Horizontal Flow Constructed Wetlands Research Articles

Removal, transformation and ecological risk assessment of pesticide in rural wastewater by field-scale horizontal flow constructed wetlands of treated effluent

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are widely used in sewage treatment in rural areas, but there are only a few studies on field-scale CWs in treating wastewater-borne pesticides. In this study, the treatment and metabolic transformation of 29 pesticides in rural domestic sewage by 10 field-scale horizontal flow CWs (HF-CWs), each with a treatment scale of 36‒5000 m3/d and operated for 2‒10 years, in Guangzhou, Southern China was investigated. The risk of pesticides in treated effluent and main factors influencing such risk were evaluated. Results demonstrated that HF-CWs could remove pesticides in sewage and reduce their ecological risk in effluent, but the degree varied among types of pesticides. Herbicides had the highest mean removal rate (67.35 %) followed by insecticides (60.13 %), and the least was fungicides (53.22 %). In terms of single pesticide compounds, the mean removal rate of butachlor was the highest (73.32 %), then acetochlor (69.41 %), atrazine (68.28 %), metolachlor (58.40 %), and oxadixyl (53.28 %). The overall removal rates of targeted pesticides in each HF-CWs ranged from 11 %‒57 %, excluding two HF-CWs showing increases in pesticides in treated effluent. Residues of malathion, phorate, and endosulfan in effluent had high-risks (RQ > 5). The pesticide concentration in effluent was mainly affected by that in influent (P = 0.042), and source control was the key to reducing risk. The main metabolic pathways of pesticide in HF-CWs were oxidation, with hydroxyl group to carbonyl group or to form sulfones, the second pathways by hydrolysis, aerobic condition was conducive to the transformation of pesticides. Sulfones were generally more toxic than the metabolites produced by hydrolytic pathways. The present study provides a reference on pesticides for the purification performance improvement, long-term maintenance, and practical sustainable application of field-scale HF-CWs.

Optimization of Ceramic Filter for Greywater Treatment by using Horizontal Flow Constructed Wetland

Wetland technology is an effective and sustainable treatment process that relies on a combination of components. Media components, which vary based on the material used, play an important role in this technology. Ceramic-based filters are a natural and versatile water filtration method that can be used in combination with wetland systems to create a simple, low-cost, and efficient wastewater treatment technology. The aim of this study was to assess the performance and efficiency of two experimental scale horizontal flow constructed wetlands (HFCW) as a secondary stage for the treatment of household greywater. This was achieved by examining the untreated and treated greywater characteristics; evaluating the effectiveness of planted wetlands with ceramic addition in removing chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), nutrients, total suspended solids (TSS), and coliforms from the greywater; and monitoring the adaptation and growth of Bacopa monnieri L. in the treatment systems. The results showed that both treatment systems significantly improved all the greywater characteristics. The use of ceramic, gravel, and plants in wetlands enhanced the removal efficiency of Mg+2, TDS, and total hardness (TH). A higher treatment efficiency was observed in the ceramic-gravel bed than in the gravel bed.

Vertically constructed wetlands for greywater reuse: Performance analysis of plants

Vertical Flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) are environmentally feasible engineered systems that mimic the functions of natural wetlands. They are alternative engineering systems that are economical, and simple in structure with reduced land area compared to Horizontal Flow Constructed Wetlands (HFCW). Thus provides a sustainable solution for greywater treatment to a considerable extent. However, VFCWs feasibility and plant performance were not tested in the context of Sri Lanka for the greywater treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of household greywater treatment using apilot-scale VFCW and examine the performance characteristics of different types of plants. Three types of plants, the Canna plant (Canna indica), Ferns plant (Matteuccia struthiopteris), and Cattail plant (Typha latifolia) were used as emergent plants and a retention tank was constructed to retain solid particles in the greywater as primary treatment. The experiments were carried out for two months using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) for three replicates. The quality of the influent and effluentwas testedfortnight for a number of water quality parameters. Results revealed that the removal efficiency of contaminants was increased. Cattail plants showed higher removal efficiency for dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrates (NO31-), turbidity, and electrical conductivity. In addition, Canna plants had higher efficiencies for the removal of total dissolved solids (TDS) and phosphates (PO43-). Furthermore, Ferns plants presented higher efficiency only for removing sulphate (SO43-). Conclusively, Cattail plants presented the overall best performance in treating greywater. This can be attributed to the ability of the Cattail's dense fibrous root system to absorb more contaminants from greywater. This research also discussed the importance of microplastic analysis in greywater treatment which is a vital part of the current day research. The results of this study will be helpful to the further advanced research. Furthermore, this methodology can be implemented to other similar plants across the globe irrespective of geographical area.

