Wetlands for wastewater treatment

Abstract

This article presents an update on the research and practical demonstration of wetland treatment technologies for wastewater treatment. Applications of wetlands in wastewater treatment (as an advanced treatment unit or a decentralized system) and stormwater management or treatment for nutrient and pollutant removal (metals, industrial and emerging pollutants including pharmaceutical compounds and pathogens) are highlighted. A summary of studies involving the effects of vegetation, wetland design and operation, and configurations for efficient treatment of various municipal and industrial wastewaters is also included.

Nitrogen Removal from Domestic Wastewater and the Development of Tropical Ornamental Plants in Partially Saturated Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetlands

“…Nitrogen is one of the main pollutants responsible for eutrophication of surface waters that in turn reduces dissolved oxygen and endangers aquatic life. Nitrogen concentrations in surface water and groundwater bodies are difficult to regulate and control [5,6]. In wastewater, nitrogen can be present in different forms and can be transformed when wastewater is treated by different mechanisms.…”

Emerging pollutants—Part II: Treatment

“…Constructed wetland (CWs) is an ecological technology for wastewater treatment (Choudhury et al, 2019). According to the flow direction of wastewater, CWs can be mainly divided into surface flow, subsurface flow, and vertical flow CWs (Ghimire, Nandimandalam, Martinez‐Guerra, & Gude, 2019; Nivala et al, 2019; Phong Vo et al, 2019; Rabello, Teixeira, Gonçalves, & Salomão, 2019). The removal of EPs by CWs is mainly through the absorption and degradation (Li, Gao, et al, 2019; Li, Li, et al, 2019; Li, Zhang, Zeng, et al, 2019; Li, Liu, Zhang, Li, et al, 2019; Li, Zhang, Xia, Wang, et al, 2019; Li, Zhang, Hu, et al, 2019; Li, Sun, Zhang, Feng, et al, 2019; Li, Wang, et al, 2019; Li, Yuan, Gao, et al, 2019; Rabello et al, 2019).…”

Wetlands for environmental protection

“…Constructed Wetlands have been effectively removing the pathogens (protozoa, helminths, viruses, bacteria, indicator organism, and antibiotic resistance genes) present in wastewater (Ghimire et al, 2019). Bioinoculation of selected bacteria strain (PFH1) played an active role in the removal of pathogens.…”

“…Therefore, new technological solutions have emerged to meet these regulations. Constructed Wetlands (CWs) have been investigated (Castillo‐Valenzuela, Martinez‐Guerra, & Gude, 2017; Ghimire, Nandimandalam, Martinez‐Guerra, & Gude, 2019; Jiang et al, 2016; Martinez‐Guerra, Castillo‐Valenzuela, & Gude, 2018; Martinez‐Guerra et al, 2015) as a cost‐effective solution to wastewater treatment.…”