Effect of different acid digester in phytoremediation of industrial wastewater containing potentially toxic element using water hyacinth plant

Abstract

Water hyacinth is plants which have high adsorption of toxic element in their system. Phytoremediation is a technique which uses plant to remediate soils, sludge sediments and water contaminated with toxic element. Acid digester is an acid that was used to extract the toxic element in the plant or soil that was contaminated with toxic element. However there is not enough study that was focusing in using the different acid digester to extract the toxic element from the plant. This study was to ensure whether using the different acid will have high extraction of toxic element compare by using the single acid. Nitric acid and perchloric acid are being used in this study. In this study we have perform the baseline study to know whether there are toxic element in the plant that was used. The data show that the amount of the toxic element likes lead and copper is very small in the plant. For this study 3:1 nitric-perchloric acid and 1:1 nitric-perchloric acid are being used to digest the sample. Nitric acid also is being use to digest the sample. The data show that by using 3:1 nitric-perchloric acid the percentage of extraction copper is higher compare to the 1:1 nitric-perchloric acid and nitric acid. Using nitric as an acid digester will have high extraction of the lead compare by using 3:1 nitric-perchloric acid and 1:1 nitric-perchloric acid. The best heavy metal extraction is shown at pH 5-6. Each initial concentration will have different amount of heavy metal extraction. Higher initial concentration will produce higher extraction of the heavy metal. After 15 days it was shown that the extraction of the heavy metal has become slower compare from the 5 days.