Screening of plant species for the phytotreatment of wastewater containing sulphonated anthraquinones

Sulphonated anthraquinones are known to be recalcitrant to biodegradation and are not eliminated by traditional wastewater treatment plants, leading to their accumulation in fresh water. Due to the high cost and limited efficiency of existing physical–chemical treatments, alternative cheaper processes are required to remove these compounds from industrial effluents. Four plant species were tested under hydroponic conditions for their ability to treat model effluents contaminated with mono- and disulphonated anthraquinones. Among them, Rheum rabarbarum (rhubarb) showed the most promising results and was chosen for further investigation. The apparent transpiration stream concentration factor obtained with this plant species reached up to 2.5, indicating a strong phytotreatment potential that should be further explored then exploited.