Aluminum retention in a man-made Sphagnum wetland

Abstract

Runoff from a highway interchange in western Maryland had Al concentrations averaging about 50 mg L−1, with a maximum of 206 mg L−1. As an alternative to expensive chemical treatment of this Al-rich water, in August 1984, the drainage was diverted through a 500 m2 man-made wetland, constructed from organic peat. For a 10 week period, Al concentrations in water leaving the wetland averaged 1.5 mg L−1. as compared to Al concentrations at the two major inflows to the wetland of 35.3 and 6.6 mg L−1. However, effective treatment of the drainage by the wetland was not observed over the entire 27 mo sampling period. Peat chemical analysis indicated that over the 27 mo, total Al concentration in the peat increased from 2375 μg g−1 to 13 634 μg g−1. Of this increase 5.5 % was contributed by exchangeable Al, 4.3% by adsorbed Al, 39.8% by organically bound Al, 33.1% by oxide bound Al, and 17.2% by precipitated and residual Al. Changes in Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, K, and Na chemistry in the peat associated with Al retention are discussed.