Environmental, Economic, and Social Potentialities of Ornamental Vegetation Cultivated in Constructed Wetlands of Mexico

Irma Zitácuaro-Contreras, Monserrat Vidal-Álvarez, María Graciela Hernández y Orduña, Sergio Aurelio Zamora-Castro, Erick Arturo Betanzo-Torres, José Luis Marín-Muñíz and Luis Carlos Sandoval-Herazo
Additional contact information
Irma Zitácuaro-Contreras: El Colegio de Veracruz, Xalapa, Veracruz 91000, Mexico
Monserrat Vidal-Álvarez: El Colegio de Veracruz, Xalapa, Veracruz 91000, Mexico
María Graciela Hernández y Orduña: El Colegio de Veracruz, Xalapa, Veracruz 91000, Mexico
Sergio Aurelio Zamora-Castro: Facultad de Ingeniería, Construcción y Habitad, Universidad Veracruzana, Bv. Adolfo Ruíz Cortines 455, Costa Verde, Boca del Rio, Veracruz 94294, Mexico
Erick Arturo Betanzo-Torres: Wetlands and Environmental Sustainabily Laboratory, División of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Misantla, Km 1.8 Carretera a Loma del Cojolite, Veracruz 93821, Mexico
José Luis Marín-Muñíz: El Colegio de Veracruz, Xalapa, Veracruz 91000, Mexico
Luis Carlos Sandoval-Herazo: Wetlands and Environmental Sustainabily Laboratory, División of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Misantla, Km 1.8 Carretera a Loma del Cojolite, Veracruz 93821, Mexico

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: Sustainable development implies the proper use of natural resources, such as water resources, but the environmental, economic, and social benefits should also be considered. In the water sector, for example, sanitation is one of the challenges that arise in rural localities. However, issues related to it may be solved with the use of constructed wetlands (CWs), which may allow the cultivation of ornamental plants with phytoremediation properties. Through a content analysis, the environmental, economic, and social potential of ornamental species used in Mexico for phytoremediation in CWs is documented in this study. The environmental potential of the plants was considered based on their phytoremediation properties. The economic potential was determined from research articles and from the National Agri-Food Information System. The social potential was analyzed considering the ornamental and artisanal use of the plants. In total, 21 species of phytoremediation plants were identified. Anthurium andreanum and Zantedeschia aethiopica stand out for their commercial value, reported in 2018 to be 272,875 and 30,318 USD, respectively, at the national level. The social potential was identified by the ornamental or artisanal use for flower arrangements and weaving. This study reveals that the use of CWs with ornamental vegetation is a sustainable option to clean wastewater, reuse water, and generate economic incentives. Thus, it is essential to provide the community with adequate training for the management of CWs in those sites that lack treatment systems.

Keywords: wastewater treatment; ornamental plants; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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