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

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Sandoval ◽  
Sergio Zamora-Castro ◽  
Monserrat Vidal-Álvarez ◽  
José Marín-Muñiz

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.

Author(s):  
Luis Carlos Sandoval-Herazo ◽  
Josè Luis Marín-Muñiz ◽  
María Graciela Hernández y Orduñas ◽  
Antonio Janoary Aleman-Chang

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 (COD, BOD, 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.


1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans G. Peterson

Constructed wetlands are emerging as a serious challenge to conventional wastewater treatment because of lower construction and operating costs, less requirement for trained personnel, more flexibility, and lower susceptibility to variations in waste loading rates. Water quality improvements can be achieved by removal of plant nutrients, such as N and P, organics (natural and manmade) as well as inorganic contaminants. Wetland treatment is now advocated by regulatory agencies and has been determined as the technology of choice by municipalities and industries required to meet stringent discharge regulations. These same regulations have not usually been imposed on the agricultural community, but deteriorating water sources will likely change this regulatory anomaly. Use of this technology in treating agricultural wastewater is still in its infancy with few, although rapidly expanding, applications. This paper aims to highlight different aspects of wetland treatment by exploring its use for the treatment of agricultural run-off as well as wastewater from the agri-food industry. It is concluded that natural wetlands will be quite limited in absorbing agricultural wastewater while constructed wetlands can be designed for optimum pollutant removal. Key words: Constructed wetlands, wastewater treatment, agriculture, food processing, nutrient removal, nitrogen, phosphorus, organics


Author(s):  
Manoj Kumar ◽  
Rajesh Singh

In the present study area-based, pollutant removal kinetic analysis was considered using the Zero-order, first-order decay and efficiency loss (EL) models in the constructed wetlands (CWs) for municipal wastewater treatment....


HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 594c-594
Author(s):  
Jennifer C. Bradley ◽  
J.M. Zajicek

A current trend in environmental practices concerns using constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. The ecological values of wetlands have long been known. Wetland plants aid in the treatment of water pollutants by improving conditions for microorganisms and by acting as a filter to absorb trace metals. Wetlands now are being considered for industrial, municipal, and home wastewater treatment. Constructed wetlands are an economical and environmentally sound alternative for treating wastewater. These constructed “cells” are designed to function like natural wetlands. In constructed wetlands, water flow is distributed evenly among plants in a cell where physical, chemical, and biological reactions take place to reduce organic materials and pollutants. Increasing numbers of environmentally conscious homeowners are installing wetland wastewater treatment systems in their backyards with the aid of licensed engineers. This installation is occurring despite of the lack of educational materials to aid in site selection, selection of appropriate plant materials, and long-term maintenance. Traditional wetland plant species currently are being selected and planted in these sites, and the resulting effect is often an unsightly marsh appearance. With increasingly more homeowners opting for this alternative system, a strong need exists for educational materials directed at this audience. Therefore, educational resources that can provide information to the public regarding the benefits of wetland wastewater systems, while promoting aesthetically pleasing ornamental plant species is needed. A hands-on guide for installing constructed wetlands, a home page on the World Wide Web, and an instructional video currently are being developed at Texas A&M Univ. These technologies will be demonstrated and the values, needs, and opportunities available for the horticultural industry in the area of wetland construction will be discussed.


Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anie Yulistyorini ◽  
Miller Camargo-Valero ◽  
Sukarni Sukarni ◽  
Nugroho Suryoputro ◽  
Mujiyono Mujiyono ◽  
...  

In order to assess the impact of the Sanitation by Communities (SANIMAS) program for community-led sanitation in Indonesia (established in 2002), this research work was conducted with the aim of characterizing the current performance of anaerobic baffled reactors (ABRs), which were deployed in high numbers for the provision of domestic wastewater treatment in densely populated urban areas in Malang (Indonesia). Small and decentralized sewage treatment facilities serve ≈3% of the total population in Malang, including 89 ABR treatment plants. Our findings reveal that only 14% of the 89 ABRs in Malang have an acceptable performance with regard to pollutant removal and integrity of their building structure, but the majority of them produce a treated effluent of poor quality, according to discharge consents set by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia (Regulation No. P.68/2016). Clearly the lack of consistent operation and maintenance practices have had a detrimental effect on these decentralized sewage treatment systems, despite their robustness and buffer capacity to cope with changes in organic and hydraulic loading rates. Urbanization will continue to exert pressure on the provision of sanitation services in lower and middle economies, and the role of decentralized sewage management systems is expected to be prominent in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals era (2015–2030); however, sustainable service delivery must be conceived beyond the provision of sanitation infrastructure.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Zamora ◽  
J. Luis Marín-Muñíz ◽  
Carlos Nakase-Rodríguez ◽  
Gregorio Fernández-Lambert ◽  
Luis Sandoval

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are sustainable technologies where the channels are filled with porous material and plants, which collectively remove pollutants, depending on the type of substrate and vegetation. This study evaluated CWs and their functionality by comparing three ornamental plants (Canna indica, Cyperus papyrus, and Hedychium coronarium) as a phytoremediation process of wastewater, in CWs filled with layers of porous stone–tepezil–plastic residues–soil (S-A), or in microcosms with layers of porous stone–tepezil–soil without the presence of plastic (S-B). The findings during 180 days showed that the removals of pollutants (chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solids suspended (TSS), nitrogen as ammonium (N-NH4), as nitrate (N-NO3), and phosphate (P-PO4) were 20%–60% higher in microcosms with plants than in the absence of plants. Statistical differences were not observed when comparing removal effects among S-A and S-B, indicating that plastic residues as filter material in CWs did not affect the pollutant removal, growth, flowering, and shoots of plants. The use of plastic residues as filter may represent a less costly alternative in CW establishments. Dependence on N-NH4 and TSS removal was observed according to plant species. The three species used are suitable for using in CWs as wastewater treatment. In addition, the ornamental plants could generate interest for a commercial option.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 6981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros Stefanakis

