The Potential of Wetlands as Treatment Systems for Organic Matter and Some Selected Metals (As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, and Zn): Case Study of Yitamot Wetland, Ethiopia

Organic matter and some selected metals (As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb, and Zn) were measured from water and sediment while plant samples from the inlet to the outlet sampling sites using standard procedures from three compartments (water, sediment, and macrophytes) of Yitamot wetland. Findings indicated that the mean concentration of COD in water was in the range of 5.25 mg/L and 208.25 mg/L and showed a significant and exponential decrease along the subsequent sampling sites (P < 0.05). The mean concentrations of K, As, Cd, and Cr (82.192 mg/kg, 0.730 mg/kg, 0.06 mg/kg, and 19.776 mg/kg, respectively) were significantly lower values in the outlet than in the inlet of the sediment samples (P < 0.05). All the metal concentrations in the aboveground tissue of macrophytes were significantly lower at the outlet sample site (P < 0.05) indicating that these compartments are contributing to the retention of metals and organic matter present in wastewater discharged in the wetland through sinks and conversions of these compounds. However, there was no significant removal effect for heavy metals like Fe, Zn, and As (P > 0.05). This is a pointer to the fact that natural wetlands can be used effectively for wastewater treatment with strong monitoring programs and ecological indicators for the sustainable management and conservation of the flora and fauna present in it.