The humidity buffer capacity of clay–sand plaster filled with phytomass from treatment wetlands

Abstract

The aim of our study was to measure the amount of moisture absorption and desorption in clay–sand plaster mixed with “fibre-wool” from Typha spadixes and chips of Typha and Phragmites. Common cattail ( Typha latifolia) and common reed ( Phragmites australis) are the most common plants in constructed and semi-natural wetlands for wastewater treatment, as they are highly valued in ecologically oriented construction. The cattail and reed for the experiment were harvested in a wastewater treatment subsurface flow semi-natural wetland and in two free water surface constructed wetlands which showed reliable aboveground phytomass production over a 5 years period (for Typha, 0.37–1.76 kg DW m −2 in autumn and 0.33–1.38 kg DW m −2, and for Phragmites, 0.61–1.32 and 0.61–1.02 kg DW m −2, respectively). The quantity of moisture absorption and desorption was measured in a climatic chamber where the humidity of ambient air was suddenly raised from 50% to 80% (absorption) and reduced from 80% to 50% (desorption). Over 12 h, all of the samples released the same amount of water as they absorbed. The clay–sand plaster samples absorbed slower than they desorbed, whereas the gypsum wallboard required significantly more time for desorption. Added phytomass gave positive effects by reducing the weight of the clay–sand plaster, accelerating and increasing moisture absorption.