Nowadays, it is better understood that the benefits of green infrastructure include a series of ecosystem services, such as cooling, water storage and management, recreation and landscaping, among others. Green technologies are still developing to provide sustainable solutions to the problems that modern cities and peri-urban areas face at an ever-increasing rate and intensity. Constructed wetlands technology is an established green multi-purpose option for water management and wastewater treatment, with numerous effectively proven applications around the world and multiple environmental and economic advantages. These systems can function as water treatment plants, habitat creation sites, urban wildlife refuges, recreational or educational facilities, landscape engineering and ecological art areas. The aim of this article is to highlight the synergies between this green technology and urban areas in order to reconnect cities with nature, to promote circularity in the urban context and to apply innovative wetland designs as landscape infrastructure and water treatment solutions. This approach could be a step further in the effort to mitigate the current degradation process of the urban landscape. Following the concept of green infrastructure, the article presents and suggests ways to integrate wetland technology in the urban environment, namely: (i) stormwater and urban runoff management (storage and treatment of water during storm events) to provide protection from flood incidents, especially considering climate change, (ii) innovative low-impact infrastructure and design solutions for urban wastewater treatment, and (iii) wetland technology for habitat creation and ecosystem services provision.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio A. Zamora-Castro ◽  
José Luis Marín-Muñiz ◽  
Luis Sandoval ◽  
Monserrat Vidal-Álvarez ◽  
Juan Manuel Carrión-Delgado

The effects of Canna indica (P1), Pontederia sagittata (P2), and Spathiphyllum wallisii (P3) growing in different filter media materials (12 using porous river rock and 12 using tepezyl) on the seasonal removal of pollutants of wastewater using fill-and-drain constructed wetlands (FD-CWs) were investigated during 12 months. Three units of every media were planted with one plant of P1, P2, and P3, and three were kept unplanted. C. indica was the plant with higher growth than the other species, in both filter media. The species with more flower production were: C. indica > P. sagittate > S. wallisii. Reflecting similarly in the biomass of the plants, C. indica and P. sagittata showed more quantity of aerial and below ground biomass productivity than S. wallisii. With respect to the removal efficiency, both porous media were efficient in terms of pollutant removal performance (p > 0.05). However, removal efficiency showed a dependence on ornamental plants. The higher removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), nitrates (NO3−-N), ammonium (NH4+-N), and phosphates (PO4−3-P) oscillated between 81% to 83%, 80% to 84%, 61% to 69%, 61% to 68%, 65% to 71%, 62% to 68%, and 66% to 69%, respectively, in P1 and P2, removals 15% to 30% higher than P3. The removal in planted microcosms was significantly higher than the unplanted control units (p = 0.023). Nitrogen and phosphorous compounds were highly removed (60%–80%) because in typical CWs, such pollutant removals are usually smaller, indicating the importance of FD-CWs on wastewater treatments using porous river rock and tepezyl as porous filter media. (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), (NO3−-N), (NH4+-N), (TKN), and (PO4−3-P).


Water SA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (3 July) ◽  
Author(s):  
James DS Cullis ◽  
Nico Rossouw ◽  
Geoff Du Toit ◽  
Daniel Petrie ◽  
Gideon Wolfaardt ◽  
...  

Water is a critical resource necessary to support social and economic development. Economic growth and, in particular, the growth of urban and peri-urban areas, however results in declining water quality which threatens water-dependent industries. In developing countries this is a particular concern due to the rapid rate of urbanisation and the limited financial resources and technical capabilities to adequately maintain and upgrade wastewater treatment works. This is particularly relevant in catchments with a high dependence on export-orientated agriculture. This study considered water quality risks in the Breede River catchment as an area which experiences significant urban and peri-urban growth, focusing on economic risks associated with declining water quality, estimates of the costs needed to rehabilitate existing wastewater treatment works, and alternative strategies such as the use of artificial wetlands, the rehabilitation and protection of natural wetlands, as well as the clearing of invasive alien plants. A major conclusion is that the financial risk associated with a declining economy and social instability outweighs the costs that will be needed for rehabilitation of existing treatment plants. Together with more pronounced fluctuations in precipitation anticipated with climate change, these risks due to declining water quality are likely to increase in future with continued urban and peri-urban growth.


2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 459-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Licata ◽  
Teresa Tuttolomondo ◽  
Claudio Leto ◽  
Salvatore La Bella ◽  
Giuseppe Virga

Constructed wetlands (CWs) represent low-cost technology for the treatment and reuse of wastewater in urban areas. This study aimed to evaluate the pollutant removal efficiency of a CW system and to assess the effects of irrigation using treated urban wastewater on soil and on two warm-season turf species. The research was carried out in Sicily (Italy) on a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system which was fed with treated urban wastewater following secondary treatment from an activated-sludge wastewater treatment plant. The pilot system was located in an open urban park and comprised two separate parallel planted units. Experimental fields of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. and Paspalum vaginatum Sw. were set up close to the system and irrigated with both treated wastewater (TWW) and freshwater (FW). Irrigation with TWW did not result in a significant variation in soil pH and soil salinity in the topsoil. The turf species tolerated high sodium levels in the soil due to TWW irrigation. Savings in FW and mineral fertilizers were deemed significant. The results highlight the fact that use of CW systems for the treatment and reuse of wastewater can represent a sustainable way to obtain alternative water resources for turfgrass irrigation in urban areas.


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