Heliconia stricta Huber Behavior on Hybrid Constructed Wetlands Fed with Synthetic Domestic Wastewater

Abstract

Constructed wetlands (CWs) represent a highly efficient, eco-friendly and economic alternative for wastewater treatment in decentralized contexts. The adequate selection of the plants used in CWs plays a decisive role in the successful implementation and operation of this technology type. In this work, we studied the behavior of a native tropical plant (Heliconia stricta Huber) for the removal of organic matter and nutrients within a hybrid CW system fed with synthetic domestic wastewater. This hybrid system was composed of two wetlands, a vertical surface flow (VSF-CW) and a horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF-CW), connected in series and being operated with nominal hydraulic loading rates of 12 and 9 mm day−1, respectively. Results evidenced nitrification (nitrite concentration increased up to three times) but not denitrification because nitrate concentration increased in the final effluent. The average removal efficiencies were 86.8%, 96.4%, and 57.0%, for COD, NH4+ and PO43−, respectively. On the other hand, the apical height, basal diameter, leaf length and width increased in relation to initial measurements (between 0.6–7.1%) in plants of both CWs, which demonstrated the ability of the plants to adapt to the operating conditions of the system. This promising performance observed when using Heliconia stricta Huber opens the need for further research and could be particularly interesting in CWs used in tropical areas.

The new report of domestic wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generation using Dieffenbachia seguine constructed wetland coupling microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC)

“…The synthetic domestic wastewater (COD of 600 mg/L, total nitrogen (TN) of 40 mg/L, and total phosphorous (TP) of 8 mg/L) was prepared according to Almeida-Naranjo et al (2020). The synthetic wastewater was sterilized under 121°C for 15 mins before being used.…”

Development of Heliconia latispatha in constructed wetlands, for the treatment of swine/domestic wastewater in tropical climates, with PET as a substitute for the filter medium

“…With respect to the phosphorus, removal efficiencies in planted and unvegetated systems were in a range between 28-53% and 16-28%, respectively. In general, the removal of phosphorus in CWs is mainly due to adsorption in the filter medium, as well as chemical precipitation and, to a lesser extent, by the plant and microorganism uptake (Almeida-Naranjo et al, 2020); therefore, phosphorus removal tends to be low with conventional filter media. For example, Fountoulakis et al (2017) obtained a final average removal efficiency of 13% in CWS with gravel (planted with Tamarix parviflora, Juncus acutus, Perrenis, Limoniastrum monopetalum), when treating domestic wastewater with an influent total phosphorus concentration between 3 to 87 mg/L.…”