Effectiveness of Yellow Velvetleaf (Limnocharis Flava) and Water Clover (Marsilea Crenata) as Phytoremediators of Chromium (Cr) in Tannery Wastewater
Tannery wastewater contains chromium, a persistent heavy metal that requires effective and affordable treatment. This study evaluated the effectiveness of yellow velvetleaf and water clover, individually and in combination, in reducing chromium from tannery wastewater and examined changes in leaf chlorophyll and fresh biomass. The experiment used a factorial randomized block design with two factors, namely plant treatment and chromium concentration, with three replications. Plant treatments consisted of yellow velvetleaf, water clover, and their combination, while chromium concentrations were 0, 5, and 10 ppm. Plants were acclimatized for seven days and exposed to treatment media for ten days. Chromium concentration was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, chlorophyll by spectrophotometry, biomass by weighing, and water quality parameters were monitored. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA followed by Duncan test at 5% significance level. Plant treatment and chromium concentration significantly affected chromium reduction and fresh biomass, while plant treatment also affected chlorophyll. The interaction between both factors significantly affected chromium reduction but not chlorophyll or biomass. The highest reduction at 5 ppm was achieved by water clover (93.07 ± 1.93%), whereas the plant combination at 10 ppm reduced chromium by 80.35 ± 10.92%. Biomass and chlorophyll generally decreased as chromium concentration increased. Water clover and the combined treatment have potential as aquatic phytoremediators for chromium-contaminated tannery wastewater.