Pathogen and Pathogen Indicator Removal Characteristics in Treatment Wetlands Systems
Publication: Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 5, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper reports the performance of two horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland systems in the removal of pathogen and pathogen indicators under variable loading and operating conditions. The two constructed wetland systems evaluated under this project are located near Lincoln, Nebr. Firethorn is located in a small housing community and Rogers Farm at a rural single-family dwelling. Samples at Firethorn were collected at the wetland cell influent, effluent, and sand filter effluent (system effluent) from June 1996 through April 2000 and at the influent and effluent points from Rogers Farm from June 1999 through April 2000. The main monitoring parameters were fecal coliform at both sites and Salmonella spp. (from August 1999 through January 2000) at Firethorn. Firethorn demonstrated effective removal of fecal coliforms with 96.3% removal in the wetland cell and 98% by the wetland system, which included a sand filter. Rogers Farm had an average fecal coliform removal of 99.3%. Although Salmonella spp. was not detected at Firethorn, reduction of other bacteria was observed through the wetland system. In general, fecal coliform removal was excellent through the wetland system and no distinct difference in removal efficiency was observed with changes in season and temperature at either facility.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
American Public Health Association (APHA. ( 1998). Standard methods for examination of water and wastewater, 12th Ed., Washington, D.C.
2.
Brix, H. ( 1997). “Do macrophytes play a role in constructed treatment wetlands?” Water Sci. Technol., 35(5), 11–17.
3.
Crites, R., and Tchobanoglous, G. ( 1998). Small and decentralized wastewater management systems, WCB McGraw-Hill, Boston, Mass.
4.
Dahab, M. F., and Surampalli, R. Y. ( 2000). “Subsurface-flow constructed wetlands treatment in the plains: Five years of experience.” Proc., IWA 7th Int. Conf. on Wetland Sys. for Water Pollution Control, International Water Assn., London.
5.
Dynamac Corp. ( 1993). “Methods for microbial analysis of sewage sludge.” Rep., Rockville, Md.
6.
Gersberg, R. M., Gearheart, R. A., and Ives, M. ( 1989). “Pathogen removal in constructed wetlands.” Chapter 35, Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: Municipal, industrial, and agricultural, D. A. Hammer, ed., Lewis, Chelsea, Mich., 431–445.
7.
Glunz, G. G. ( 1998). “Design, installation and startup of a constructed wetland for on-site wastewater treatment.” MS thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebr.
8.
Gray, N. F. ( 1989). Biology of wastewater treatment, Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K.
9.
Hammer, D. A. ( 1989). Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, 2nd Ed., Lewis, Chelsea, Mich.
10.
Jillson, S. J. ( 2000). “Pathogen and pathogen indicator organism removal in subsurface flow constructed wetlands.” MS thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebr.
11.
Kenner, B. A., and Clark, H. P. ( 1974). “Detection and enumeration of Salmonella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.” J. Water Pollution Control Fedn., 46(9), 2163–2171.
12.
Lionberger, H. S. ( 1999). “Performance evaluation and temperature effects on a subsurface flow constructed wetland in Eastern Nebraska.” MS thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebr.
13.
Maehlum, T., Jensen, P. D., and Warner, W. S. ( 1995). “Cold-climate constructed wetlands.” Water Sci. and Technol., 32(3), 95–101.
14.
Morinigo, M. A., Cornax, R., Munoz, M., Romero, F., and Borrego, J. ( 1990). “Relationships between Salmonella spp and indicator microorganisms in polluted natural waters.” Water Resour., 24(1), 117–120.
15.
Morinigo, M. A., Martinez-Manzanares, E., Munoz, M. A., Balebona, M. C., and Borrego, J. J. ( 1993). “Reliability of several microorganisms to indicate the presence of Salmonella in natural waters.” Water Sci. and Technol., 27(3-4), 471–474.
16.
Ottova, V., Balcarova, J., and Vymazal, J. ( 1997). “Microbial characteristics of constructed wetlands.” Water Sci. Technol., 35(5), 117–123.
17.
Ponugoti, P., Dahab, M. F., and Surampalli, R. ( 1997). “Effects of different biosolids treatment systems on pathogen and pathogen indicator reduction.” Water Envir. Res., 69(7), 1195–1206.
18.
Stone, M. C. ( 1998). “Water quality analysis of a constructed wetland for on-site wastewater treatment.” Honors thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebr.
19.
Vanier, S. M. ( 1997). “Evaluation of a subsurface flow constructed wetland system for small-community wastewater treatment in Southeastern Nebraska.” MS thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebr.
20.
Vanier, S. M., and Dahab, M. F. ( 1997). “Evaluation of subsurface flow constructed wetlands for small community wastewater treatment in the plains.” Proc., 70th Annu. Conf. of the Water Envir. Fedn., Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, Va.
21.
Vanier, S. M., and Dahab, M. F. ( 2001). “Start-up performance of a subsurface-flow constructed wetland for domestic wastewater treatment.” Envir. Technol., 22, in press.
22.
Vymazal, J., Brix, H., Cooper, P. F., Haberl, R., Perfler, R., and Laber, J. ( 1998). “Removal mechanisms and types of constructed wetlands.” Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in Europe, J. Vymazal, H. Brix, P. F. Cooper, M. B. Green, and R. Haberl, eds., Backhuys, Leiden, The Netherlands.
23.
Weber-Shirk, M., and Dick, R. I. ( 1997). “Biological mechanisms in slow sand filters.” J. AWWA, 89(2), 72–83.
24.
Williams, J., Bahgat, M., May, E., Ford, M., and Butler, J. ( 1995). “Mineralization and pathogen removal in gravel bed hydroponic constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment.” Water Sci. and Technol., 32(3), 49–58.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
History
Received: Jan 28, 2001
Published online: Jul 1, 2001
Published in print: Jul 2001
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.