Efficiency and effectiveness of systems for the treatment of domestic wastewater based on subsurface flow constructed wetlands in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Constructed wetlands (CW) are well known nature-based systems for water treatment. This study evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of seven domestic wastewater treatment systems based on horizontal flow CWs in Jarabacoa, the Dominican Republic. The results showed that the CWs were efficient in reducing the degree of contamination of wastewater to levels below the Dominican wastewater discharge standards for parameters such as the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand, but not for the removal of phosphorus and fecal coliforms. In addition, a horizontal flow subsurface wetland in the peri-urban area El Dorado was evaluated in terms of the performance of wastewater treatment in tropical climatic conditions. The concentrations of heavy metals, such as zinc, copper, chromium, and iron, were found to decrease in the effluent of the wetland, and the concentrations for nickel and manganese tended to increase. The levels of heavy metals in the effluent were lower than the limit values of the Dominican wastewater discharge standards. The construction cost of these facilities was around 200 USD per population equivalent, similar to the cost in other countries in the same region. This study suggested some solutions to the improved performance of CWs: selection of a microbial flora that guarantees the reduction of nitrates and nitrites to molecular nitrogen, use of endemic plants that bioaccumulate heavy metals, combination of constructed wetlands with filtration on activated carbon, and inclusion of water purification processes that allow to evaluate the reuse of treated water.

Influence of loading rates and feeding conditions on hybrid constructed wetlands integrated with microbial fuel cells

The present study had as objective to evaluate the influence of different operation conditions on two treatment systems composed of anerobic biofilter (AF) and hybrid constructed wetlands (CWs). Both treatment lines had as the first treatment stages an 1450 L AF unit and a CW designed as a Floating Treatment Wetland. Then, a pump directed half of the wastewater flow for each of the treatment lines. One of the lines was composed of a Vertical Flow CW incorporated with microbial fuel cells (CW-MFC), called Configuration 1 (C1), whereas the other line consisted of a Vertical Flow CW (VFCW) and a Horizontal Flow CW (HFCW), named Configuration 2 (C2). The treatment system was fed with wastewater generated in a university campus and monitored for 13 months, with three operation conditions tested: 3 pulses per day with 50 L each (20.5 L/m2day); 4 pulses with 75 L each (41 L/m2day) and 6 pulses with 75 L each (61.6 L/m2day). In addition, the potential bioenergy generated was monitored. For the last operation condition, C1 efficiently reduced BOD5 (88.7%) and turbidity (84.4%). On the other hand, for the nutrients the treatment efficiencies were lower, with 40.3% (TP) and 46.6% (N−NH3). Overall, similar results were obtained with the C2, with mean removal efficiencies of BOD5 (87.3%), turbidity (93.1%), and lower TP (10.4%) reduction. The treatment performance presented similar tendencies even with the changes in loading rates and in hydraulic retention times. Regarding the voltage monitoring, a peak of 687 mV was obtained considering a mean loading rate of 15.6 gCOD/m2day, whereas the maximum power density was 0.25 mW/m. Future research should focus on reducing the internal resistance of the CW system, thus increasing the bioelectricity generated and in treating wastewater with higher organic matter content.

