in treating water bodies.
Water bodies Tasik Proton City
Water quality test:
pH - measuring the pH of the water bodies
BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) - measuring the level of oxygen needed
Turbidity - measuring the quality of the water

OBJECTIVES
To determine if aquatic plant, could improve water quality in water
bodies.
To study the role of macrophytes in improving the quality of water.

Lemnoideae

Ipomea
aquatica

Elodea

METHODS

Plant materials
Plant samples which are Ipomoea Aquatica (Water Spinach),
Elodea sp. and Lemnoideae (Duckweed), are collected.
The plant samples are cleaned under running tap water and
distilled water to remove debris from the roots and leaves.
Preparation of water samples
The water samples from the lake are collected and placed it
inside the pot or beaker.
Water quality test method
The pH, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical
Oxygen Demand (COD) and content of waste substance inside
the water sample are measured and recorded.

METHODS
The plant is placed into the pot which containing water
samples.
The plant and water samples are left for a week with regular
observations.
The level of BOD, COD and content of waste substances are
measured and recorded again after 1 week.
The wet mass of water treatment plants are also been
measured and recorded after experiment ended.

WATER QUALITY TEST AND PLANTS

MEASUREMENT
Water quality test
pH
Turbidity (FTU)
Biological Oxygen Demand
(BOD) (mg/l)
Color of water sample
Odor
Water treatment plants

Reading
5.60
1.19
3.15
Light tea-colored
Foul odor

Ipomea Aquatica

Wet mass/ Number of water

treatment plants present
300 g

Elodea

60g

Lemnoideae

40s


Day/Wate
r quality
test

pH

Turbidity
(FTU)

Biological
Oxygen
Demand
(BOD)

Color of
water

Odor

Day 1

A
B
C

RESULTS AND
OBSERVATION
Day 2
Day 3

Day 4

A
B
C

Day 5

A
B
C

5.7 7.72 6.3 6.8 9.6 7.07

6
9
6
6

7.37 6.94 7.2 7.89 7. 7.46 8.2 7.8 7.66

4
47
3
9

2.5
9

3.2
7

3.15 1.9 3.8 6.8 3.03

4
3
7

2.73 7.12 5.9 3.74 7. 6.25 3.7 7.3 6.67

7
28
8
4

2.89 3.6 3.4 2.3 4.19

3
3
3

4.56 3.62 4.6 4.78 3. 4.77 4.8 3.6 4.85

0
65
3
8

Clear water

Odorless

COMPARISON BEFORE AND AFTER EXPERIMENT

Water treatment
plants

Wet mass/ Number of

water treatment
plants present

Ipomea Aquatica

300 g

Elodea

60g

Lemnoideae

40s

Water treatment
plants

Wet mass/ Number of

water treatment
plants

Ipomea Aquatica
Elodea
Lemnoideae

310 g
80g
78s

BEFORE

AFTER

SUMMAR
Y
Ipomea
Aquatica
Elodea

Count

Sum

Average

14.72

17.52

4.9066666
67
5.84

Varianc
e
4.1900
33
5.7411

Lemnoide
ae

16.34

5.4466666
67

2.2340
33

pH

22.32

7.44

0.1884

Turbidity
(FTU)
BOD
(mg/l)

14.45

11.81

4.8166666
67
3.9366666
67

2.2817
33
0.3889
33

SS

df

MS

P-value

F crit

1.3174
22
19.929
62
4.4007
11

0.6587111
11
9.9648111
11
1.1001777
78

0.5987
32
9.0574
55

0.59229
4
0.0327
15

6.9442
72
6.9442
72

ANOVA
Source of
Variation
Rows
Columns
Error

2
4

Summary and
Analysis of
Variance
(ANOVA)
between
potential
semiaquatic
and aquatic
plants with
water quality
test

Graph of water quality test against potential aquatic and semiaquatic plant (mean+s.e)

9
8
7
6
pH
5

Turbidity (FTU)

Water quality test

4

BOD (mg/l)

3
2
1
0
Ipomea aquatica

Elodea

Aquatic and semiaquatic plants

Lemnoidaea

Length of Kangkung flower

Area
Mean Min
Max
0.001 152.884 124.896 165

Angle Length
-39.094 0.346

Length of stem (kangkung)

1
2
3

Area
0.014
0.021
0.012

Mean
61.667
108.513
74.025

Min
28.828
25.825
39.593

Max
186.984
211.982
183.651

Angle
4.054
-4.308
2.621

Length
3.21
5.086
2.936

Area
2.47E-04
2.64E-04
3.35E-04
3.00E-04
2.64E-04
2.64E-04
3.70E-04
4.41E-04
2.82E-04
1.41E-04

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Mean
88.142
102.947
94.656
93.32
111.422
91.896
107.572
104.494
97.88
78.746

Min
71.849
74.436
67.551
81.334
84.32
71.187
76.629
72.651
79.572
61.37

Max
Angle
109.101 75.964
137.524 72.897
149.902 47.291
124.477 -50.194
148.77 36.027
108.396 98.13
135.583 20.225
160.869 34.38
129.27 101.31
114.574
90

