Assessment of Azolla pinnata for the removal of lead, ammonia, and phosphorus from drainage water:case study, Kitchener Drain

Water scarcity is an increasingly urgent global problem, driven by rapid population growth and the depletion of freshwater resources. Among biological treatment methods, phytoremediation using aquatic plants offers a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to improve water quality. This study explores the phytoremediation ability using Azolla pinnata for removing lead (Pb), ammonia (NH 4 + ), and phosphorus (P), representing industrial, domestic, and agricultural pollution sources, respectively, from contaminated water. Wastewater samples were collected from the Kitchener Drain in the Nile Delta, Egypt, in April 2024. Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of Azolla pinnata on treating both drainage water and synthetic contaminated water. The results demonstrate significant reductions in all targeted pollutants, with the highest removal efficiency observed for lead, reaching up to 95.87 % at the highest initial concentration (0.15 mg/L) by day nine. These findings suggest that Azolla pinnata can substantially improve wastewater quality, making it suitable for reuse in irrigation.