Integrated Removal of Organic and Inorganic Pollutants From Textile Wastewater Using Constructed Wetland‐Coupled Microbial Fuel Cell

In this study, the efficacy of a vertical flow constructed wetland-coupled microbial fuel cell (VFCW-MFC) for addressing textile wastewater was examined. All VFCW-MFC systems maintained consistent design parameters. The VFCW-MFC without any plant species serves as a control. In contrast, other VFCW-MFC systems were planted with Canna indica, Typha latifolia, Eichhornia crassipes, and a mixture of all three species. The study aimed to evaluate how effectively VFCW-MFC could treat wastewater. Five VFCW-MFCs were scrutinized for their ability to remove physicochemical parameters and heavy metals, employing APHA standard techniques, and their treatment efficiency was compared. Results indicated a significant difference in treated water quality from the inlet to the outlet. VFCW-MFC planted with T. latifolia observed total dissolved salts (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphate, and nitrate with a removal efficiency of 94.93%, 96.17%, 88.39%, 97.30%, and 84.24%, respectively. Furthermore, heavy metal concentrations, including iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), decreased maximally in VFCW-MFC planted with a mixed culture. Overall, this assessment underscores the effectiveness of T. latifolia in significantly reducing pollutants, emphasizing the potential of constructed wetland-coupled microbial fuel cell technology as a primary sustainable technique for the wastewater industry and advocating for its wider adoption.