Abstract
Plants, fungi, bacteria and protozoa are highly interconnected in constructed wetlands. These heterogeneous groups of organisms constitute a single system with complex internal trophic interactions. Thus, the joint activity of micro- and macroorganisms in constructed wetlands provides highly efficient wastewater treatment: both nutrients and complex organic substances can be effectively removed in branched trophic chains. The bacterial community of constructed wetlands has recently received much attention, while the fungal component remains less studied, particularly saprotrophic fungi. This paper reveals a taxonomic analysis of the cultivated saprotrophic fungi combined with the bacterial community in vertical flow constructed wetlands (VSCWs) operated by the Azoé-NP® process. These systems have unique features to affect the microbial community, which results in a high treatment efficiency and nitrogen removal. There are very few studies of saprotrophic fungi in VFCWs, while this work shows their abundance and diversity in VFCWs. We found 62 species of cultivated microscopic fungi and described the taxonomic composition of bacterial and fungal community at all wastewater treatment stages. In the studied VFCWs, we identified the species of micromycetes, which proved effective in the removal of contaminants. The data obtained can provide a deeper insight into the characteristics of Azoé-NP® systems and the treatment processes occurring in constructed wetlands.
Highlights
There are many approaches to wastewater treatment: (i) various types of membrane biofilters and rotating biological contactors that surpass conventional activated sludge systems in treatment quality [1]; (ii) advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) that degrade refractory organic pollutants from petrochemical industrial wastewater using highly reactive radicals [2]; (iii) adsorption methods have proven to be effective in removing toxic heavy metals from wastewater [3]
The constructed wetlands operating by the Azoé-NP process demonstrate a high the studied facilities and common for vertical flow constructed wetlands, which typically level of nitrogen removal from wastewater
The structures of the bacterial community at stages 1 and 2 are similar in the studied facilities and common for vertical flow constructed wetlands, which typically demonstrate relatively low nitrogen removal. This can be partly explained by the similarity of the incoming wastewater, since the incoming wastewater significantly demonstrate relatively low nitrogen removal
Summary
Plants and bacteria form a complex biotic relationship within a constructed wetland This relationship affects the efficiency of treatment processes. In the natural environment, fungi and bacteria serve as destructors of organic matter This makes it possible to efficiently decompose complex substrates requiring several stages of transformation [29]. An analysis species composition form a collection of fungal strains available for the further study of their physiological possible functions of saprotrophic fungi combined with data on the taxonomic bacterial properties and their potential as pollutant destructors. An analysis of the species compostructure will provide a better understanding of the removal of complex organic pollutants sition and possible functions of saprotrophic fungi combined with data on the taxonomic in wastewater treatment plants. Bacterial structure will provide a better understanding of the removal of complex organic pollutants in wastewater treatment plants
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
