Effect of aeration on pollutants removal, biofilm activity and protozoan abundance in conventional and hybrid horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands.

The large area demand of constructed wetlands (CWs) is documented as a weak point that can be potentially reduced by applying active aeration. The aim of this study was, therefore, to understand the effects of aeration on the treatment performance, the biofilm activity, the protozoan population size and potential CW footprint reduction of different horizontal flow (HF) CW configurations. Two experimental periods were considered: a first period with low organic loading rate (OLR) and a second period with high OLR. Three HF CW configurations were compared: a conventional (control), an aerated and a hybrid CW (aerated followed by a non-aerated CW). The results obtained reinforced the competence of aerated CW for organic matter removal (81-89% of chemical oxygen demand) while for nitrogen elimination the control (19-24%) and hybrid (8-41%) systems performed better than the aerated system (-6% to 33%). Biofilm activity and protozoa abundance were distinctly higher at the inlet zones when compared with the outlet zones of all CWs, as well as in the aerated systems when compared with the non-aerated CWs. The protozoan abundance increased with an increase in the OLR and ciliates were found to be the dominant group. Overall, the active aeration highlighted the efficiency and stability of the CWs for organic matter removal and thus can be used as a promising tool to enhance microbial activity and grazing by protozoa; eventually reducing solid accumulation in the bed media. These beneficial effects contribute to reduce the CWs' area requirements.

Material selection for a constructed wetroof receiving pre-treated high strength domestic wastewater.

A constructed wetroof (CWR) is defined in this study as the combination of a green roof and a constructed wetland: a shallow wastewater treatment system placed on the roof of a building. The foremost challenge of such CWRs, and the main aim of this investigation, is the selection of an appropriate matrix capable of assuring the required hydraulic retention time, the long-term stability and the roof load-bearing capacity. Six substrata were subjected to water dynamics and destructive tests in two testing-tables. Among all the materials tested, the substratum configuration composed of sand, light expanded clay aggregates, biodegradable polylactic acid beads together with stabilization plates and a turf mat is capable of retaining the water for approximately 3.8 days and of providing stability (stabilization plates) and an immediate protection (turf mat) to the system. Based on those results, a full-scale CWR was built, which did not show any physical deterioration after 1 year of operation. Preliminary wastewater treatment results on the full-scale CWR suggest that it can highly remove main wastewater pollutants (e.g. chemical oxygen demand, PO4(3-)-P and NH4(+)-N). The results of these tests and practical design considerations of the CWR are discussed in this paper.

The effect of aeration and recirculation on a sand-based hybrid constructed wetland treating low-strength domestic wastewater.

The Duplex-constructed wetland (CW) is a hybrid system composed of a vertical flow (VF) CW on top of a horizontal flow filter (HFF). Each compartment is designed to play a different role: aerobic treatment in the VF CW due to intermittent feeding and anoxic treatment in the HFF due to saturated conditions. Three Duplex-CWs were used in this study: Control, Aerated and Recirculating. The role of each compartment was tested for pollutant removal and micro-invertebrate abundance. In all systems, the VF CW removed mainly organic matter, solids and NH4(+)-N. Pathogens were removed in both compartments. Likewise, total nitrogen removal occurred in both compartments, only the Recirculating HFF was not able to denitrify the nitrogen due to the slightly more oxic conditions as compared to the other systems. All systems met discharge guidelines for organic matter, but only the Control and Aerated systems met those for total nitrogen. At the applied loading rates, the pollutant removal was not significantly enhanced by the use of aeration and recirculation. Therefore, operation as in the Control system, without aeration or recirculation, is recommended for the tested Duplex-CWs. If artificial aeration will be used in CWs, the support material should be carefully selected to allow a proper air distribution.