Constructed Wetlands in South Korea: Current Status and Performance Assessment

Abstract

The efficiency of nature-based facilities is mostly evaluated in terms of their pollutant removal capabilities; however, apart from water purification functions, constructed wetlands also perform ecological, cultural, and environmental education functions. A multi-criteria performance index was developed in this study to evaluate the overall efficiency of constructed wetlands. A total of 54 constructed wetlands installed across South Korea were monitored to evaluate the pollutant removal performance of the facilities. A comparison between the conventional pollutant removal-based evaluation and the developed multi-criteria index was also performed to determine the key changes in the results of evaluation when different methods are employed. Among the different types of wetlands studied, hybrid systems were found to be the most effective in terms of pollutant removal due to their complex configurations and functions. Newly constructed treatment wetlands have unstable performance and thus, a stabilization period ranging from two to five years is required to assess the facility’s pollutant removal capabilities. As compared to the conventional pollutant removal-based efficiency evaluation, the comprehensive evaluation method provided a more strategic tool for identifying the facilities’ strengths and weaknesses. Generally, the multi-criteria performance index developed in this inquiry can be utilized as a general tool for evaluating the sustainability of similar nature-based facilities.

Long-Term Monitoring of an Urban Stormwater Infiltration Trench in South Korea with Assessment Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process

“…In this study, the first step was focused on the creation of a list of items that were used to evaluate LID facilities using sensors. The items were stratified into treatment efficiency, cultural benefits, operating conditions, and maintenance status based on a previous study [19]. In the second stage, a pairwise comparison was performed for each of the four individual items with N respondents.…”

Evaluation of the Performance of Nature-Based Constructed Wetlands for Treating Wastewater from Various Land Uses in Korea

“…Unlike point source pollution, NPS pollution varies depending on diverse land characteristics, land use, and land cover affected by different anthropogenic activities, resulting in difficulty in managing NPS pollution due to its unidentified pathways. In Korea, the volumes of the national discharge of water pollutants recorded in 2020 were 1035 tons (67.7% of the total national discharge) and 73.1 tons (72.1% of the total national discharge) for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total phosphorus (TP), respectively, and amounts of NPS pollutants were found to be two times more than point sources [5]. Developed countries are promoting different NPS pollution management policies by establishing comprehensive measures to solve the emerging problem brought by NPS pollutants.…”

Bibliometric Analysis and Comprehensive Review of Stormwater Treatment Wetlands: Global Research Trends and Existing Knowledge Gaps

“…These engineered systems were designed as nature-based facilities that utilize biological and physico-chemical mechanisms to improve water quality. Additionally, CWs also provide provisioning, cultural, supporting, and other ecosystem services that benefit humans and the environment [12]. The effectiveness of CWs in treating stormwater runoff was widely reported in different scientific publications.…”