Adaptability of vetiver grass as a material for an alternative wastewater treatment

• Main Authors: Ali, Ammer M., Bombales, Dominick R., Llanes, Aizel Maria Kristina A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2010
• Subjects: Vetiver; Water conservation; Sewage disposal; Rural
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_honors/336
• Institution: De La Salle University

Most untreated wastewater comes from rural areas due to inadequate funding of the government for the rural sectors leading to them to individual treatment schemes such as constructed wetlands. The study investigated the potential of Vetiver grass in reducing the amount of contaminants present in the wastewater. The experiment followed the plants to exist in a hydroponic condition where said parameters were monitored. A set-up was designed and adopted to examine particularly the plant in terms of age and quantity. By comparing to other existing cells, best conditions for the given age were determined. Percentage difference was used to compare incremental performance of the plant in terms of BOD. For fecal, maximum tolerable days of retention was a means for the allowable retention time to be selected. The study recognized that the 4th day of retention was the best retention time since this is where the maximum BOD reduction per sampling rate and the least fecal coliform growth occurred. Evidence supports that greater reduction transpired at the older plant but these values were still considered insignificant with respect to the control (wastewater without Vetiver grass). Statistical approaches were performed to give quantitative evidence on whether or not the plant at this age is a good alternative. A relationship between the number of grass and the percentage difference of BOD reduced was established by means of correlation method but this relationship was very weak which meant that it is not that reliable. With a weak relationship and an insignificant change of high concentration wastewater, the Vetiver grass for this particular age bracket was concluded to be a poor alternative. Hence, the study recommends that a larger age bracket to be tested so that the effectiveness of the plant could be determined.