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Review

Maximizing Value in Constructed Wetlands: A Review of Ornamental Plants for Wastewater Treatment and Artisanal Applications

by
Sergio Aurelio Zamora-Castro
1,
María Graciela Hernández y Orduña
2,
Juan Carlos Moreno-Seceña
3,
Gustavo Alonso Martínez Escalante
2,
Joaquin Sangabriel Lomeli
4,
Irma Zitácuaro-Contreras
5 and
José Luis Marín-Muñiz
6,*
1
Faculty of Engineering, Construction and Habitat, Universidad Veracruzana, Bv. Adolfo Ruiz Cortines 455, Costa Verde, Boca del Rio 94294, Veracruz, Mexico
2
Academy of Engineering, National Technological Institute of Mexico, Mérida Campus, Merida 97118, Yucatan, Mexico
3
Colegio de Postgraduados campus Montecillo, Texcoco 56230, Estado de México, México
4
Department of Civil Engineering, National Technology of Mexico/ITS of Misantla, Km. 1.8 Carretera a la Loma del Cojolite, Misantla 93821, Veracruz, Mexico
5
Academy of Sustainable Regional Development, El Colegio de Veracruz, Carrillo Puerto 26, Xalapa 91000, Veracruz, Mexico
6
Department of Environmental Engineering, National Technology of Mexico/ITS of Misantla, Km. 1.8. Carretera a la Loma del Cojolite, Misantla 93821, Veracruz, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Earth 2025, 6(4), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6040126 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 11 September 2025 / Revised: 30 September 2025 / Accepted: 10 October 2025 / Published: 12 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Issue Series: Young Investigators in Earth Science)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are eco-technologies used for wastewater treatment, where vegetation is a key component. In recent decades, the adaptability and phytoremediation functions of ornamental plants (OPs)—which are not typically found in natural wetlands— have been tested. However, few comprehensive studies address the processes or mechanisms by which these OPs enhance pollutant removal in CWs and their artisanal applications. It is also vital to understand the most used OP species in CWs and their advantages in phytoremediation. Thus, this study enhances the understanding of the processes involved in pollutant degradation within CWs, specifically focusing on absorption, adsorption, translocation, radial oxygen loss, and root exudates. It reaffirms the essential role that plants play in these systems, as suggested in previous scientific reports, and discusses some potential applications for the ornamental plants produced in CWs, such as flower arrangements and crafts. This also includes the social aspect, emphasizing community engagement through social capital initiatives for the adoption and appropriation of the ecotechnology. Additionally, a bibliometric analysis revealed that Mexico is among the countries with the most significant research on OPs in CWs, particularly concerning commercially valuable species, followed by India and China. These findings can be instrumental in planning future community projects focused on wastewater treatment using CWs using OPs.
Keywords: bioremediation; phytoremediation; social capital; mechanisms of plants; bibliometric data bioremediation; phytoremediation; social capital; mechanisms of plants; bibliometric data

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Zamora-Castro, S.A.; Hernández y Orduña, M.G.; Moreno-Seceña, J.C.; Martínez Escalante, G.A.; Sangabriel Lomeli, J.; Zitácuaro-Contreras, I.; Marín-Muñiz, J.L. Maximizing Value in Constructed Wetlands: A Review of Ornamental Plants for Wastewater Treatment and Artisanal Applications. Earth 2025, 6, 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6040126

AMA Style

Zamora-Castro SA, Hernández y Orduña MG, Moreno-Seceña JC, Martínez Escalante GA, Sangabriel Lomeli J, Zitácuaro-Contreras I, Marín-Muñiz JL. Maximizing Value in Constructed Wetlands: A Review of Ornamental Plants for Wastewater Treatment and Artisanal Applications. Earth. 2025; 6(4):126. https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6040126

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zamora-Castro, Sergio Aurelio, María Graciela Hernández y Orduña, Juan Carlos Moreno-Seceña, Gustavo Alonso Martínez Escalante, Joaquin Sangabriel Lomeli, Irma Zitácuaro-Contreras, and José Luis Marín-Muñiz. 2025. "Maximizing Value in Constructed Wetlands: A Review of Ornamental Plants for Wastewater Treatment and Artisanal Applications" Earth 6, no. 4: 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6040126

APA Style

Zamora-Castro, S. A., Hernández y Orduña, M. G., Moreno-Seceña, J. C., Martínez Escalante, G. A., Sangabriel Lomeli, J., Zitácuaro-Contreras, I., & Marín-Muñiz, J. L. (2025). Maximizing Value in Constructed Wetlands: A Review of Ornamental Plants for Wastewater Treatment and Artisanal Applications. Earth, 6(4), 126. https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6040126

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