Comparative performance and 16S amplicon sequencing analysis of deep and shallow cells of a full scale HFCW having sequentially decreasing depths reveals vast enhancement potential

The performance and microbial community characteristics of a full-scale horizontal flow constructed wetland (HFCW), comprising sequential cells of different depths (1.5 m to 0.8 m), treating domestic wastewater from a residential complex located at Roorkee, India was analysed. The BOD, COD, NO3-N, TN, and PO4 removal efficiencies of the system were found to be 89.9 %, 89.1 %, 72.7 %, 67.1 %, and 53.3 %, respectively. The areal removal rate constants kBOD, kTN and kTP for BOD, total nitrogen and total phosphorus removal were found to fit well with the optimized k values calculated using secondary data of 74 HSSF CWs. Comparative 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed widely varying bacterial communities in the deep and shallow cells of the wetland with several communities being exclusively present in the deep cell. Abundant heterotrophic nitrifiers, aerobic denitrifiers, and phosphate accumulating bacteria demonstrate the utility of such deep HFCW systems for the combined organics and nutrients removal.

The potential of decentralised wastewater treatment in urban and rural sanitation in South Africa: lessons learnt from a demonstration-scale DEWATS within the eThekwini Municipality

The design principles of decentralised wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) make them a practical sanitation option for municipalities to adopt in fast-growing cities in South Africa. Since 2014, a demonstration-scale DEWATS with a modular design consisting of a settler, anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), anaerobic filter (AF), vertical down-flow constructed wetland (VFCW) and horizontal flow constructed wetland (HFCW) has been in operation in eThekwini. A performance evaluation after the long-term operation was undertaken in 2019 by comparing the final effluent with national regulatory requirements. Despite limitations in characterising the raw wastewater, a comparison of the settler and final effluent quality indicated high (≥ 85%) removal efficiencies of total chemical oxygen demand (CODt), ammonium-N (NH4-N) and orthophosphate-P (PO4-P), 75% removal of total suspended solids (TSS) and 83.3% log10 removal of Escherichia coli. Lack of exogenous and endogenous carbon and high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations (> 0.5 mg‧L−1) inhibited denitrification in the HFCW, resulting in 12.5% of the effluent samples achieving compliance for nitrate-N (NO3-N). Moreover, mixed aggregate media and low residence times in the HFCW may have also contributed to poor NO3-N removal. During the COVID-19 lockdown, an unexpected shutdown and subsequent resumption of flow to the DEWATS indicated a 16-week recovery time based on achieving full nitrification in the HFCW. Although design modifications are necessary for the HFCW, the installation of urine diversion flushing toilets at the household will reduce the nutrient loading to the DEWATS and potentially achieve fully compliant effluent. Alternatively, the application of two-stage vertical flow constructed wetlands to improve denitrification should also be explored in the South African context. With an improved design, DEWATS has the potential to fill the gap in both urban and rural sanitation in South Africa, where waterborne sanitation is still desired but connections to conventional wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) are not possible.

Efficient Wastewater Treatment and Removal of Bisphenol A and Diclofenac in Mesocosm Flow Constructed Wetlands Using Granulated Cork as Emerged Substrate

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are considered as low-cost and energy-efficient wastewater treatment systems. Media selection is one of the essential technical keys for their implementation. The purpose of this work was essentially to evaluate the removal efficiency of organic pollution and nitrogen from municipal wastewater (MWW) using different selected media (gravel/gravel amended with granulated cork) in mesocosm horizontal flow constructed wetlands (HFCWs). The results showed that the highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium nitrogen removal of 80.53% and 42%, respectively, were recorded in the units filled with gravel amended with cork. The influence of macrophytes (Phragmites australis and Typha angustifolia) was studied and both species showed steeper efficiencies. The system was operated under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) i.e., 6 h, 24 h, 30 h, and 48 h. The obtained results revealed that the COD removal efficiency was significantly enhanced by up to 38% counter to the ammonium rates when HRT was increased from 6 h to 48 h. Moreover, the removal efficiency of two endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) namely, bisphenol A (BPA) and diclofenac (DCF) was investigated in two selected HFCWs, at 48 h HRT. The achieved results proved the high capacity of cork for BPA and DCF removal with the removal rates of 90.95% and 89.66%, respectively. The results confirmed the role of these engineered systems, especially for EDC removal, which should be further explored.

