Wetland plant removes PFAS

Ahead of World Water Day, new studies at Flinders University provide valuable insights into removing toxins from polluted waterways.

One study found a plant that could reduce PFAS in soil and water, while another looked for better urban water flow management during the summer.

The first study found a common Australian native wetlands plant that could tolerate and reduce Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

The plant Juncus sarophorus has a high tolerance to PFAS and can be increased with floating reed beds in the water column. It is effective at transferring pollutants from the soil to the vegetation.

With its high growth rate and long chain-lengths, this plant is less effective at removing PFOS than other plants.

There is an urgent need for effective treatment solutions to be found at the field scale.

According to co-author and environmental health researcher, Professor Howard Fallowfield, phyto-remediation presents a potential strategy for PFAS that would allow efficient and cost-effective remediation at large scales.

In an article in Science of the Total Environment, researchers returned to a popular suburban constructed wetlands to conduct in-depth studies of water purification efficiency by existing aquatic plants and the amount of pollutants in the water.

Professor Fallowfield says that the spatial assessment of the Oaklands Park wetlands was one of the first studies of pollutants in constructed wetlands.

The water and reed beds were analyzed for pollutants at a wetlands site in South Australia. A systematic grid was used to determine the locations of the macrophytes and the water at each site. The stem and root samples were checked for carbon, nitrogen, trace elements and water samples for the same elements.

As water flow slowed down during the summer, the results showed higher concentrations of water chemistry but a reduction in macrophyte health.

The need for managers of wetlands to adjust design, water flow and vegetation control to better manage pollutants with a distance from inflow is highlighted in our study.

The issues with flow regimes affect the performance of the macrophyte water filters, which can be further investigated to improve the performance elsewhere in the world.

Reducing the range of potentially damaging pollutants discharged into the surrounding environments and improving water quality at vital constructed wetlands in urban and other recreational settings will be achieved by efficient filters and removal of pollutants.

More information: Jiawen Zhu et al, Juncus sarophorus, a native Australian species, tolerates and accumulates PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS in a glasshouse experiment, Science of The Total Environment (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154184

Nicholas R. Wilkins and his team assessed the performance of the reed bed in a constructed wetlands. The article is titled "Scitotenv.2022.153060."

Journal information: Science of the Total Environment Citation: Wetland plant removes PFAS (2022, March 21) retrieved 21 March 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-03-wetland-pfas.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.