Evaluation of the plant Scirpus californicus (Totora) efficiency removal of a prototype of iron in surface flow constructed wetland

Abstract

The research aims to assess the efficiency of iron removal plant with Scirpus californicus in a prototype surface flow constructed wet-land, because the metals affect food chains, causing an effect of bioaccumulation between agencies the food chain. The methodology involved the construction of a surface flow constructed wetland 1 mx 2 mx 0.9 m covered with plastic, 90 plants of Scir-pus californicus was conditioned in 480 liters of solution of iron. The evaluation was conducted for 12 days with the analysis of the root-rhizome, stem submerged and aerial stem prior washing with distilled water, further reducing the iron from solution by the method of atomic ab-sorption analysis and the pH was analyzed. It is concluded that the removal of iron in the solution was from 5.00 mg / L to 2.64 mg /L due to absorption of the plant with 47.20%. The initial pH was 3.90 which indicates that the aqueous medium is acidic and evolves upward to the order of 4.36 indicating a ten-dency of the aqueous medium neutral. The absorption of iron by Scirpus californicus (re-eds) plant reached the highest absorption of iron by the root-rhizome with 1684.44 mg / kg dry, followed by the stem submerged 325.14 mg / kg dry and fewer in the aerial stem with 171,30 mg / kg dry.