Duckweed as Ecofriendly Tool for Phytoremediation

"Wastewater treatment remains a problem in most developing countries. This is a review paper illustrating the use of duckweed-based wastewater treatment systems that provide genuine solutions to these problems. The biosphere is getting degraded by the release of natural and synthetic substances which can cause deleterious effects on living organisms. Among all the pollutants, heavy metals are easily transported and accumulated in the environment. Several industries such as textile, steel, electroplating, metal producing etc. release heavy metals (cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, lead etc.) in the wastewater. This review paper illustrating the efficiency of duckweed (lemna minor ,Lemna gibba, S. polyrhiza) for heavy metal removal. Any aquatic plant that is capable of recovering or extracting nutrients or pollutants and has a fast growth rate coupled with high nutritive value is an excellent candidate for bio-remediation of waste waters. Therefore, this review paper is oriented towards cost-effective and eco- friendly technology for waste water purification, which will be beneficial for community. This paper discusses the utilization of duckweed plants in purifying water and waste. They are functionally simple, yet easy to maintain; and they can provide tertiary treatment performance equal or superior to conventional wastewater treatment systems now recommended for large scale operation. "