Wastewater Treatment Potentials of Vegetated Beds with Brillantaisia cf. bauchiensis Hutch & Dalz and Polygonum salicifolium Brouss ex Wild in the Western Highlands of Cameroon

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potentials of beds vegetated with medicinal species (Brillantaisia bauchiensis and Polygonum salicifolium) in a constructed wetland for domestic wastewater treatment in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. The study was carried out between March and September 2017 on plants collected from a natural wetland in Penka-Michel. The two plants species selected based on their ethnobotanical importance were transplanted and allowed to grow to maturity in a prepared natural wetland at Penka-Michel and a constructed wetland for domestic wastewater treatment on the campus of the University of Dschang. Growth parameters were followed for the two plants species in both wetlands. The physicochemical parameters and faecal bacteria concentrations were measured only for the vegetated and non-vegetated/control beds in the constructed wetland. Overall, the two plants species showed increased growth in height, diameter, leaf number and plants density. The change in diameter and density were very significantly influenced by species type in the constructed wetland than in the natural wetland. Generally, plant growth in height, diameter and density were higher with B. bauchiensis in the constructed wetland than with P. salicifolium in both wetlands. The mean faecal bacteria removal was higher in the vegetated beds for some bacteria than in the non-vegetated/control bed. There was a significant difference in the reduction efficiency of TSS, turbidity, BOD, Faecal streptococci and Total coliforms bacteria between the inflow and the outflow of some treatment beds especially the bed vegetated with Brillantaisia bauchiensis. There were correlations between the two plants species as concerns increased plants height, diameter, leave number, shoot number and nutrients uptake in the constructed wetland beds compared with the natural wetland.