Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Mehrdad Mohammadnia
• Chefuzia Ishak
• Ahang Kowsar
• raznani Abubakar

Abstract

Nitrate and ammonium are matters of concern as the two main inorganic nitrogenous species causing soil and water pollution. Nitrate, due to it's high mobility in soil and water systems, and due to it's involvement in gastric cancer in adults and methemoglobinemia in infants, is being more deleterious, as compared to ammonium. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of soil and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. rooting zone on the nitrate and ammonium removal from leaching water in saturated (laboratory) and semi-saturated soil columns (open field). The nitrate retardation factor (R), was 2.39 on the average, and nitrate dispersion coefficient (D) was equal to 7.57 and 10.18 cm² hr^-1 in control and planted saturated columns, respectively. Soil K_d was 0.35 in the nitrate batch adsorption isotherms. Planted columns, in both saturated and semi-saturated conditions, removed nitrate dramatically as compared to the controls. The removal coefficients were 30.18% and 84.71% for the saturated and semi-saturated columns, respectively. Consequently, based on the results one can say Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. is a suitable candidate as a nitrate phytoremediator.  
 

Keywords

• phytoremediation
• Nitrate
• Ammonium
• aquafer management
• Eucalyptus camaldulensis