How Ornamental Plants Can Help Clean Up Waterways
September 19, 2024 | 1 min to read
In a recent study conducted in Miami, large African marigold plants emerged as the most effective at extracting phosphorus and nitrogen from polluted canals. These ornamental flowering plants not only beautify landscapes but also play a vital role in addressing water pollution caused by agricultural runoff, which can lead to harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen and threaten aquatic ecosystems.
In a Miami study, large African marigold plants proved the best at extracting phosphorus and nitrogen from canals
Ornamental flowering plants are more than attractive, they can also help to clean up water pollution. Fertilisers and manure on farms are loaded with phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients that get washed away by rain and flushed into waterways. Algae can then feed on the nutrients and grow so rapidly that they starve the water of oxygen, killing off fish and contaminating entire ecosystems.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Gaurdian