Phytoremediation Strategies for Textile Dye Wastewater Management

Textile dye effluents represent a significant environmental burden due to their complex aromatic structures, colourant persistence and toxicity. Phytoremediation harnesses the innate capacities of plants and associated microorganisms to remove, transform or immobilise these pollutants, offering a low-cost and sustainable alternative to physicochemical treatments. Key mechanisms include biosorption, whereby dye molecules adhere to plant surfaces; phytoextraction, entailing active uptake and accumulation within biomass; phytodegradation, involving enzymatic breakdown of chromophores; and rhizofiltration, the adsorption or precipitation of contaminants along root tissues. Aquatic macrophytes such as duckweed (Lemna spp.), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and floating ferns (Salvinia spp.) have demonstrated high tolerance to dye stress and substantial removal efficiencies in constructed wetland and microcosm systems. Emerging strategies combine plants with endophytic or rhizosphere microbes to accelerate biodecolourisation and enhance resistance to reactive oxygen species generated by dye exposure. Pilot-scale floating treatment wetlands and hybrid pond systems have illustrated real-world applicability, while laboratory studies explore genetic and physiological traits underpinning enhanced dye tolerance. Despite these advances, challenges remain in scaling, managing seasonal variation and treating mixed dye streams. Nonetheless, the global significance of phytoremediation lies in its ability to integrate wastewater management with biomass valorisation, carbon sequestration and habitat restoration in textile-impacted regions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have elucidated the potential of aquatic ferns and duckweed in the biodecolourisation of synthetic dyes under controlled conditions. One investigation demonstrated that Salvinia molesta can achieve over 40 % removal of methyl orange at moderate temperatures and neutral pH, with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirming adsorption and structural modification of the dye molecules. Another report examined Lemna gibba exposed to malachite green, revealing robust photosynthetic performance under dye stress and significant induction of antioxidative enzymes, which facilitated decolourisation at pH 8 and ambient temperatures. These works collectively underscore the resilience of floating macrophytes to dye toxicity and highlight the enzymatic and physicochemical pathways that drive phytoremediation. By clarifying the interactions between plant physiology and pollutant transformation, they set the stage for optimised wetland configurations and strain selection for field deployment.

Phytoremediation Strategies for Textile Dye Wastewater Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in phytoremediation strategies for textile dye wastewater management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Phytoremediation: The use of plants and their associated microbes to remove, transform or immobilise environmental contaminants.

Biosorption: Passive binding of pollutants onto plant or microbial biomass surfaces via physicochemical interactions.

Phytoextraction: Active uptake of contaminants into plant tissues, enabling their removal from the medium.

Phytodegradation: Enzymatic breakdown of organic pollutants within plants, leading to less toxic or colourless by-products.

Rhizofiltration: Adsorption or precipitation of dissolved pollutants onto or around plant root systems in aqueous environments.

Endophytic bacteria: Microorganisms living inside plant tissues that enhance host stress tolerance and pollutant degradation.

References

1. Role of Salvinia molesta in biodecolorization of methyl orange dye from water. Scientific Reports (2020).
2. Plant microbe based remediation approaches in dye removal: A review. Bioengineered (2022).
3. Performance Comparison of Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia natans on Azo-Dye (Eriochrome Black T) Phytoremediation. Crystals (2020).
4. Preliminary Studies of Methylene Blue Remotion from Aqueous Solutions by Ocimum basilicum. Environments (2022).
5. Tolerance and decolorization potential of duckweed (Lemna gibba) to C.I. Basic Green 4. Scientific Reports (2021).