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Title:	Phytoremediation of hydrocarbon in wastewater using native aquatic plants
Authors:	Israa AbdulWahab Hammoudi Al-Baldawi (P54641)
Supervisor:	Siti Rozaimah Sheikh Abdullah, Prof. Ir. Dr.
Keywords:	Phytoremediation of hydrocarbon Hydrocarbon in wastewater Native aquatic plants Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia -- Dissertations
Issue Date:	4-Mar-2014
Description:	Water contaminated with diesel is a common for oil-producing and industrialized countries and is a great threat to the environment as well as human beings. Phytoremediation is particularly useful in wetland environments because it is natural and more environmentally friendly than conventional mechanical clean-up methods. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are an excellent technology for treating wastewater effectively in phytoremediation systems, due to their low cost, simple operation and maintenance and favourable appearance. There are several types of wetlands designed for wastewater treatment which are classified according to the flow of wastewater through the system. Those are free surface flow (FSF) and horizontal sub-surface flow (SSF). In this study, phytotoxicity tests were carried with two flow systems of FSF and SSF to remove total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) as an indicator of diesel contamination from the water contaminated with different diesel concentrations (1%, 2% and 3%) (Vdiesel/Vwater) using a native plant species, Scirpus grossus. The results showed that the SSF system is more efficient than the FSF system with average removal efficiencies of 77, 91.5 and 81.1% for SSF and 70, 80.2 and 42.4 for FSF with 1, 2, and 3% diesel concentrations, respectively. Furthermore, study of microbes on the Scirpus grossus roots was adopted as one of the mechanisms in phytoremediation through rhizodegradation involving microbial around the roots of plants. Based on the microbial study, three bacteria were isolated and identified as Bacillus aquimaris, Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus with degradation percentage 17.8% of TPH by the consortium of the three species. After phytotoxicity test, a pilot-scale constructed wetlands with a horizontal sub-surface flow system was adapted for phytoremediation of contaminated water with different diesel concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.175, and 0.25% (Vdiesel/Vwater) and aeration supply of 0, 1 and 2 L/min for a period of 72 days under greenhouse conditions. The best performance was obtained in constructed wetlands supplied with aeration of 1 L/min with TPH removal of 81.8, 86.3 and 87.4% for 0.1, 0.175, and 0.25% diesel concentration respectively at the end of the exposure period. The response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimise three operating variables, i.e., retention time, aeration rate and diesel concentration, in the pilot-scale constructed wetlands to maximise the removal of hydrocarbon in wastewater contaminated with diesel. The optimum condition for phytoremediation process was determined at 0.25% diesel with a retention time of 63 days and no aeration with a maximum TPH removal up to 76.3 %. A validation test at the determined optimum condition gave an error of 5% for the maximum TPH removal (72.5 %). Moreover, the consortium addition of three isolated rhizobacteria at the optimum condition has improved TPH removal up to 84.3%. Therefore, Scirpus grossus was able to remediate wastewater containing petroleum hydrocarbon with the aid of rhizobacteria that degrade TPH.,PhD
Pages:	291
Publisher:	UKM, Bangi
Appears in Collections:	Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment / Fakulti Kejuruteraan dan Alam Bina

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