Performance of Laboratory-Scale Wetlands Planted with Tropical Ornamental Plants to Treat Domestic Wastewater

Zurita, Florentina; Anda, José de; Belmont, Marco A.

doi:10.2166/wqrj.2006.044

Cited by 42 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…These results were more similar to the removal rate of 45 % found by Korkusuz et.al (2005) who used slag as substrate material a mixture of river sand and dolomitic limestone. This results confirm the good capacity of the selected substrate for phosphorous removal (Zurita et al, 2006), and they could be probably improved by reducing the substrate size, and then promoting phosphorous removal by chemical adsorption (Prochaska et al, 2007). Akratos and Tsihrintzis (2007) found that planted wetlands had 40 % higher removals of TP than unplanted wetlands.…”

Section: Water Quality and Removal Performancesupporting

confidence: 64%

Effects of plants development and pollutant loading on performance of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands

Cheng

Zhao

2010

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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ABSTRACT:The influent concentration has a great effect on nutrients removal efficiency in vertical subsurface flow constructed wetland systems, but treatment performance response to different C: N: P ratios in the influent are unclear at present. At the first growing seasons, the effects of the plants present or not, season, the different C: N: P ratio in influent condition and their interaction on treatment performances were studied in the planted or the unplanted wetlands in greenhouse condition. Each set of units was operated at hydraulic loading rates of 40 L/d. Low, medium and high-strength (100, 200, 400 mg/L of chemical oxygen demand or 20, 40, 80 mg/L total nitrogen) synthetic sewage were applied as influent. According to the first growing season results, the average removal efficiencies for the unplanted and the planted wetlands were as follows: chemical oxygen demand (44-58 % and 55-61 % respectively), total nitrogen (26-49% and 31-54 %) and total phosphorus (36-64 % and 70-83 %). The both wetlands system was operated as an efficient treatment system of highest average removal rates of both chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus when medium-strength synthetic sewage were applied. When high strength synthetic sewage was applied, the planted wetlands usually had a higher nutrients removal rates than the unplanted over the study period. The plants grew well under any high loading treatment over the study period. Anyhow, it also proved that the wetland systems have a good capacity to treat different strength wastewater in greenhouse condition.

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Section: Water Quality and Removal Performancesupporting

confidence: 64%

Effects of plants development and pollutant loading on performance of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands

Cheng

Zhao

2010

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…One of the advantages of using OFP in CWs is the significant reduction of nutrient contamination (20-35%; Figure 2) comparing when CWs unplanted, representing an economical and sustainable alternative to decentralization practices; CWs are less expensive than commercial systems and are easier to build and operate [16,72]. Furthermore, by using plants with commercial value, the resources invested in the design, construction and maintenance of the system can be recovered in the profits of retail sales, without impeding the removal of pollutants of the system.…”

Section: Advantages Of Using Ornamental Plants In Cwsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Wetland Plants and Use of Ornamental Flowering Plants in Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment: A Review

et al. 2019

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The vegetation in constructed wetlands (CWs) plays an important role in wastewater treatment. Popularly, the common emergent plants in CWs have been vegetation of natural wetlands. However, there are ornamental flowering plants that have some physiological characteristics similar to the plants of natural wetlands that can stimulate the removal of pollutants in wastewater treatments; such importance in CWs is described here. A literature survey of 87 CWs from 21 countries showed that the four most commonly used flowering ornamental vegetation genera were Canna, Iris, Heliconia and Zantedeschia. In terms of geographical location, Canna spp. is commonly found in Asia, Zantedeschia spp. is frequent in Mexico (a country in North America), Iris is most commonly used in Asia, Europe and North America, and species of the Heliconia genus are commonly used in Asia and parts of the Americas (Mexico, Central and South America). This review also compares the use of ornamental plants versus natural wetland plants and systems without plants for removing pollutants (organic matter, nitrogen, nitrogen and phosphorous compounds). The removal efficiency was similar between flowering ornamental and natural wetland plants. However, pollutant removal was better when using ornamental plants than in unplanted CWs. The use of ornamental flowering plants in CWs is an excellent option, and efforts should be made to increase the adoption of these system types and use them in domiciliary, rural and urban areas.

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“…The selection of the species considered that the plants were easy to adapt, and resistant to agents of weathering. Additionally, that they were of commercial interest and with the advantage of using systems as culture media [5,15,[35][36][37]. The plants were acquired in two ways: Spathiphyllum wallisii and Zantedeschia aethiopica were collected from areas near the study site [38] and Lavandula sp.…”

Section: Characteristics Of the Cw Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the Use of Ornamental Plants and Different Substrates in the Removal of Wastewater Pollutants through Microcosms of Constructed Wetlands

et al. 2018

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Abstract:The high costs involved in treating wastewater are problems that developing countries confront, mainly in rural areas. Therefore, Constructed Wetlands (CWs), which are composed of substrate, vegetation, and microorganisms, are an economically and ecologically viable option for wastewater treatment in these places. There is a wide variety of possibilities for substrates and ornamental plants that have not yet been evaluated to be implemented in future CW designs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the process of adaptation and removal of wastewater pollutants in CW microcosms using different terrestrial ornamental plants (Lavandula sp., Spathiphyllum wallisii, and Zantedeschia aethiopica). Those plants were sown in two types of substrate: red volcanic gravel (RVG) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). CWs with vegetation reduced 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) by 68% with RVG substrate and 63% with PET substrate, nitrates 50% in RVG substrate and 35% in PET substrate, phosphates 38% in RVG substrate and 35% in PET substrate, and fecal coliforms 64% in RVG and 59% in PET substrate). In control microcosms without vegetation, reductions were significantly lower than those in the presence of plants, with reduction of BOD 5 by 61% in RVG substrate and 55% in PET substrate, nitrates 26% in RVG substrate and 22% in PET substrate, phosphates 27% in RVG substrate and 25% in PET substrate. Concerning fecal coliforms 62% were removed in RVG substrate and 59% in PET substrate. Regarding the production of flowers, Lavandula sp. did not manage to adapt and died 45 days after sowing and did not produce flowers. Spathiphyllum wallisii produced 12 flowers in RVG and nine flowers in PET, while Zantedeschia aethiopica produced 10 in RVG and 7 in PET. These results showed that the use of substrates made of RVG and PET is a viable alternative to be implemented in CWs. In addition, the reuse of PET is an option that decreases pollution by garbage. The plants Spathiphyllum wallisii and Zantedeschia aethiopica remarkably contribute in the removal of pollutants in wastewater. Additionally, the use of ornamental plants, with commercial interest such as those evaluated, enables an added value to the CW to be given, which can be used for flower production purposes on a larger scale and favor its acceptance within rural communities.

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Performance of Laboratory-Scale Wetlands Planted with Tropical Ornamental Plants to Treat Domestic Wastewater

Cited by 42 publications

References 23 publications

Effects of plants development and pollutant loading on performance of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands

Effects of plants development and pollutant loading on performance of vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands

Role of Wetland Plants and Use of Ornamental Flowering Plants in Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment: A Review

Effects of the Use of Ornamental Plants and Different Substrates in the Removal of Wastewater Pollutants through Microcosms of Constructed Wetlands

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