Constructed wetlands for the treatment of household organic micropollutants with contrasting degradation behaviour: Partially-saturated systems as a performance all-rounder

The degradability of specific organic micropollutants in constructed wetlands (CWs) may differ depending on the prevalence of oxic or anoxic conditions. These conditions are governed, among other factors, by the water saturation level in the system. This study investigated the removal of three environmentally-relevant organic micropollutants: bisphenol-group plasticizer bisphenol S (BPS), household-use insecticide fipronil (FPN) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen (KTP) in the model CWs set up in an outdoor column system. BPS and KTP, in contrast to FPN, exhibit higher biodegradability potential under oxic conditions. The experimental CWs were operated under various saturation conditions: unsaturated, partially saturated and saturated, and mimicked the conditions occurring in unsaturated, partially-saturated intermittent vertical-flow CWs and in horizontal-flow CWs, respectively. The CWs were fed with synthetic household wastewater with the concentration of the micropollutants at the level of 30–45 μg/L. BPS and KTP exhibited contrasting behaviour against FPN in the CWs in the present experiment. Namely, BPS and KTP were almost completely removed in the unsaturated CWs without a considerable effect of plants, but their removal in saturated CWs was only moderate (approx. 50%). The plants had only a pronounced effect on the removal of BPS in saturated systems, in which they enhanced the removal by 46%. The removal of FPN (approx. 90%) was the highest in the saturated and partially-saturated CWs, with moderate removal (66.7%) in unsaturated systems. Noteworthy, partially-saturated CWs provided high or very high removal of all three studied substances despite their contrasting degradability under saturated and unsaturated conditions. Namely, their removal efficiencies in planted CWs were 95.9%, 94.5% and 81.6%, for BPS, KTP and FPN, respectively. The removal of the micropollutants in partially-saturated CWs was comparable or only slightly lower than in the best treatment option making it the performance all-rounder for the compounds with contrasting biodegradability properties.

Performance prediction of horizontal flow constructed wetlands by employing machine learning

This study is aimed to aid in the horizontal flow constructed wetland (HFCW) design by analysing their treatment dynamics using secondary datasets (n = 1232). Prediction of effluent Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), Chemical oxygen demand (COD), Ammonium-Nitrogen (NH4+-N), Total Nitrogen (TN), and Total phosphorous (TP) was carried out via machine learning algorithms - multiple linear regression and support vector regression (SVR). Out of the two models, SVR resulted in a better prediction of all the effluent parameters in mg/l as well as in g/m3-d. The prediction of NH4+-N and TN (g/m3-d) could be performed with the highest accuracy (R2 and root mean square error 0.847 and 0.44 %; and 0.947 and 0.18 % respectively). The classification of the dataset according to organic loading rate (OLR) enhanced the performance of SVR for BOD (high OLR), COD (low OLR), and TP (low OLR). The performance of all the trials was acceptable in the training and validation stages in 3-fold cross-validation which was helpful in reducing the mean square error value by 68.19 % and increasing the R2 value by up to 16.13 %. Areal removal rate (K, m/d) values computed by the reverse P-k-C* approach using the predicted effluent concentrations were found to be highly correlated with actual K values for BOD, COD, and TN (R2 0.954, 0.948, and 0.819, respectively). These K values can be used for the customized design of HFCWs for organics and nitrogen removal and might also help to achieve the targeted discharge standards in HFCWs.

Application of a new baffled horizontal flow constructed wetland-filter unit (BHFCW-FU) for treatment and reuse of petrochemical industry wastewater

