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Advances in Processes Understanding and Designs of Constructed Wetlands Applied for Treatment of Various Wastewater Sources

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 26273

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alexandros Stefanakis

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Guest Editor

School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece
Interests: ecological engineering; nature-based solutions; wastewater management; circular economy; sustainability; treatment wetlands; environmental education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Nicolas Kalogerakis

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Guest Editor

School of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
Interests: environmental applications of nanobubble technology; marine litter-fate and biodegradation of weathered plastics and microplastics; combating marine oil spills with biological means; bioremediation; phytoremediation; wastewater treatment and subsequent reuse and utilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Constructed wetlands are today an established sustainable treatment technology with many diverse applications ranging from domestic and municipal wastewater till sludges and various industrial effluents. Although in use for many decades, it is in the last 15–20 years that research has intensified and the number of applications has increased. The development of this green technology is still ongoing, and novel designs and applications occur frequently. However, there are still gaps in fundamental processes understanding in constructed wetlands as bioreactors. Therefore, this Special Issue aims at providing the current knowledge of pollutant removal–transformation processes and mechanisms taking place in wetland beds, combined with the presentation of novel applications of this treatment technology.

Contributions will be accepted on research developments, innovative designs, and experiences from full-scale applications. Review papers summarizing the existing knowledge and technological status of different hybrid systems are also welcome, after coordination with the Special issue Editors.

Prof. Dr. Alexandros Stefanakis
Prof. Dr. Nicolas Kalogerakis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

constructed wetlands
wastewater treatment
treatment processes
removal mechanisms
pollutant transformation
advanced designs
hybrid wetlands
domestic wastewater
municipal wastewater
agro-industrial wastewater
industrial effluents
sludge treatment and effluent disinfection

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2580 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effect of Plant Species on the Performance and Bacteria Density Profile in Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands for Domestic Wastewater Treatment in a Tropical Climate

by Franck Michaël Zahui, Jean-Marie Pétémanagnan Ouattara, Mahamadou Kamagaté, Lacina Coulibaly and Alexandros I. Stefanakis

Water 2021, 13(24), 3485; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13243485 - 07 Dec 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3394

Abstract

Bacteria are frequently studied due to their involvement in pollutants transformation processes during wastewater treatment. In this study, the treatment efficiency, bacteria densities and their vertical profile were investigated in pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) planted with different plant species under a tropical climate in west Africa. Five beds were planted with local plant species, i.e., Andropogon gayanus, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Echinochloa pyramidalis, Pennisetum purpureum and Tripsacum laxum, while one bed remained unplanted. These species have been rarely used in CWs while some (e.g., T. laxum) are tested for the first time. After a 7-month trial, bacteria densities were measured in substrate samples separated into six layers along the bed depth. Plants presence enhanced the bacterial density and VFCW efficiency; the removal rates of organic matter (90.9–95.9%; COD and 95.2–98.5%; BOD₅), nitrogen (74.3–84%; TN and 76–84%; NH₄-N) and phosphorus (77.4–96.9%; PO₄-P) were higher by 5.9–24.1% compared to the control bed, providing an overall excellent treatment performance for a single-stage VFCW system. Small numbers of anaerobic bacteria were obtained in the VFCWs, explaining the low-to-zero NO₃-N removal, except for the VFCWs with T. laxum and P. purpureum. Aerobic bacteria decreased from the upper to bottom layers from 17.4 to 0.1 × 10⁶ CFU/g in the planted beds, while anaerobic bacteria increased from 0.1 to 2.1 × 10⁶ CFU/g. Anaerobic bacteria were more abundant in the unplanted than in the planted beds. The total bacteria count was dominated by aerobic bacteria, and decreased from the surface towards the bottom. Overall, the VFCW with P. purpureum demonstrated the highest efficiency, indicating that this design is an effective and sustainable nature-based solution for wastewater treatment in a tropical climate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Processes Understanding and Designs of Constructed Wetlands Applied for Treatment of Various Wastewater Sources)

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16 pages, 6771 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Performance Comparison of Vertical Flow Treatment Wetlands Planted with the Ornamental Plant Zantedeschia aethiopica Operated under Arid and Mediterranean Climate Conditions

by Ismael Vera-Puerto, Joyce Escobar, Francisca Rebolledo, Valeria Valenzuela, Jorge Olave, Rocío Tíjaro-Rojas, Christian Correa and Carlos Arias

Water 2021, 13(11), 1478; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13111478 - 25 May 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3120

