Application of Macrophytes for Remediation of Wastewater in Constructed Wetlands

Throughout the globe, the dearth of freshwater is a growing concern and natural water resources are becoming inadequate and dwindling to fulfill the ever increasing demands of rapidly growing population. The growing population and the pollution concerns need to be addressed with the natural sources available. Use of macrophytes for pollution cleanup is an emerging technology which involves the use of specialized plants for waste removal from natural ecosystems, like terrestrial ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands. The important parameters that should be kept in mind include macrophyte species, pH, temperature and salinity of the target waters. This book chapter emphasizes on the use of macrophytes for remediation of waste water in constructed wetlands, with special focus on various macrophytes used for remediation and the special characteristics of these macrophytes which allow them to be used for remediation process.