Soil and Plant Based Treatment Option for Marginal Waters.

Corresponding Author Email: almutari@ksu.edu. Plant systems have a significant capacity to remediate marginal waters through several phytoremediation processes including uptake (e.g., nutrients, trace elements), accumulation (e.g. salts), and assist with biotransformation of inorganic compounds (e.g., nutrients, trace elements). The halophyte, Salicornia europaea, grows under extreme salt conditions and has been explored as a saline agriculture crop. Salicornia could be a suitable halophilic plant to capitalize on its salt-tolerance potential for treating marginal waters. The aim of this study was to determine ability of S. europaea to grow in flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater, which is high in salts and selenium (Se); or brackish waters. A complete randomized block design experiment was conducted in the greenhouse using five treatments: tap water100% (control), brackish water100%, FGD100%, Hoagland solution and brackish water (50:50 v/v), Hoagland solution and FGD (50:50 v/v). For two months, 500 mL of these solutions were applied every two days to pots (3.54 kg of top soil) containing transplanted S. europaea. Shoots were harvested 1 and 2 months after initiation of treatments. Dry matter yield and uptake of constituents (including Se, nutrients, and salt) by Salicornia will be presented. Ultimate a goal is to evaluate potential for using plant-based filtration process as an effective pre-treatment option for removing salts, nutrients and/or trace elements from marginal waters before reuse for agriculture or subjecting to additional treatment processes such as constructed wetland treatment systems. Key words: Salicornia europaea, brackish water, flue gas desulfurization wastewater, Hoagland solution, salts, selenium.