2.3 Value-Added Products from Water Hyacinth

2.3.1 Biofertilizer :

Water hyacinths can be used on the land either as manure or as compost. As a manure, it may be plowed into the bottom or used as mulch. The plant is good for composting; microbic decomposition breaks down fats, lipids, proteins, sugars, and starches. The mixture may be left in piles to compost; the warmer climate of tropical countries accelerates the method of manufacturing, rich pathogen-free, compost which may be applied to the soil. The study conducted by (Vidya and Girish, 2014) discovered that WH is used as a biofertilizer once incorporated into soil inflated the performance of the wheat plants. In this study, the wheat crop was treated with compost derived from WH and was big for fifteen days. Management experiments were carried out while not WH compost. Physical and chemical parameters were studied. The physical parameters like proportion germination, length of root, length of shoot, biomass content, and root: shoot ratios were studied. Chemical parameters like pigment, reducing sugar, and supermolecule content was conjointly evaluated. The study revealed that each physical and chemical parameter had higher values as compared to regulate. WH may be a sensible absorbent material of N, P, and K from the water and may be used as a compost material. The results indicate the potential of WH as organic manure.

2.3.2 Bioethanol:

Depletion of fossil fuels and increase in energy consumption leads to hunting for various methods of energy. The utilization of lignocellulosic feedstock will be thought about as an appropriate biomass for the production of renewable biofuels like bioethanol. Production of fuels from waste biomass like WH plays a very important contribution to independent society. Bioethanol production from WH involves 3 stages- pretreatment, chemical reaction, and fermentation. Bioethanol could be a renewable fuel and its importance will increase due to the depletion of fossil fuels, an increase in oil worth, and inexperienced house impact. Bioethanol production from recent and dry WH exploitation ruminant microorganisms and ethyl alcohol producers was evaluated by Sambo et al., (2015). The study discovered the potential of microorganism and flora isolates obtained from the first stomach of goat, ram, and cow to digest cellulosic materials of WH. Fermentation of the WH product was distributed with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis. The results indicate that Zymomonas mobilis made more bioethanol than Saccharomyces cerevisiae moreover and the recent WH biomass made additional bioethanol than the dried WH biomass. The employment of WH for the assembly of bioethanol will go an extended means in reducing dependence on fuel.
2.3.3 Biohydrogen: Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the increase in energy demand scientists everywhere around the globe square measure sorting out various ways of energy. Biohydrogen is energy since its combustion generates solely water and warmth in addition as has a high energy yield of 122 kJ/g. historically gas is created by a chemical process involving electrolysis of water and steam reforming. These processes don’t seem to be economically viable since it needs high energy input and high reaction temperature. Biohydrogen production is eco-friendly and might be created from a mixed or pure culture. Many anaerobic microorganisms will turn out biohydrogen from organic wastes (Sindhu et al., 2017). Muanruksa et al., 2016; Reported direct biohydrogen production from WH victimization clostridia diolis C32-KKU. polyose and hemicelluloses given in WH are directly hard by the cellulolytic bacterium clostridia diolis C32-KKU to biohydrogen. Various process parameters touching biohydrogen production were optimized for each static and shaking mode of cultivation. The study discovered that shaking mode was simpler than static mode for biohydrogen production. Most biohydrogen production (19 ml/l) was discovered at a pH scale of 5.5 and WH biomass loading of 19gdw/l. The results of the study indicate that direct biohydrogen production from WH might be a possible approach.
2.3.4 Animal Feed: Water hyacinth is a good source of animal feed due to its protein and mineral content. Studies have proved that the nutrients in water hyacinths are available to ruminants. Water content in water hyacinth must be reduced from 95% to about 15% or less than that to prevent spoilage (Chakraborty et al., 1991). The use of water hyacinths for animal feed is encouraged in developing countries to help solve some of the nutritional problems (Jafari, 2010).

