Treatment of Domestic Wastewater by Phytodepuration: The Case of the Bangui University Restaurant in the Central African Republic

The aim of this work is to study the effectiveness of reed purification for wastewater treatment using a natural and ecological phytotreatment technique. Among the purification plant species identified, Phragmites australis was chosen for its high purification capacity. After six months of operation, the results show high purification efficiencies for parameters such as TSS, with an abatement rate of 99.16%, 94.01% for COD, 88.90% for BOD5, 99.24% for PO<sub>4</sub> 3<sup>-</sup> and 71.20% for SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup>. We also observed values of 85.20% for NO<sub>2</sub><sup>-</sup> and 85.40% for NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>. With regard to microbiological parameters, we recorded an elimination rate of 80% for total coliforms and 97.75% for fecal streptococci after treatment, demonstrating the effectiveness of reeds in improving water quality. Overall, these results demonstrate the high purification performance of this technique and the powerful cleansing power of reeds.