Experimental results on constructed wetland pilot system

Abstract

Research into a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment using M.H.E.A. (Hierarchical Mosaic of Artificial Ecosystems) pilot system was carried out over a vegetative period in 8 different flow and vegetable composition series. The system consisted of a free water pond as a first step working as primary treatment followed by a zone with Typha sp. and surface flow and finally a woody zone with a subsurface flow and planted with ligneous species (Salixsp., Populus sp., Fraxinus sp. and Alnus sp.). Removal efficiency in the study reflects an optimal result: 80-99% total suspended matter removal, 82-98% organic matter removal, 70-98% nutrients removal and up to 99.9% faecal bacterial disinfecting. Effluent characteristics were in accordance with European Union legislation criteria for wastewater treatment systems.

Influence of Climate Change, Tidal Mixing, and Watershed Urbanization on Historical Water Quality in Newport Bay, a Saltwater Wetland and Tidal Embayment in Southern California

“…First, coliform are present at high concentrations in sewage, urban runoff, and agricultural runoff, and hence their presence in coastal wetlands may be an indication of human stress (). Second, while much is known about the utility of freshwater wetlands for removing fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens in urban runoff ( − ), to our knowledge there is only one published study that addresses this issue in tidal saltwater wetlands (). The historical data described in this study helps to fill these data gaps.…”

Agronomic and environmental effects of land application of residues in short-rotation tree plantations: A literature review

“…It has been observed in plantations of eucalyptus that the accumulation of fecal coliforms after a composted sludge application was substantial when the leaching is low [123]. On the other hand, poplars and willows allowed an almost complete disinfection (99.9%) of fecal bacteria in wastewaters [176]. It was also shown that fecal bacteria were not washed out even with copious irrigation with effluent from oxidation ponds and residence times inferior to one day [177].…”

Depuranat project: sustainable management of wastewater in rural areas

“…In the rural areas of Spain, Portugal and France, inside, or in the vicinity of protected natural reserves, the population settlements are usually disperse and often an adequate wastewater treatment is not available. In other cases, the wastewater treatment plants installed do not work at all or malfunction and to achieve the required quality effluent for reuse can be unavailable due to economic or technical reasons [1]. On the other hand, the centralised wastewater treatment plants and their associated costs, both in terms of investment and maintenance, where there are also limited financial and management resources, is not the only possible solution to the wastewaters in rural areas.…”

“…In spite of the apparent advantages contributed by a NRS, including its simplicity and the efficiency of the support technology, these are not always implemented under adequate safety conditions, or with guarantees of success. In fact, some authors indicate that constructed wetlands (CW) have not up to now been considered as a treatment option by the administration but mainly due to the absence of previous experiences on pilot plants [1] and in this sense, García et al [4] also noticed the lack of results from real experiences about constructed wetlands in south Europe and the necessity of research and investment in these technologies in order to define the influence of climatological conditions and quality wastewater on performance of these. As a result, the development of this type of treatment systems requires pilot projects to be implemented previously in order to establish successful experiences, methods and sufficient tools to dispel any further uncertainties and generate confidence in the results.…”