Average
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Average

Area
0.003
0.003
0.002
0.003
0.002
0.002
0.001
0.002
0.002
0.003

Mean
117.514
122.575
135.592
127.008
130.457
135.882
120.168
131.201
134.784
128.946

Min
95.095
109.586
104.797
98.753
117.068
121.562
108.296
113.602
121.215
111.667

Max
139.435
132.674
154.611
149.628
147.667
142.574
132.11
152.109
139.889
142.333

Length
0.053
0.058
0.077
0.066
0.057
0.057
0.083
0.099
0.064
0.031

0.0645
Angle
Length
-120.964 0.685
-71.692 0.602
-92.675 0.448
-79.035 0.684
-90
0.414
-76.115 0.386
-66.176 0.354
-95.711 0.461
-80.256 0.421
-90
0.638
0.5093

Protist
Bacteria

ELODEA
CANADENSI
S

The effect of treatment with Elodea

a)

elimination of the disturbing smell from the water.

b)

enhance the removal of pollutants by consuming part of them in the form of plant
nutrients.

c)

provide a substrate for bacterial attachment, and their vascular lacunae act as a
conduit for

the transport of O2 from the atmosphere to the water.

BOD
BOD concentration decreased by Elodea :

a. due to the absorption of organic compound in waste water by the roots of Elodea.
b. Elodea activities involving microorganisms that can break down the organic
compounds in the process Phytoremediation
c.

oxidation of organic matter in wetlands system that provides energy for microbial
metabolism.

d. organic matter contained in the wastewater provides a substrate for aerobic

microbial metabolism and the length of culturization time could lead to a decrease
of BOD concentration in water phase.
* Phytoremediation process that occurs at this phase was phyto-reduction
/rhizodegradation that use of plant roots to absorb pollutants from wastewater.

Turbidity
Jiang and Xinyaun, 1998 Absorption and filtration of suspended solid by submerged plant in Elodea unit
could increase suspended removal efficiency to be higher than in the
control unit without plant.

pH
Sawyer, Mccarty and Parkin, 1994 The alkalinity forms change as the following equations:
2HCO3- CO32- + H2O + CO2
CO32- + H2O 2OH- + CO2
So, removal of carbon dioxide cause a shift in the form of alkalinity present from
bicarbonate to carbonate, and from carbonate to hydroxide.

LEMNOIDEAE
(DUCKWEEDS
)

LEMNOIDEAE

 Since Lemnoideae show a very high capacity of accumulating heavy

metals and organic xenobiotics in their tissues, it makes them
potentially suitable for removal of these compounds from industrial
wastewaters.
BOD is substantially removed by both aerobic and anaerobic
microorganisms associated with the plants surfaces, suspended in
the water column and present in the sediment.
Lemnoideae, possess a relatively small surface area for attached
growth of mineralising bacteria compared to other aquatic
macrophytes with larger submerged root and leaf surfaces (Zirschky
and Reed 1988).
The dense cover of duckweed on the water surface inhibit both
oxygen from entering the water by diffusion from the air and
photosynthetic production of oxygen by phytoplankton - poor light
penetration (Culley and Epps 1973, Brix and Schierup 1989).
BOD removal - decrease in lakes covered with duckweed because of
the limited oxygen transfer into the water (Zirschky and Reed1988)

IPOMOEA
A Q UAT I C A
( WAT E R
SPINACH OR
K A N G KO N G )

TREATMENT OF WATER BODIES USING IPOMOEA

AQUATICA (WATER SPINACH OR KANGKONG)
Setup of the experiment (First day)
Hydroponic concept

HYDROPONIC CONCEPT

Dip the root inside the water

RESULT
Weight
Before exp=300g
After exp 310g
pH= 8.23
Turbidity=3.78mg/L
BOD=4.83

FORMATION OF FLOWER AND BUD

DISCUSSION
This technique known as phytoremediation (using plant-based
system and microbiological process to treat contaminants in a
water treatment)
Ipomoea Aquatica is a aquatic and semiaquatic plant
Floating leaves that can carry out photosynthesis

 Water spinach carry out photosynthesis, using carbon dioxide

and releasing oxygen to the water.The BOD level decrease
because increasing oxygen dissolve
Root system presence of the carboxyl group that allow to
absorption of the water and particle in the water
Stomata and culticle involve in the absorption of the particle
The fibrous root could trap the particle and provide the suitable
environment for the aerobic bacteria to treat the water by
producing inorganic compound and it can be used for the plant
water spinach play a role in balancing the lake by helping to
purify the water by absorbing the nutrient using the roots.

CONCLUSION
Elodea is the effective plant that can treat water bodies based
on this experiment.
Because it reduce BOD in the water, reduce the pH to neutral
and reduce the turbidity of the water.
However, other plants like Kangkung and duckweed is also
good aquatic plant for water treatment but the most effective
is Elodea.

THANK YOU!