Textile dye removal using experimental wetland ponds planted with common duckweed under semi-natural conditions

The study assesses the performance of experimental wetland pond systems vegetated by Lemna minor L. (common duckweed or lesser duckweed) for textile azo dye removal. The objectives are to assess the influence of L. minor on water quality parameters, compare the dye and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of four dyes (Acid Blue 113, Reactive Blue 198, Direct Orange 46 and Basic Red 46) with each other, and monitor the effect of dye accumulation as a function of the relative growth rate (RGR) of L. minor. Findings indicate that the simulated shallow pond systems remove BR46 (low concentration) significantly (p < 0.05) higher than other dyes, and the ponds containing L. minor outperformed control ponds by around 51% in mean removal efficiency with a potential of L. minor for phytoremediation of approximately 13% efficiency.