Water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes (Mart.) Solms) and water duckweed. (Lemna Spp.) to reduce the hardness of irrigation water

Abstract

Contaminated irrigation water has been one of the most influential problems in agricultural production as it is positively correlated to the loss of crops, thereby significantly affecting the economy. It is therefore very essential for the scientific research to devise remediation methods to minimize or eliminate pollutants from the irrigation water.
The utilization of aquatic plants can serve an alternative technique for Phytoremediation in contrast to the frequently used physical methods. The present study shows the reduction in the hardness of the irrigation water of the Flores del Cotopaxi S.A. company, for which aquatic plants such as lechuguín and duckweed were used. To sample the Río Blanco basin irrigation water sample characteristics, the parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total hardness, nitrates and sulfates were analyzed before and after the treatment. Additionally, the count of cfu / gram roots of each aquatic plants was conducted. This investigation had allowed us to conclude that lechuguín is the most suitable aquatic plant in mineral absorption, achieving a reduction of 218 to 154 mg of CaCO3 / l as a hardness parameter, pH control in neutral conditions in a range of 7.27-6.57 and decrease in conductivity, nitrites and sulfates given their stronger roots, and greater content of microorganisms according to the microbiological tests that were carried out.