Abstract

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are affordable and reliable green technologies for the treatment of various types of wastewater. Compared to conventional treatment systems, CWs offer an environmentally friendly approach, are low cost, have fewer operational and maintenance requirements, and have a high potential for being applied in developing countries, particularly in small rural communities. However, the sustainable management and successful application of these systems remain a challenge. Therefore, after briefly providing basic information on wetlands and summarizing the classification and use of current CWs, this study aims to provide and inspire sustainable solutions for the performance and application of CWs by giving a comprehensive review of CWs’ application and the recent development of their sustainable design, operation, and optimization for wastewater treatment. To accomplish this objective, thee design and management parameters of CWs, including macrophyte species, media types, water level, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and hydraulic loading rate (HLR), are discussed. Besides these, future research on improving the stability and sustainability of CWs are highlighted. This article provides a tool for researchers and decision-makers for using CWs to treat wastewater in a particular area. This paper presents an aid for informed analysis, decision-making, and communication. The review indicates that major advances in the design, operation, and optimization of CWs have greatly increased contaminant removal efficiencies, and the sustainable application of this treatment system has also been improved.

Highlights

  • Water stress is a reality in many parts of the world [1,2,3,4]

  • This study investigated the optimum conditions for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal from diesel-contaminated water using phytoremediation treatment with Scirpus grossus

  • This review-based study illustrates that the factors for Constructed wetlands (CWs) design and operation such as plant selection, substrate selection, water depth, loading rate, hydraulic retention time, and feeding mode are crucial to achieve the sustainable treatment performance

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Summary

Introduction

Water stress is a reality in many parts of the world [1,2,3,4]. This phenomenon is destined to worsen considering that the consumption of water is expected to increase significantly in the coming years and with more evident climate change accentuating this phenomenon [5]. Union (EU), at least 17% of the territory and 11% of the population is affected by water scarcity [6,7,8,9,10,11]. In the Mediterranean area, over 20% of the population lives under constant water stress and in the. Public Health 2020, 17, 8339; doi:10.3390/ijerph17228339 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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