The shortage of water resources and generation of large quantum of wastewater has posed a significant concern to the environment and public health. Recent research on wastewater treatment has started to focus on reusing wastewater for different activities to reduce the stress on natural water resources. Constructed wetland (CWs) is a low-cost wastewater treatment option. However, some drawbacks include large areal requirements and the need for tertiary treatment units for reusable effluent. In this study, a novel composite baffled horizontal flow CW filter unit (BHFCW-FU) was developed to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional CW. The BHFCW-FU planted with Chrysopogon zizanioides provided a nine times longer flow path, and the adjoined variable depth dual media filter reduced the total area requirement and served as a polishing unit. On average, the BHFCW-FU with horizontal sub-surface flow regime could efficiently remove around 93.93%, 87.20%, and 66.25% of turbidity, phenol, and COD, respectively, from real petrochemical wastewater (initial turbidity: 29.6 NTU, phenol: 4.52 mg/L, and COD: 381 mg/L) and rendered the effluent quality reusable for irrigation, industrial, and other environmental purposes. In synthetic wastewater (initial turbidity: 754 NTU, phenol: 10.87 mg/L, and COD: 1691 mg/L), the removal efficiency of turbidity, phenol, and COD were 99.50%, 93.73%, and 87.05%, respectively. In-depth substrate characterization was done to study the removal mechanism. The developed BHFCW-FU required less space and maintenance, provided reusable effluent, and overcame the drawbacks of conventional CWs. Hence, it may show immense potential as an effective wastewater treatment.

Evaluation of Heliconia psittacorum in a Horizontal Flow Constructed Wetland (HFCW) System for the Treatment of Textile Wastewater

Constructed wetlands have promised sustainable treatment systems to remediate various industrial wastewaters, including textile. Textile wastewater contains a complex constituent of inorganic and organic pollutants such as dyes, toxic metals, surfactants, nutrients, and total dissolved solids. This preliminary study aims to evaluate the performance of Heliconia psittacorum in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HFCW) system for the remediation of textile wastewater. An HFCW system was set in a tank with a volume of 2 m3 divided by three sections where each section filled with coarse gravel, fine gravel, and sand media respectively resulted in a bed volume of 0.322 m3. The top of media was added compost then planted with Heliconia psittacorum. Diluted textile wastewater with a concentration of 20% was fed to the system in a continuous horizontal flow with an HRT of 2.7 days. The performance of the HFCW system showed water quality improvement from the wastewater within 11 weeks of observation. DO increased from < 2 to around 4 mg/L, pH and conductivity increased considerably. High decrease in NH4 and TN concentrations in the effluent of the HFCW system were observed with fluctuated removal efficiency (RE). Maximum RE for ammonia, TN, TSS, and COD was > 80%. Although showing a decreasing pattern during observation, phosphorus was not effectively removed by Heliconia psittacorum in the studied HFCW system. Cleaner effluent was observed than much dirty and black colour of influent. Heliconia psittacorum grew well with increased shoot height and numbers of new plant seedlings. The long-term observation was needed for Heliconia psittacorum in the HFCW system to reach a steady state and to examine its potential to remediate textile wastewater.

Customized design of horizontal flow constructed wetlands employing secondary datasets

Values of areal removal rate constant (k, m/day) were derived by employing a dataset of 74 horizontal flow constructed wetlands (HFCWs) using P-k-C* approach, which showed large variation (0.006–0.40 m/day) as these systems were largely under-loaded. This dataset was classified based on substrate loading rates, temperature, and depth to reduce the SDs of k values among the subsets. Further, the k values for organics removal were optimized by eliminating data of 10%, 20% and 30% of the most underloaded HFCWs, which led to a sharp reduction in observed SDs from 84.74% to 4.85%; 116.48% to 3.42%; and 114.70% to 6.89% respectively for the aforementioned scenarios for organics removal. These stable k values can be adopted for area calculations for optimizing the design of HFCWs and the computations made here will help identify the limiting nutrient that would govern the design under specific requirements.

Characterization of the Spatial Variation of Microbial Communities in a Decentralized Subtropical Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Passive Methods

