Urban surface water quality and the potential of phytoremediation to improve water quality in peri-urban and urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa – a review

Abstract In 2017, 400 million people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) were still using unimproved drinking water sources, 80 of whom relied on untreated surface water. Urban areas are vastly expanding all over the continent and many larger cities SSA struggle to provide safely managed Phytoremediation implemented constructed wetlands (CWs) is a low-cost sustainable alternative highly costly energy-consuming wastewater treatment plants. addition, CWs offer potential be integrated into farming aqua-culture systems can therefore improve food quality production. The most prominent pollutants urban waters pollutant removal efficiencies for microbial chemical contaminations different plant species identified from literature accumulation rates Pb, Cr, Cd compared with each other. A strong focus was given studies conducted or other (sub)tropical regions. This review range phytoremediators treat contaminated highlights need further situ SSA. Plant such as Lemna minor, Ipomoea aquatica, Spirodela polyrhiza Brachiaria mutica show high phytoremediate heavy metals Cr