Phytoremediation of vaname shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) wastewater using vetiver grass system (Chrysopogon zizanioides, L) in flow water surface-constructed wetland

Abstract

One of the negative impacts of vaname shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) cultivation activities is the deterioration of water quality in rivers and coastal waters that functioned as a source of water for L. vannamei cultivation and other activities. This condition brings the need to treat the wastewater to restore the water quality. The study was focused on the evaluation of the ability of phytoremediation of vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides, L) in removing pollutants (NH4+, NO3- and PO43-) from the wastewater of L. vannamei. The results show that the vetiver grass can grow in mesohaline conditions and can perform phytoremediation for NH4+, NO3-, and PO43- pollutants. The planting treatment of emergent and hidrophonic do not show significant difference in their ability of reducing pollutants. The growth of vetiver grass is determined more by the increasing age of the grass and is not affected by mesohaline’s salinity.