Nutrient management in effluents derived from agricultural industries: an Australian perspective

Sustainable management of nutrients in the wastewater irrigated soil is a critical step to prevent contamination of both surface and ground-water, The available technologies for wastewater treatment require high investment, Hence, using high biomass-producing plants (e.g. Pennisetum purpureum and Arundo donaxi as remediators, which also has the potential to uptake high amount of nutrients and heavy metals, can serve as a cost effective technology, Consequently, the plants used not only act as remediators, but also provide biomass that can also be used for energy generation, paper production and as a feed for animals.