Elimination of Pollutants from Industrial Wastewater by Phytoremediation

Nowadays the industrialization activities are still a major problem for the environment as industrial discharges present a source of harmful products and chemical toxic products used for industrial processes. Among the main pollutants, heavy metals (Copper, Zinc, Lead, Iron…) are of particular concern by their non-biodegradable nature. Many techniques have been developed to reduce heavy metal levels in the environment, but most of them, are expensive and non-ecological. Therefore, the increasing need for the remediation of contaminated sites has led to cost-effective and eco-friendly biotechnologies as phytoremediation, which use plants to eliminate or transform pollutants into less toxic compounds. It can be used against both organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater. The main objective of the present study was to highlight the potential of macrophytes to purify industrial wastewater and eliminate heavy metals. The results obtained showed that use of planted filters by macrophytes ensures good removal of pollutants present in wastewater. These results confirm the interest in using planted filters in the framework of industrial wastewater treatment.