REMOVAL OF CHLORIDES FROM WATER BY WATER HYACINTH

Abstract

In recent years increasing attention has been directed at utilization of vascular aquatic plants for treatment of water and :caste waters. The ability of vascular aquatics to remove nutrients* heavy metals, and other potentially harmful polluting substances has been demonstrated by several invesw tigations Nolverteno 1975, Ms verton and Rot, McDonald„ 1975, Rogers and Davis, 1972 and Ste word 1970). One particularly attractive candidate for such application is the infamous water hyacinth (ichhornia Crass. ipas (Mart) Solms). The characteristics of the hyacinth that are conduelveD to water and waste water treatment applications include the ease of harvesting, a rapid growth rate, and cc°. nomic benefits derived from the marketing of hyacinth by products. Salinity is an important known 1 m ting factor in the distribution of the water hyacinth ea well as a potential problem in the utilization of the hyacinth for waste treatment applications, Penfound and Earle (1948) state that hyacinth are tolerant to only slightly brackish water, Tagol seed(1975) references coleman (1957) stating that water hyacinth can tolerate salt water but cannot establish themselves or multiply in brackish water and gook (1968) stating that the hyacinth survived for 13 days in 1041% sea water and for more than 14 days in 50% sea water, The present studyhas been aimed at to soe the role of dater hyacinth in the removal/change of chlorides and some other associated parameters like C00, Total Solide(TS), Total Dissolved Solids. (TES), Alkalinity. and pH etc& The study has indicated that hyacinth is able to re.* move chlorides, TS TDS only mar9inally and its growth is adversely affected as the chloride concentrations increases beyond 2000 ppm,