The role of plant Colocasia esculenta L. schott (C. esculenta) in arsenic removal was investigated in a pilot-scale constructed wetland (PCW), which was filled with laterite soil (19.90-28.25% iron by weight). This PCW consists of 2 sets of flow systems in parallel, with C. esculenta planted at a density of 20 plants/m2 in one system and the other without any plants. The synthetic water containing arsenic concentration of 0.50 mg/l, with its pH controlled at 7.0 and influent flow at 1.5 m3/day. With C. esculenta, the arsenic in water decreased from 0.485 mg/l to 0.054 mg/l (89% removal), whereas, without C. esculenta, the arsenic decreased from 0.485 mg/l to 0.233 mg/l (52% removal). As for the fate of the influent arsenic, the C. esculenta was responsible for 65% of arsenic accumulation. Note that the arsenic was found mostly within the root zone depth (20-40 cm). It appears that such a high capacity of arsenic removal was enhanced both by the plants through rhizostabilization and by the iron-adsorbed process within the laterite soil bed. In addition, the arsenic removal was observed to increase along with the time from 30 to 90 days, and it reached to a maximum removal around 90 days, and then decreased after 122 days. Thus, the arsenic removal efficiency including mechanisms founded can then be applied in designing of constructed wetland for arsenic treatment from gold mine drainage with similar site/soil characteristic.
Keywords: Environmental science.