Role of Plants in a Constructed Wetland: Current and New Perspectives

Water

Oren Shelef²  Amit Gross¹ 

[1] Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research (ZIWR), Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR), Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Sede Boqer Campus 84990, Israel; E-Mail:;French Associates Institute for Agriculture & Biotechnology of Drylands, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR), Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Sede Boqer Campus 84990, Israel; E-Mail:

关键词: Bassia indica;    bioindicator;    constructed wetland;    phytoremediation;    salinity;    wastewater treatment;   

DOI  :  10.3390/w5020405

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The role of plants in the treatment of effluents by constructed wetland (CW) systems is under debate. Here, we review ways in which plants can affect CW processes and suggest two novel functions for plants in CWs. The first is salt phytoremediation by halophytes. We have strong evidence that halophytic plants can reduce wastewater salinity by accumulating salts in their tissues. Our studies have shown that Bassia indica, a halophytic annual, is capable of salt phytoremediation, accumulating sodium to up to 10% of its dry weight. The second novel use of plants in CWs is as phytoindicators of water quality. We demonstrate that accumulation of H₂O₂, a marker for plant stress, is reduced in the in successive treatment stages, where water quality is improved. It is recommended that monitoring and management of CWs consider the potential of plants as phytoremediators and phytoindicators.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.