Title: The application of duckweed (Lemna sp.) in wastewater treatment in Jordan

Authors: Maisa'a Wasif Shammout, Sawsan Oran, Manar Fayyad

Addresses: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jordan, P.O. Box 15091, Amman 11134, Jordan. ' Department of Biological Sciences, University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan. ' Water and Environment Research and Study Center, University of Jordan, P.O. Box 9973, Amman 11191, Jordan

Abstract: A flowering plant called duckweed (Lemna sp.) has been used to upgrade the quality of wastewater at Khirbet As-Samra wastewater treatment plant, which is the largest in Jordan. It was originally designed to receive 68,000 m³/day but it is currently receiving 160,000 m³/day. Laboratory experiments showed that the average percentage removal efficiency of Total Coliform (TC) was 68%, Faecal Coliform (FC) 69%, Total Viable Count (TVC) 75%, BOD5 51%, NO3 56%, TN 48%, organic nitrogen 46%, PO43− 56% and total phosphorus 50%. At the experimental site of Khirbet As-Samra, the results were 57, 59, 50, 44, 30, 26, 25, 28 and 26%, respectively, and the removal efficiency of NH4+ was 27%. Experimental results showed that Lemna gibba could be used to upgrade the quality of the pond effluent with respect to pathogens, biological oxygen demand, nitrogen and phosphorus. The results of this project will be the first of its kind in Jordan and it will establish a baseline for future research on the use of duckweed for wastewater treatment.

Keywords: Lemna sp; wastewater treatment; Jordan; duckweed.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2008.018472

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2008 Vol.33 No.1, pp.110 - 120

Published online: 25 May 2008 *

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