Water Hyacinth: Exploring Its Potential for Phytoremediation

Abstract

Water pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges worldwide because of rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, and agricultural intensification. Conventional wastewater treatment methods are often expensive, energy-intensive, and difficult to implement in resource-limited regions. Phytoremediation, a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach that uses plants to remove, degrade, or stabilise pollutants, has gained considerable attention as an alternative remediation strategy. Among aquatic macrophytes, Eichhornia crassipes (Water hyacinth) has demonstrated considerable potential for wastewater treatment because of its rapid growth, extensive root system, high biomass production, and pollutant uptake capacity. This review examines the phytoremediation potential of Water hyacinth for removing heavy metals, organic pollutants, excess nutrients, and pathogenic microorganisms from contaminated water bodies. The mechanisms involved in pollutant removal, including phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, adsorption, phytodegradation, and microbial-assisted remediation, are discussed. Numerous studies have reported removal efficiencies exceeding 70–95% for various contaminants, highlighting the effectiveness of Water hyacinth as a low-cost and eco-friendly remediation tool. Furthermore, the review explores recent advancements, challenges associated with biomass management and invasiveness, and future prospects involving biotechnology and integrated treatment systems. Overall, Water hyacinth represents a promising nature-based approach for sustainable water quality management and environmental restoration.