2.3.5 Fish Feed:

The Chinese grass carp may be a quick-growing fish that grub aquatic plants. It grows at an incredible rate and reaches sizes of up to 32 kilograms. It associates edible fish with tasty pork. It’ll eat submerged or floating plants and conjointly bank grasses. The fish is used for weed control and can eat up to 18–40% of its own weight in a very single day (Gopal, 1987). Eichhornia crassipes have conjointly been used indirectly to feed fish. Dehydrated water hyacinth has been value-added to the diet of catfish fingerlings to extend their growth (Gopal 1987). It’s conjointly been noted that the decay of Eichhornia crassipes once chemical management releases nutrients that promote the expansion of flora with a resultant will increase in fish yield (Gopal 1987). Igbinosun and Talabi (1982) conducted a study that proved that water hyacinth feed has more fiber, and fat content and was found suitable in comparison to NIOMR (Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research) fish feed. The addition of dehydrated water hyacinth to the diet of channel catfish fingerlings led to an increase in their growth. (Gopal, 1987).

2.3.6 Water Purification:

Water hyacinths are often wont to aid the method of water purification either for drinking or for liquid effluent from waste matter systems. In a drink treatment plant, the water plant has been used as a part of the pre-treatment purification step. Clean, healthy plants are incorporated into water clarifiers and facilitate the removal of little flocs that stay when initial coagulation and material removal or subsiding. The result’s a big decrease in turbidity thanks to the removal of flocs and additionally a slight reduction in organic matter in the water. In waste matter systems, the basic structures of water plants (and alternative Aquatic plants) offer an appropriate atmosphere for the aerobic bacterium to operate (Mathur & Mathur 2018. Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) was used to treat domestic wastewater. Ten organic and inorganic parameters were monitored for three weeks for water purification. The six chemical, biological and physical parameters included Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and pH were compared with the Interim National Water Quality Standards, Malaysia River classification (INWQS) and Water Quality Index (WQI).and observed Reduction in the most of the parameters like DO, COD, BOD, (NH3-N) and TSS by Eichhornia crassipes occurred which is due to the successful phytoremediation treatment system. In this case, the increase of CO2 levels from photosynthesis and microbial activities have played a key role. Based on the results, the water quality has been improved from class IV and III to class II which is due to a 38% to 96% of reduction of parameters. In this study, the highest reduction was in the range of 13- 17th day of the experiment but the optimum was recorded on day 14 in a continuous system.

2.3.7 Biogas:

Biogas is an ideal clean energy source, and the development of biogas can improve ecological and environmental conditions, such as by reducing the deforestation of forests. Biogas can be used for cooking and generating electricity. Biogas residue contains regular nutrients, organic matter, trace elements, amino acids, and vitamins, etc., which makes both quick and slow organic compound fertilizers. The water hyacinth C/N ratio is approximately 20:1. Under anaerobic conditions, microorganisms can use their nutrients for the anaerobic fermentation of methane (Chen, 2007). Gunnersson et al., found that water hyacinths and other aquatic plants are able to be easily degraded. The anaerobic fermentation produces large amounts of gas, which not only solves the problem of water hyacinth breeding but can also generate energy, turning waste into a valuable resource. (Gunnersson, 1886).

2.3.8 Medicinal Uses:

Water hyacinth has long been used to treat goiter in India. The formulation contains water hyacinth in equal quantities with table salt and piper congum. A study by Feikin et al., 2010 investigated the vitamin c contents of tropical plants and weeds including water hyacinth by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and titration with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and their relevance to medicinal uses of plants. Results related the role of ascorbic acid determined as 10.19 mg/100 g by CV and 16.34 mg/100 g by NBS in water hyacinth to its relevant medicinal uses like skin care and goiter.

2.3.9 Carbon Source:

Protein hydrolysate of water hyacinth, singly or in combination with hydrolysate of pea husk has been used in yeast extract mannitol medium for the cultivation of rhizobium sp. (Tucker and Debusk, 1981). Water hyacinth cellulose was exploited as the sole carbon source in the culture medium for the production of celloluse base-rich preparation by Aspergillus niger.
2.3.10 Others: Water hyacinth can be used as a raw material for the production of pulp, paper, rope, basket and various other products which can be used for the development of small scale industries. Water hyacinth is used in the production of fiber boards and bituminized boards for use as a low-cost roofing material (Jafari, 2010). The stalks of water hyacinth have the potential to be pulped and converted into medium-quality papers or boards such as cardboard and colored cards or cover papers, the shrinkage of paper during drying can also be minimized by blending them with long fibrous pulps such as cotton rags and waste paper pulps). Goswami and Saikia, 1994 demonstrated the role of aquatic weed as a raw material for pulp and paper, and fiber for making chairs, mats, and baskets. Goswami and Saikia (1994) investigated the use of water hyacinth as a pulp material for producing greaseproof paper.