Cannas take up toxins and give off water and oxygen
Cannas are used in rock/filter systems alone or as part of artificial marsh systems. Their roots quickly create a thick biological filter for sediment while their big leaves assist by giving off water into the atmosphere. Rock/filter systems depend on a substrate of gravel and rocks to promote aeration. Cannas hydroponically grown on the rock bed house microorganisms in their roots that feed on wastewater pollutants. Feeding microorganisms make compounds the cannas absorb through their roots as food. In return, cannas produce oxygen and nutrients that the microorganisms use. This symbiotic association purifies wastewater and produces oxygen for the atmosphere. Canna respiration also helps regulate greenhouse gases.
Cannas filter out toxic metals
Canna roots can remove radioactive elements and low levels of toxic metals as well as organic wastes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that microorganisms living symbiotically in the canna filter break down pollutants and "toxic organic compounds, such as benzene, toluene, and PCBs, into harmless elements that microorganisms and the plants can digest". When cannas have absorbed toxic wastes the leaves can be cut and disposed of safely.
Cannas effectively clean nursery wastewater
An example of effective canna filtration is the El Modeno Gardens Nursery in Orange County, California. University of California researchers installed a pond and canna filter ditch to clean nursery runoff. UC Cooperative Extension Director John Kabashima noted that "after moving through the canna filter, the leftover water was clean enough to be reused on the nursery."
Benefits include stormwater treatment
Homeowners benefit by installing canna treatment systems. The simplest type of canna filter is a long, shallow ditch holding a rock filter. Wastewater flows several inches below the surface, producing a large population of beneficial organisms. Inexpensively constructed for use with home septic systems, the canna filter trench replaces the leach field and allows septic tanks to be installed in most areas.Cannas benefit municipalities when used in stormwater treatment. Stormwater must meet strict nitrogen and phosphorus requirements to be released. Cannas score high on removing these two contaminants. Tests conducted by Louisiana State University's Hammond Research Station found canna 'Australia' "had the greatest water consumption, total biomass production, and aboveground nitrogen and phosphorous content."
Building and maintenance are less costly with canna filters
Cannas are inexpensive nursery plants readily available for leach field construction. Artificial wetlands systems or rock/filter systems can be built for half the cost of conventional systems and cost two-thirds less to run. Using cannas in these systems provides a realistic low-cost alternative to conventional wastewater treatment.
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A query on the topic discussed -
http://www.indiawaterportal.org/ask/12646
Useful info on the topic -
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lavanya
Date: Apr 10, 11:14 pm
Subject: Grey water treatment plant
To: Green-India: India's Energy Future and Sustainable Living
You can refer to these links and try and design on your own or consult
Biome (http://www.biome-solutions.com/).
Grey water treatment info:http://www.rainwaterclub.org/
greywater.htmhttp://www.indiawaterportal.org/ask/5734http://
frogs.org.au/frogwatch/greywater.phphttp://www.reedbeds-
treatment.co.uk/reeds.htmhttp://www.thelaststrawblog.org/2009/09/
planted-filter-modern-reedbed...
Videos:http://www.youtube.com/watch#!
v=joVL70wtLAs&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-
VmVC0K8v8&NR=1
You may want to repel mosquitoes naturally using these plants:http://
gomestic.com/gardening/five-plants-that-repel-mosquitoes/http://
www.gardenguides.com/81997-outdoor-plants-repel-mosquitoes.html
With a bit of creativity, your grey water treatment 'plant' can double
up as a nice landscaped garden with the use ofCanna, Bamboo and the
above mentioned plants.http://www.your-garden-ponds-center.com/water-
canna.htmlhttp://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofile1/p/Canna.htm
Good luck in your endeavor.
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