Researchers at IIT Guwahati have developed a compact, low-energy wastewater treatment system using taro plants (Colocasia esculenta) and an engineered zig-zag flow design to treat highly polluted swine wastewater. Designed for decentralised livestock farms, the system uses internal baffles to extend the wastewater flow path, increasing contact with plant roots, microorganisms and gravel media and enabling effective biological treatment. Wastewater for the study was sourced from the ICAR–National Research Centre on Pig (ICAR-NRCP), Assam, through an R&D collaboration with IIT Guwahati. Tests showed that total coliforms fell from around 60,000 to 1,200 MPN/100 mL, while E. coli decreased from about 2,200 to 350 MPN/100 mL. Taro plants also showed strong growth, with shoot length nearly doubling and biomass increasing more than fourfold. The system also reduced organic pollutants, nutrients, suspended solids, metals and biological toxicity. Developed by IIT Guwahati’s Waste Management Research Group in the Department of Civil Engineering, the research was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Environmental Management. Researchers now plan long-term field testing and scaling to develop a low-cost and sustainable wastewater-treatment solution for livestock farms across India.
Source: Times of India