Evaluating the Phytoremediation Potential of Chrysopogon zizanoides (Vetiver Grass) in Metal-Contaminated Industrial Wastewater: An Integrated Physico-Chemical and Bioaccumulation Study

Authors

  • Devesh Avinash Machhi University of Mumbai, Maharashtra, INDIA. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9649-8021
  • Vikas Lalji Gupta Assistant Professor, VIVA College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar, INDIA
  • Akash Rajmani Yadav VIVA College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar, INDIA
  • Shashank Rai VIVA College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar, INDIA
  • Harshvardhan Jawaharlal Mali VIVA College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar, INDIA
  • Shravani Santosh Gurav VIVA College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Virar, INDIA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55544/jrasb.4.6.2

Keywords:

Phytoremediation, Vetiver grass, Heavy metals, Industrial wastewater, Water quality, wastewater management

Abstract

Industrial wastewater contains high loads of organic pollutants, suspended solids and toxic heavy metals, posing critical environmental and public-health challenges. Phytoremediation using resilient, fast-growing plants offers a sustainable and low-cost alternative to conventional treatment technologies. This study evaluates the efficiency of Chrysopogon zizanoides (vetiver grass) for treating industrial wastewater (W1) by assessing changes in physico-chemical parameters and heavy-metal concentrations following treatment. Results indicated substantial reductions in Total Suspended Solids (81.82%), Color (93.33%), Turbidity (63.84%), BOD (93.76%), and COD (85.51%). Heavy-metal removal was highly efficient, with Cr (84.8%), Ni (93%), and Zn (92.1%) significantly reduced (p < 0.01). The treated values approached EPA discharge standards across most parameters. These findings affirm the potential of Chrysopogon zizanoides (vetiver grass) as a robust phytoremediator for industrial effluent treatment, offering an eco-friendly approach for sustainable wastewater management.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adegboyega, H., et al., 2023. Heavy-metal sequestration efficiency of high-biomass grasses in polluted environments. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, 20, 100752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2023.100752

Ali, H., Khan, E., 2020. Phytoremediation of hazardous pollutants using grasses: A review. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 197, 110601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110601

Banerjee, A., et al., 2023. Efficiency of vetiver-based phytoremediation systems in treating textile wastewater. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 52, 103528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2023.103528

Chandrasekhar, C., et al., 2021. Role of vetiver in removing organic and inorganic load from industrial wastewater. Water Environment Research, 93(7), 1060–1072. https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.1515

Chen, H., et al., 2022. Mechanisms of heavy metal uptake and tolerance in vetiver grass. Chemosphere, 287, 132240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132240

Dalai, T.K., et al., 2021. Phytoremediation potential of vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) for industrial wastewater treatment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(2), 104632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.104632

Gupta, N., et al., 2021. Physicochemical improvement of industrial wastewater using wetland plants. Journal of Cleaner Production, 297, 126685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126685

Kaur, R., et al., 2023. Performance of Chrysopogon zizanioides in remediation of pharmaceutical industry effluents. Bioresource Technology Reports, 22, 101432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2023.101432

Kumar, P., et al., 2022. Assessing bioaccumulation of heavy metals in vetiver for wastewater treatment applications. Environmental Research, 212, 113261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113261

Lata, S., et al., 2022. Sustainable phytoremediation approaches using perennial grasses. Environmental Sustainability, 5, 133–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-022-00212-z

Mohamed, A.S., et al., 2023. Root zone biochemistry and pollutant degradation in vetiver wetlands. Journal of Environmental Management, 337, 117676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117676

Patel, D., Desai, H., 2024. Efficiency of vetiver grass in the removal of physicochemical and microbial contaminants from industrial wastewater. Water Research X, 22, 100182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wroa.2023.10018

Prasad, M.N.V., 2021. Phytoremediation of industrial wastewater using high-biomass grasses. Environmental Advances, 5, 100107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2021.100107

Rao, S., et al., 2020. Monitoring heavy metal removal in grass-based phytoremediation systems. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192, 748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08698-1

Rivera, R.R., et al., 2020. Microbial dynamics during phytoremediation of industrial effluents. Environmental Pollution, 263, 114441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114441

Singh, R., Yadav, S.K., 2020. Vetiver system for remediation of heavy metal contaminated industrial effluents. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 18, 100723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2020.100723

Thakur, S., et al., 2024. Integrated assessment of phytoremediation efficiency in constructed wetlands. Science of the Total Environment, 903, 166307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166307

Uddin, M.N., et al., 2021. Vetiver grass for removal of Zn, Cu, and Pb from contaminated water. Environmental Technology, 42(15), 2334–2344. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2019.169092

Weng, J., et al., 2021. Comparative evaluation of plant species for industrial wastewater phytoremediation. Industrial Crops & Products, 170, 113763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113763

Zeng, C., et al., 2022. Root-mediated heavy metal immobilization in phytoremediation systems. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 424, 127516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127516

Downloads

Published

2025-12-01

How to Cite

Machhi, D. A., Gupta, V. L., Yadav, A. R., Rai, S., Mali, H. J., & Gurav, S. S. (2025). Evaluating the Phytoremediation Potential of Chrysopogon zizanoides (Vetiver Grass) in Metal-Contaminated Industrial Wastewater: An Integrated Physico-Chemical and Bioaccumulation Study. Journal for Research in Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, 4(6), 5–9. https://doi.org/10.55544/jrasb.4.6.2

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 6 (2025): December Issue

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Devesh Avinash Machhi, Vikas Lalji Gupta, Akash Rajmani Yadav, Shashank Rai, Harshvardhan Jawaharlal Mali, Shravani Santosh Gurav

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Most read articles by the same author(s)