Septic tanks (STs), up-flow anaerobic filters (UAFs), and horizontal-flow constructed wetlands (HFCWs) are cost-effective wastewater treatment technologies especially efficient in tropical and sub-tropical regions. In this study, the bacterial communities within a decentralized wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) comprising a ST, a UAF, and a HFCW were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Bacterial diversity and its spatial variation were analyzed at the phylum and family level, and principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to nitrogen- and organic-matter-degrading families. The highest percentage of nitrogen removal was seen in the HFCW (28% of total Kjeldahl nitrogen, TKN, and 31% of NH3-N), and our results suggest that families such as Rhodocyclaceae (denitrifying bacteria), Nitrospiraceae (nitrifying bacteria), and Rhodospirillaceae (sulfur-oxidizing bacteria) contribute to such removal. The highest percentage of organic matter removal was seen in the UAF unit (40% of biological oxygen demand, BOD5, and 37% of chemical oxygen demand, COD), where organic-matter-degrading bacteria such as the Ruminococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Syntrophaceae families were identified. Redundancy analysis demonstrated that bacterial communities in the HFCW were more tolerant to physicochemical changes, while those in the ST and the UAF were highly influenced by dissolved oxygen and temperature. Also, pollutant removal pathways carried out by specific bacterial families and microbial interactions were elucidated. This study provides a detailed description of the bacterial communities present in a decentralized WWTP located in a subtropical region.

Moistube irrigation fouling due to anaerobic filtered effluent (AF) and horizontal flow constructed wetland (HFCW) effluent

The study assessed the suitability of two effluent types, namely anaerobic filtered (AF) and horizontal flow constructed wetland (HFCW) effluent for Moistube irrigation (MTI). Secondary to this, the study determined the plugging coefficients (α) on MTI for the respective effluents. The feed water was supplied from a raised tank (3.5 m), and mass-flow rates were recorded at 15 min intervals using an electronic balance. The effluent feed water concentrations and experimental room temperature (25 °C ± 1 °C) were continuously monitored and kept constant. Hermia’s models based on the {text{R}}^{2} coefficient was used to select the best fitting fouling mechanism model and, consequently, the plugging coefficients. In addition, microbial colony analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was carried out to assess the composition of the deposited sediment (DS) and adhered bacterial film (ABF) onto the MTI lateral. The study revealed that MTI pore blocking was a complex phenomenon described by complete pore-blocking model ({text{R}}^{2} ≥ 0.50). Discharge followed an exponential decay with early fouling observed on AF effluent because of a high concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) and dissolved organic matter (DOM). Discharge declined by 50% after 20 and 10 h of intermittent operation for AF and HFCW effluent, respectively. The α for each effluent (foulant) were alpha_{AF} = 0.07 and alpha_{ HFCW} = 0.05, respectively, for AF and HFCW. The microbial analysis revealed bacterial aggregation structures that contributed to pore blocking. SEM imaging revealed complete surface coverage by deposited sediment. It is concluded that water quality determines the operation life span of MTI, and the two effluents promote accelerated MTI pore fouling or blocking. Continuous use without flushing the MTI will promote membrane degradation and reduced discharge efficiency. Additional filtration can potentially mitigate the membrane degradation process.

Mn oxides changed nitrogen removal process in constructed wetlands with a microbial electrolysis cell

Intensified Mn redox cycling could enhance nutrient removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). In this study, Mn oxides (birnessite-coated sand) were used as the matrix in horizontal flow CWs (HFCWs) with a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) (E-B-CW) or without an MEC (B-CW). The model CWs were developed to investigate the capacities and mechanisms of nitrogen removal with increased Mn redox cycling. The results showed that E-B-CW had the highest average removal efficiencies for NH4-N, NO3-N and TN, followed by B-CW and control HFCW (C-CW). The Mn(III) oxides (MnOOH or Mn2O3) and the Mn(IV) oxide (MnO2) were all detected in E-B-CW and B-CW, while the matrix in E-B-CW had much more Mn(IV) oxides than B-CW. Interestingly, clustering heat map showed that ammonification and nitrate reduction were related to Mn-oxidizing bacteria and the relative abundance of Mn-oxidizing bacteria in E-B-CW was highest due to the re-oxidation of Mn(II) by the MEC.

