Organic Matter, Turbidity, and Apparent Color Removal in Planted (Typha sp. and Eleocharis sp.) and Unplanted Constructed Wetlands
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 10
Abstract
Constructed wetlands (CWs) are wastewater treatment ecotechnologies which use plants as a source of pollutants removal in the system. In these systems, the root zone acts in pollutant removal, interacting with the support medium, water, microorganisms, and contaminants. This study investigates the hypothesis of the absence of significant differences in the removal efficiencies of organic matter, turbidity, and apparent color between planted (Typha sp. and Eleocharis sp., individually and combined) and unplanted constructed wetlands with horizontal subsurface flow on the secondary wastewater treatment. The study was conducted on a pilot-scale system at a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in São Paulo, Brazil. The experiment consisted of four treatment tanks: T0, the feeding tank, filled with raw sewage coming from the WWTP’s preliminary treatment; T1, containing gravel and Eleocharis sp.; T2, containing gravel and Typha sp.; T3, containing gravel, Eleocharis sp., and Typha sp.; and T4, containing only gravel (control tank). The system was monitored for three months and samples were collected from three locations in each tank: the influent, the middle of the process, and the effluent. Analyses of biochemical oxygen demand (), turbidity, and apparent color are carried out on these samples. According to the studied parameters, there is an effective removal by the four constructed wetlands systems. Because these systems are designed for secondary sewage treatment, i.e., they mainly aim for organic matter removal, the four tanks perform equivalently, having over 90% removal efficiency. Color and turbidity removal efficiencies vary from 55% to 71% and from 43% to 77%, respectively, and tanks T1 and T4 have higher levels of removal efficiency. The study validates partially the hypothesis because there is no significant difference in organic matter removal between the tanks cultivated with different plant species (isolated or combined) and the control tank (with gravel only). An ANOVA test shows no statistical difference () in organic matter removal among the tanks. The similar organic matter removal efficiencies for the four tanks demonstrate that the physical (filtration and sedimentation) and biological (biofilm) mechanisms play an important role in constructed wetlands wastewater treatment.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This study was financially supported by the Brazilian National Health Foundation (FUNASA) and Federal University of ABC (UFABC). The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Basic Sanitation Company of the State of São Paulo (SABESP) and the trainees from the Environmental Analysis Laboratory.
References
Asano, T., F. L. Burton, R. Leverenz, and G. Tchobanoglous. 2007. Water reuse: Issues, technologies, and applications. 1st ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Brasil, M. S. 2005. “Desempenho de sistema alagado construído para tratamento de esgoto doméstico [Performance of a constructed wetland system for domestic effluent treatment].” M.Sc. dissertation. Federal Univ. of Viçosa.
Calijuri, M. C., and D. G. F. Cunha. 2013. Engenharia Ambiental: Conceitos, tecnologia e gestão, 789. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Elsevier.
Calijuri, M. L., R. K. X. Bastos, T. B. Magalhães, B. C. Capelete, and E. H. O. Dias. 2009. “Tratamento de esgotos sanitários em sistemas reatores UASB/wetlands construídas de fluxo horizontal: eficiência e estabilidade de remoção de matéria orgânica, sólidos, nutrientes e coliformes [Domestic wastewater treatment in UASB-horizontal flow constructed wetlands systems: Organic matter, solids, nutrients and coliforms removal].” Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental 14 (3): 421–430. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-41522009000300016.
Chen, Z., Y. Chen, J. Vymazal, L. Kule, and M. Kozeluh. 2017. “Dynamics of chloroacetanilide herbicides in various types of mesocosm wetlands.” Sci. Total Environ. 577 (Jan) : 386–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.216.
Fia, R., A. T. De Matos, M. P. De Matos, E. C. Abreu, and F. R. L. Fia. 2010. “Tratamento das águas do processo dos frutos do cafeeiro em filtro anaeróbio seguido por sistema alagado construído: I—Remoção de matéria orgânica [Wastewater treatment of coffee fruit processing in anaerobic filter system followed by constructed wetland: I—Removal of nutrients and phenolic compounds].” Engenharia Agrícola Jaboticabal 30 (6): 1191–1202. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-69162010000600019.
Kiehl, E. J. 1985. Fertilizantes orgânicos [Organic fertilizers]. [In Portuguese.] Piracicaba, Brazil: Editora Agronômica “Ceres”.
Massoud, M. A., A. Tarhini, and J. A. Nasr. 2009. “Decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management: Applicability in developing countries.” J. Environ. Manage. 90 (1): 652–659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.07.001.
Pelissari, C., S. T. Decezaro, A. P. Bento, D. B. Wolff, and P. H. Sezerino. 2015. “Wetlands construídos aplicados no tratamento de efluente de bovinocultura leiteira.” In Proc., 2nd Simpósio Brasileiro Sobre Wetlands Construídos. Curitiba, Brazil: Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná.
Salati, E., Jr., and E. Salati. 1999. “Wetlands projects developed in Brazil.” Water Sci. Technol. 40 (3): 19–25. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1999.0128.
Sezerino, P. H., A. P. Bento, S. T. Decezaro, M. E. Magri, and L. S. Philippi. 2015. “Experiências brasileiras com wetlands construídos aplicados ao tratamento de águas residuárias: parâmetros de projeto para sistemas horizontais [Brazilian experiences with constructed wetlands applied to wastewater treatment: Design parameters for horizontal systems].” Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental 20 (1): 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-41522015020000096615.
Sousa, L. M. I. 2003. “Avaliação da macrófita Typha domingensis Pers. no pós-tratamento de efluentes do campus da UFMS e do hospital universitário, em banhados construídos de fluxo subsuperficial [Evaluation of the macrophyte Typha domingensis Pers. in post-treatment of effluents from the campus of UFMS and the university hospital, in constructed wetlands with subsurface flow].” M.Sc. dissertation, Federal Univ. of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Toniato, J. V. 2005. “Avaliação de um wetland construído no tratamento de efluentes sépticos–estudo de caso Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil [Evaluation of a constructed wetland in the treatment of septic effluents—Case study Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].” M.Sc thesis, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca.
USEPA. 2000. Constructed wetlands treatment of municipal wastewaters. Cincinnati: Office of Research and Development, USEPA.
USEPA. 2012a. Decentralized wastewater treatment can be green and sustainable. Cincinnati: USEPA.
USEPA. 2012b. Decentralized wastewater treatment: A sensible solution. Cincinnati: USEPA.
Valentim, M. A. A. 2003. “Desempenho de leitos cultivados ("constructed wetland") para tratamento de esgoto: Contribuições para concepção e operação. [Constructed wetland performance for sewage treatment: Contributions to design and operation].” Ph.D. thesis, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola.
Vymazal, J. 2011. “Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: Five decades of experience.” Environ. Sci. Technol. 45 (1): 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1021/es101403q.
Vymazal, J., H. Brix, P. F. Cooper, M. B. Green, and R. Harbel. 1998. Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in Europe. Leiden, Netherlands: Backhuys Publishers.
Vymazal, J., and L. Kropfelová. 2008. Wastewater treatment in constructed wetlands with horizontal sub-surface flow, 566. Praha, Czech Republic: Springer.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 26, 2016
Accepted: Apr 12, 2018
Published online: Aug 10, 2018
Published in print: Oct 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jan 10, 2019
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.