The main objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and capacity of using hydroponic systems in municipal pollutant removal at household scale. Three pilot scaled hydroponic systems [dimension for each system: m (L) x Φ 114 mm] were installed to investigate the optimal age of vegetable, planting density and retention time for household wastewater treatment, respectively. | The use of water spinach Ipomoea aquatica domestic wastewater treatment Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh City 49 The use of water spinach Ipomoea aquatica in domestic wastewater treatment Thinh V. D. Nguyen Huong N. T. Huynh Mai N. H. Nguyen amp Thao V. Ngo Department of Environmental Sciences Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Research paper The main objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and capacity of using hydroponic systems in municipal pollutant removal Received March 23 2018 at household scale. Three pilot scaled hydroponic systems dimension for each system m L x Φ 114 mm were installed to investigate Revised April 27 2018 the optimal age of vegetable planting density and retention time for Accepted May 05 2018 household wastewater treatment respectively. Water spinach Ipomoea aquatica planted in 27 plastic cups throughout and 114- mm-diameter uPVC pipes filled with wastewater was employed as the Keywords treating agent of pollutants. The averaged influent contained proxi- mately mg L suspended solids SS mg L biological oxy- Domestic wastewater gen demand BOD5 mg L chemical oxygen demand COD 26 Household mg L NH 4 mg L NO3 and mg L PO4 3 at pH . Results Hydroponics showed that a designed system consisting of 10 plants of 15-day-old Wastewater treatment water spinach pre-planted in baked clay in each cup was capable of Water spinach treating 30 L of domestic wastewater meeting the current municipal wastewater discharge standards in Vietnam column A standards of QCVN 14 2008 BTNMT after 4 days of wastewater retention time. If operated under conditions of the above parameters the pilot-plant hy- Corresponding author droponic system can achieve the removal of 65 SS 82 BOD5 74 COD 90 NH 3 4 30 NO3 and 86 PO4 . The result of this study Nguyen Vu Duc Thinh has provided an applicable domestic wastewater treatment system eco- Email friendly and suitable .