The Potential Role of Hybrid Constructed Wetlands Treating University Wastewater—Experience from Northern Italy

University wastewater is a type of wastewater with higher pollutants load and flow rate variability than typical domestic wastewater. Constructed wetlands (CW) could be used for university wastewater treatment and consequently for wastewater reuse. A hybrid CW pilot plant, at the University of Bologna (Italy), was monitored to assess its potential to be used at the university. Its treatment performance was monitored for one year and public acceptance explored through a survey. The pilot plant had two treatment lines, (1) a vertical flow CW (VFCW) and a planted horizontal flow CW (HFCW), and (2) the same VFCW and an unplanted horizontal flow filter (HFF). The HFCW achieved higher removals than the HFF, but it was also found to be prone to higher water losses. However, both treatment lines met the Italian limits for discharge in natural water bodies and some of the limits for wastewater reuse in Italy and the EU. The VFCW alone was not able to meet the same limits, demonstrating the advantages of hybrid over single stage CWs. A positive attitude towards CWs and wastewater reuse was found among the survey participants. Therefore, hybrid CWs (planted and unplanted) are considered a feasible technology for application at universities.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF HORIZONTAL FLOW CONSTRUCTED WETLAND VEGETATED WITH CYPRUS PAPYRUS FOR MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT

The impact of hydraulic loading rate (HLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the bioremediation of municipal wastewater using a horizontal flow constructed wetland (HFCW) vegetated with Cyprus papyrus was investigated. Three different HLRs were applied with values of 0.18, 0.10 and 0.07 m3/m2.d with corresponding HRT of 1.8, 3.2 and 4.7 days. The flow rate was 8.3 m3/d and the average organic loading rate was 0.037kg BOD/m3/d. Results showed that the performance of HFCW is linearly affected by decreasing HLR and increasing the HRT. The remediation for the heights HRT (4.7) days and lowest HLR (0.07 m3/m2.d) produced high quality effluent in terms of reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD; 86%), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD; 87%) and total suspended solids (TSS; 80%) as well satisfactory nutrient removal. Also, removal of 2-3 logs of bacterial indicators was achieved. The dry biomass of Cyprus papyrus was 7.7 kg/m2. Moreover, Cyprus papyrus plant proved to be very efficient in nitrification processes due to high diversity of the roots that increase the treatment surface area.

Mathematical Modeling of a Domestic Wastewater Treatment System Combining a Septic Tank, an Up Flow Anaerobic Filter, and a Constructed Wetland

Systems combining anaerobic bioreactors with constructed wetlands (CW) have proven to be adequate and efficient for wastewater treatment. Detailed knowledge of removal dynamics of contaminants can ensure positive results for engineering and design. Mathematical modeling is a useful approach to studying the dynamics of contaminant removal in wastewater. In this study, water quality monitoring was performed in a system composed of a septic tank (ST), an up flow anaerobic filter (UAF), and a horizontal flow constructed wetland (HFCW). Biological oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), NH3, organic nitrogen (ON), total suspended solids (TSS), NO2−, and NO3− were measured biweekly during a 3-month period. First-order kinetics, multiple linear regression, and mass balance models were applied for data adjustment. First-order models were useful to predict the outlet concentration of pollutants (R2 &gt; 0.87). Relevant multiple linear regression models were found, which could be applied to facilitate the system’s monitoring and provide valuable information to control and improve biological and physical processes necessary for wastewater treatment. Finally, the values of important parameters (μmax, Ks, and Yx/s) in mass-balance models were determined with the aid of a differential neural network (DNN) and an optimization algorithm. The estimated parameters indicated the high robustness of the treatment system since performance stability was found despite variations in wastewater composition.

Performance evaluation of horizontal flow constructed wetlands as primary and secondary treatment for university campus wastewater

Horizontal flow constructed wetland (HFCW) is an attractive green technology for wastewater treatment. In the present study, four laboratory-scale HFCWs were constructed to serve as the primary and secondary treatment of university campus wastewater. The effect of hydraulic residence time (HRT) and pre-aeration of influent were investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that the wetland vegetation played an important role in the oxygen restoration and the influence of pre-aeration was minor. In the primary treatment, effective removals of TSS and NH4-N were observed. However, the treatment of BOD and NO3-N were insignificant due to the low influent concentrations. As for secondary treatment, the HFCWs effectively reduced the concentrations of BOD, NH4-N, and NO3-N in the effluent from the Intermittent Decanted Extended Aeration (IDEA) plant. The effluent quality of all HFCWs complied with the Standard A sewage discharge. Longer HRTs brought a positive effect to the removals of organic matter and nitrogen.