Background: This study aims to assess suitability of hydroponic technology for treatment of brewery wastewater in a hydroponic bioreactor using Typha latifolia. Triplicated hydroponic bioreactor treatment units were designed, constructed and operated at a hydraulic retention time of 5 days with different surface loadings and mean hydraulic loading rate 0.023 m3 m-2d- 1. Young T. latifolia shoots were collected in the vicinity of study site. Wastewater characteristics, plant growth and nutrient accumulation during experiment were analyzed as per APHA standard methods and nutrient removal efficiency was evaluated based on inlet and outlet values.
Results: T. latifolia established and grew well in the hydroponics under fluctuations of wastewater loads and showed a good phytoremedial capacity to remove nutrients. Significant removal efficiencies (p < 0.05) varied between 54 and 80% for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, 42 and 65% for NH4+ -N, 47 and 58% for NO3- -N, and 51 and 70% for PO43--P. The system improved the removal up to 29% compared to control and produced biomass of 0.61-0.86 kg dry weight (DW) m- 2. Nutrients retained were up to 21.17 g N kg- 1 DW and 2.87 g P kg- 1 DW.
Conclusion: The significant nutrients reduction obtained and production of biomass led us to conclude that hydroponics technology using T. latifolia has suitability potential for treatment of brewery wastewater and similar agro-industrial wastewaters. Thus it could be considered as a promising eco-friendly option for wastewater treatment to mitigate water pollution. Integration of treatment and production of biomass needs further improvement.
Keywords: Brewery wastewater; Hydroponics; Nutrients removal; Phytoremediation; Typha latifolia.