APPLICATION OF PLANTS IN CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS IN SRI LANKA - A MINI-REVIEW

Green technologies are extensively applied in many countries for treatment of wastewater in the world. Constructed Wetland (CW) technology is one such greener wastewater treatment technology practiced in worldwide over many decades. Though this technology seemed to be comparatively novel technology in Sri Lanka in scientific literature, there are ample of historical evidences for application of plant based comparatively similar technologies for remediation of contaminated water in ancient times. Whilst no sound written document comprising of a list of plant species applied for CWs in Sri Lanka is yet available. Therefore the primary aim of this paper was to prepare a list of plant species that have been used in Constructed Wetlands in Sri Lanka. Further, this list intends to provide researchers with an overview of potential plants at a sight when selecting plant species for future research on CW. Collected literature was subjected to critical desktop review when preparing this paper. According to this reviewed published and unpublished literature more or less fifty plant species had been used in CWs in Sri Lanka since early civilization. Moreover approximately thirty studies have been conducted on CW in Sri Lanka. However in spite the fact that the scant of research on CWs in Sri Lanka, this paper suggests that the researchers should focus more on locally available plant species with high nutrient removal efficiencies when selecting plants for their research on CW. Further local plant species should be incorporated to novel scientific concepts such as integrated floating wetlands, green roofs, urban ecosystems etc.