Abstract
This study evaluates the role of design, operational, and physicochemical parameters of constructed wetlands (CWs) in the removal of pharmaceuticals (PhCs). The correlation analysis demonstrates that the performance of CWs is governed by several design and operational factors (area, depth, hydraulic loading rate, organic loading rate, and hydraulic retention time), and physicochemical parameters (dissolved oxygen, temperature, and pH); the removal efficiency of about 50% of the examined PhCs showed a significant correlation with two or more factors. Plants contributed significantly in the removal of some of the PhCs by direct uptake and by enhancing the process of aerobic biodegradation. The use of substrate material of high adsorption capacity, rich in organic matter, and with high surface area enhanced the removal of PhCs by adsorption/sorption processes, which are the major removal mechanisms of some PhCs (codeine, clarithromycin, erythromycin, ofloxacin, oxytetracycline, carbamazepine, and atenolol) in CWs. Although the removal of almost all of the studied PhCs showed seasonal differences, statistical significance was established in the removal of naproxen, salicylic acid, caffeine, and sulfadiazine. The effective PhCs removal requires the integrated design of CWs ensuring the occurrence of biodegradation along with other processes, as well as enabling optimal values of design and operational factors, and physicochemical parameters.
Highlights
Constructed wetlands (CWs) are cost-effective and nature-based wastewater treatment technologies that were extensively investigated for the removal of organic matter and nutrients (e.g., References [1,2,3,4,5]), as well as pharmaceuticals (PhCs) from wastewater [6,7,8,9,10,11,12].Li et al [8] conducted a review on the role of design parameters, including physical configuration, hydraulic mode, and vegetation species, in the removal of PhCs
Pearson correlation was estimated to examine the influence of selected design and operational factors and physicochemical parameters on the performance of
organic loading rate (OLR) showed a significant correlation with the removal efficiency of seven PhCs
Summary
Li et al [8] conducted a review on the role of design parameters, including physical configuration, hydraulic mode, and vegetation species, in the removal of PhCs. Consistent with that, Gorito et al [11]. Summarized the removal processes and the influence of design and operation parameters on the removal of four PhCs by CWs (azithromycin, clarithromycin, diclofenac, and erythromycin), which are on the priority list of the European Union (EU). The role of a support matrix in the removal of PhCs was explored by several authors, by using a substrate material of high adsorption capacity, rich in organic surfaces, and with high surface area (Table 1). The role of operational factors (hydraulic loading rate (HLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT)) and physicochemical
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