Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment

Micropollutants like caffeine (CAF) in untreated wastewater pose significant ecological and health risks. Even at low concentrations, CAF disrupts aquatic organisms, inducing behavioral changes, oxidative stress, and developmental abnormalities. Zebrafish embryos, for instance, exhibit vascular disr...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tay, Xin Rou
Format: Undergraduates Project Papers
Language:English
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45736/
_version_ 1848827497843523584
author Tay, Xin Rou
author_facet Tay, Xin Rou
author_sort Tay, Xin Rou
building UMP Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Micropollutants like caffeine (CAF) in untreated wastewater pose significant ecological and health risks. Even at low concentrations, CAF disrupts aquatic organisms, inducing behavioral changes, oxidative stress, and developmental abnormalities. Zebrafish embryos, for instance, exhibit vascular disruptions and immune system activation, while goldfish show hyperactivity and aggression. Additionally, CAF affects marine invertebrates’ neurophysiology and impairs antioxidant activity, raising concerns about its cumulative ecological impact. Conventional treatment systems often fail to remove these contaminants, necessitating alternative solutions. This study evaluates mesocosm-constructed wetlands (CWs) with Canna indica, in monoculture and polyculture, for CAF and nutrient removal. Horizontal subsurface flow CWs with layered substrates (pebble, sand, gravel, cocopeat, activated carbon, and soil) were designed for optimal pollutant removal. Wastewater spiked with CAF (200 mg/L) was evenly distributed. Physico-chemical parameters (AN, BOD, and TN) and plant performance (biomass, chlorophyll, nitrogen uptake, lipid peroxidation) were analyzed to evaluate treatment efficiency and plant stress. Results showed the monoculture Canna indica system reduced CAF to 46.20 ± 0.09 mg/L, with significant decreases in AN (5.80 ± 1.98 mg/L), BOD (36.50 ± 2.12 mg/L), and TN (12.00 ± 1.41 mg/L). Polycultures performed slightly better, reducing CAF to 45.83 ± 0.51 mg/L, with higher TN and BOD removal. Lipid peroxidation analysis revealed the highest malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in Heliconia psittacorum (0.0155 mM/g⁻¹), indicating elevated oxidative stress, while polyculture Canna indica showed the lowest MDA concentration (0.0070 mM/g⁻¹), reflecting reduced stress due to improved nutrient cycling and antioxidant defences. Polycultures also showed a 20.59% increase in BOD removal, a 0.19% improvement in removal efficiency, 5.88% higher nitrogen uptake, and a 47.37% decrease in MDA concentration compared to monocultures. This study demonstrates the potential of Canna indica for sustainable wastewater treatment, aligning with SDG 6 and SDG 14 to improve water quality and conserve ecosystems.
first_indexed 2025-11-15T04:01:40Z
format Undergraduates Project Papers
id ump-45736
institution Universiti Malaysia Pahang
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-15T04:01:40Z
publishDate 2025
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling ump-457362025-10-02T07:11:32Z https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45736/ Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment Tay, Xin Rou HD Industries. Land use. Labor T Technology (General) Micropollutants like caffeine (CAF) in untreated wastewater pose significant ecological and health risks. Even at low concentrations, CAF disrupts aquatic organisms, inducing behavioral changes, oxidative stress, and developmental abnormalities. Zebrafish embryos, for instance, exhibit vascular disruptions and immune system activation, while goldfish show hyperactivity and aggression. Additionally, CAF affects marine invertebrates’ neurophysiology and impairs antioxidant activity, raising concerns about its cumulative ecological impact. Conventional treatment systems often fail to remove these contaminants, necessitating alternative solutions. This study evaluates mesocosm-constructed wetlands (CWs) with Canna indica, in monoculture and polyculture, for CAF and nutrient removal. Horizontal subsurface flow CWs with layered substrates (pebble, sand, gravel, cocopeat, activated carbon, and soil) were designed for optimal pollutant removal. Wastewater spiked with CAF (200 mg/L) was evenly distributed. Physico-chemical parameters (AN, BOD, and TN) and plant performance (biomass, chlorophyll, nitrogen uptake, lipid peroxidation) were analyzed to evaluate treatment efficiency and plant stress. Results showed the monoculture Canna indica system reduced CAF to 46.20 ± 0.09 mg/L, with significant decreases in AN (5.80 ± 1.98 mg/L), BOD (36.50 ± 2.12 mg/L), and TN (12.00 ± 1.41 mg/L). Polycultures performed slightly better, reducing CAF to 45.83 ± 0.51 mg/L, with higher TN and BOD removal. Lipid peroxidation analysis revealed the highest malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in Heliconia psittacorum (0.0155 mM/g⁻¹), indicating elevated oxidative stress, while polyculture Canna indica showed the lowest MDA concentration (0.0070 mM/g⁻¹), reflecting reduced stress due to improved nutrient cycling and antioxidant defences. Polycultures also showed a 20.59% increase in BOD removal, a 0.19% improvement in removal efficiency, 5.88% higher nitrogen uptake, and a 47.37% decrease in MDA concentration compared to monocultures. This study demonstrates the potential of Canna indica for sustainable wastewater treatment, aligning with SDG 6 and SDG 14 to improve water quality and conserve ecosystems. 2025-02 Undergraduates Project Papers NonPeerReviewed pdf en https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45736/1/Mesocosm%20constructed%20wetland%20of%20canna%20indica%20for%20wastewater%20treatment.pdf Tay, Xin Rou (2025) Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment. Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Universti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah.
spellingShingle HD Industries. Land use. Labor
T Technology (General)
Tay, Xin Rou
Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment
title Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment
title_full Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment
title_fullStr Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment
title_full_unstemmed Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment
title_short Mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment
title_sort mesocosm constructed wetland of canna indica for wastewater treatment
topic HD Industries. Land use. Labor
T Technology (General)
url https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45736/