Phytoremediation With Living Aquatic Plants

Abstract

This chapter provides a summary of the mathematical analysis and experimental design of laboratory measurements of the bioremoval potential for living aquatic plants. This process is called phytoremediation, bioremoval, biosorption, or bioaccumulation. The mathematical models are based on the concept of the conservation of mass and include descriptive equations, including adsorption of the metal onto living and growing biomass. The models describe the concentration of metal in solution as a function of time. An example case from previously published data is included to demonstrate the use of the models. The results from the mathematical models can be used to scale up a process, or to answer questions of how long to run an experiment, how much biomass material is required, what the expected level of removal is, and to help set benchmarks to determine how well a process is working. In addition to presenting model equations, a summary of experimental considerations, such as statistical design, choice of variables, and result quantification has been included. The information provided allows good experimental data to be collected such that a maximum amount of information is obtained with the minimum amount of effort.