EGU24-15345, updated on 09 Mar 2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15345
EGU General Assembly 2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Atrazine Removal in Constructed Wetlands: Efficacy of Monocultures versus Polycultures

Sai Kiran Pilla1, Mahak Jain1, Partha Sarathi Ghosal1, and Ashok Kumar Gupta2
Sai Kiran Pilla et al.
  • 1School of Water Resources, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India (psaikiran0891@kgpian.iitkgp.ac.in)
  • 2Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India

The Green Revolution in India, from 1967-68 to 1977-78, led to a significant shift in the country's agricultural landscape, transforming it from an insufficient food production country to a global agricultural power. This led to an increase in the use of pesticides, such as atrazine, which can pollute water sources and endanger aquatic habitats. This research aims to find sustainable and practical techniques for atrazine remediation within aquatic habitats. Literature suggests that macrophyte richness enhances the functionality of constructed wetlands (CWs), but the predominant practice is monocultures. The functional diversity within macrophyte communities is crucial for optimal performance of CWs for contaminant remediation. CWs with diverse growth forms exhibit enhanced plant growth and superior nutrient removal capabilities. The study evaluates atrazine removal efficacy of polyculture and monoculture plantation, monitoring the efficiency of various individual macrophyte, such as Canna indica and Phragmites Australis for atrazine detoxification. The findings could guide the formulation of sustainable and efficacious atrazine remediation strategies, safeguarding water quality and the integrity of aquatic ecosystems.

How to cite: Pilla, S. K., Jain, M., Ghosal, P. S., and Gupta, A. K.: Atrazine Removal in Constructed Wetlands: Efficacy of Monocultures versus Polycultures, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15345, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15345, 2024.