Novel properties of Epipremnum aureum for treatment of fluoride-contaminated water

Abstract

Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water, and high concentrations of fluoride in it may cause skin diseases, crippling of bones and brain damage. Three plants have been considered, namely money plant, water hyacinth and duckweed for removal of fluoride from water without supplying any nutrients to these plants. It is found that water hyacinth and duckweed died in fluorided and highly alkaline groundwater (pH ≈ 9) within 10 days. However, consistent growth is observed in the money plant (Epipremnum aureum). Preliminary results of this study demonstrate that money plant can remove both fluoride and the total dissolved solids from contaminated water and can survive for more than 2 months without nutrients. Furthermore, water physicochemical analysis shows that money plant can accumulate dissolved heavy metals and anionic contaminants such as chloride and sulfate. Unlike other plants, the money plant can adapt to temperate, tropic and subtropic climatic conditions, and therefore, it may be a potential candidate for the cost-effective, green and sustainable fluoride treatment for fluoride-contaminated water.