The Potential Growth of Sugarcane in Constructed Wetlands Designed for Tertiary Treatment of Wastewater

Abstract

This research was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using the bioenergy crop Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane) as vegetation and mineral wastes for filling in constructed wetlands (CWs) designed for the removal of nutrients from wastewater. Four horizontal subsurface flow pilot-scale CWs were monitored during one year: two filled with fragmented limestone and two with clay brick fragments, two planted and two unplanted controls. Sugarcane stalk height, diameter and foliar area were evaluated during the plant-cane cycle along with total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies from the wastewater. Sugarcane biomass production was 107 ton/ha for the brick fragments filled CW and 67 ton/ha for the fragmented limestone filled CW. Planted CWs show better nutrient removal efficiencies than the unplanted. Planted CW filled with brick fragments show average efficiencies of 77%˘4% for TP and 60%˘12% for TN, and planted CW filled with fragmented limestone 68%˘3% for TP and 58%˘7% for TN. Results showed that the use of sugarcane as CW vegetation is a viable alternative to produce a bioethanol raw-material without the use of arable land and irrigation water, while it maintains the wastewater treatment capabilities of CWs.

A laboratory-scale study of residential greywater treatment with sugarcane in a constructed wetland

“…Sugarcane can be growing in the soil where some metals are accumulated (Agnes Oppong et al 2018). Sugarcane as vegetation in the constructed wetland is a possible alternative to produce a bioethanol raw material without the use of irrigation water, while it maintains the wastewater treatment capacity of constructed wetlands (Mateus et al 2016). Pollutants are removed within the wetlands by several complex physical (sedimentation, ltration, adsorption, and volatilization) chemical (precipitation, adsorption, hydrolysis, and oxidation/reduction), and biological processes (bacterial metabolism, plant metabolism, plant absorption, natural die-off) (Adeniran et al 2014).…”

“…The 20mm size of brick jelly was used as the middle layer of lter media, for a depth of 5cm, because it is waste residue and by-product resulting from civil construction and it was selected due to its availability and low cost and also clay bricks contain minerals like CaO, Fe 2 O 3 , K 2 O, MgO, MnO, Na 2 O, and TiO 2 may contribute the growth of plants (Mateus et al 2016). It is shown in Fig.…”

Participation of students in the project Valorbio

“…The use of CWs has become widespread and has begun to be implemented throughout the world for about four decades. However, CW technology continues to be the subject of many studies to better understand the complex natural mechanisms that are at the basis of its operation with the purpose of increasing wastewater treatment efficiency and improving its sustainability (Mateus et al , 2016; Mateus and Pinho, 2018; Wang et al , 2017; Wu et al , 2015a; Wu et al , 2015b; Wu et al , 2015c).…”

Valorisation of Phosphorus-Saturated Constructed Wetlands for the Production of Sugarcane

“…Reed (Phragmites australis) is one of the most commonly used macrophytes in CW, due to its high pollutant removal capacity and high resistance to extreme environmental conditions [9]. However, the possibility of growing sugarcane instead of traditional macrophytes has been confirmed in previous studies [16,17] and enhances the sustainability of such wastewater treatment technology through the production of sucrose-rich vegetable biomass, which could be used to produce bioethanol through widely implemented processes. At the same time, the production of this energy crop in CW would avoid the use of agricultural lands and water consumption, as well as the diversion of raw materials from the food supply chain, constraints often referred to in the development of biofuel production [18].…”