Abstract

This work compares the performance of vertical subsurface flow treatment wetlands (VSSF TWs) for wastewater treatment, planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica (Za), here operated simultaneously under two different climate conditions, arid and Mediterranean. The experimental setup was divided into two treatment lines for each climate condition: three VSSF TWs planted with Schoenplectus californicus (Sc) (VSSF-S), as the control, and three VSSF TWs planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica (Za) (VSSF-Z), as the experimental unit. The four treatment systems were operated at a hydraulic loading rate of 120 mm/d during spring and summer seasons, in two locations, Iquique (Atacama Desert, Chile) and Talca (Central Valley, Chile). The water quality in effluents, plant development, and water balance were used as performance measures. In terms of the water quality, the influents’ characteristics were similar in both climates and classified as “diluted”. For the effluents, in both climate conditions, average COD and TSS effluent concentrations were below 50 mg/L and 15 mg/L, respectively. In both climate conditions, average TN and TP effluent concentrations were below 40 mg/L and 2 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, only total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in effluents to VSSF-Z had a significant effect (p < 0.05) in relation to the climate condition. Regarding plant development, Za showed a lower height growth in both climate conditions, with arid consistently 0.3 m and Mediterranean decreasing from 0.6 m to 0.2 m. However, the physiological conditions of the leaves (measured by chlorophyll content) were not affected during operation time in both climates. Water balance showed that it was not influenced by the climate conditions or plant, with water loss differences below 5%. Therefore, taking into account the water quality and water balance results, Zantedeschia aethiopica can be used in VSSF TWs in a way similar to traditional plants under arid and Mediterranean climates. However, its use has to be carefully considered because lower height could affect the esthetics for its implementation in the VSSF TWs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Processes Understanding and Designs of Constructed Wetlands Applied for Treatment of Various Wastewater Sources)

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13 pages, 1861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioelectricity Generation and Production of Ornamental Plants in Vertical Partially Saturated Constructed Wetlands

by Humberto Raymundo González-Moreno, José Luis Marín-Muníz, Eddy Sánchez-Dela-Cruz, Carlos Nakase, Oscar Andrés Del Ángel-Coronel, David Reyes-Gonzalez, Noemí Nava-Valente and Luis Carlos Sandoval-Herazo

Water 2021, 13(2), 143; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13020143 - 09 Jan 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3099

Abstract

Energy production in constructed wetlands is a little-known field, as is the operation of vertical partially saturated constructed wetlands (VPS-CWs) that promote both aerobic and anaerobic microbial interactions. By doing so, bacterial degradation is increased, becoming the main mechanism of pollutant removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). For the first time, the generation of bioelectricity, together with the production of ornamental plants in vertical partially saturated constructed wetlands during the treatment of domestic wastewater, was evaluated. Six VPS-CW systems functioned as bioelectricity generators, where the systems were filled with red volcanic gravel and activated carbon as anode and cathode. Three systems were planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica and three with Canna hybrids plants. The development was measured through mother plants and shoots produced every 60 days. The input and output of each VPS-CW was monitored using control parameters such as BOD₅, phosphates (P-PO₄), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). Bioelectricity, power, voltage, and current measurements were performed every 15 days for a period of 7 months. It was found that the VPS-CWs used as biobatteries in combination with the use of domestic wastewater as a substrate improved the development of the two evaluated plant species and stimulated growth and germination of new shoots. No significant differences were found between the different treatments (p ≤ 0.05). Likewise, an average efficient removal of BOD₅ (98%) for both systems without statistical differences was observed (p ≤ 0.05), but for TKN and P-PO₄, significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found between systems planted with Z. aethiopica (TKN: 65%; P-PO₄: 20%) and Canna hybrids (TKN: 69%; P-PO₄: 27%). This method of water treatment and bioelectricity production with Canna hybrids was an efficient system that generated a great electric current (140 mA/m²), voltage (750 mV), and electric power (15 mW/m²), compared with those observed in systems with Z. aethiopica (60 mA/m², 500 mV, 9 mA/m²). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Processes Understanding and Designs of Constructed Wetlands Applied for Treatment of Various Wastewater Sources)

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16 pages, 4029 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Phytoremediation of Nickel by Alocasia puber Using Response Surface Methodology

by Najaa Syuhada Mohamad Thani, Rozidaini Mohd Ghazi, Ikarastika Rahayu Abdul Wahab, Mohamad Faiz Mohd Amin, Zulhazman Hamzah and Nik Raihan Nik Yusoff

Water 2020, 12(10), 2707; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w12102707 - 27 Sep 2020

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2868

Abstract

The contamination of water by heavy metals is a worldwide environmental problem. Phytoremediation and constructed wetlands have become increasingly popular as more sustainable and environmentally friendly techniques of removing heavy metals from the wastewater. This study, therefore, investigated the phytoremediation of nickel by Alocasia puber (A. puber) in a constructed wetlands (CW) microcosm. This study identified the optimum conditions for nickel (Ni) removal from wastewater using response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD). Two operational variables were assessed: exposure time and initial Ni concentration. The optimum conditions for the maximum removal of Ni from water were an exposure time of 10 days and 99.76 mg/L initial Ni concentration. The results indicated that 95.6% removal was achieved under the optimized conditions, with a high correlation coefficient (R² = 0.97) between the statistical model and the experimental data. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed anatomical changes in the A. puber samples due to Ni exposure, and transmission electron microscopy images revealed some internal damages in the A. puber, but visual Ni toxicity symptoms, such as necrosis and chlorosis, were not observed in the A. puber. This study demonstrated that A. puber planted in a constructed wetland microcosm was able to remediate wastewater contaminated with Ni. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Processes Understanding and Designs of Constructed Wetlands Applied for Treatment of Various Wastewater Sources)

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18 pages, 2861 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Different Methods to Assess the Hydraulic Behavior in Horizontal Treatment Wetlands

by Feliciana Licciardello, Alessandro Sacco, Salvatore Barbagallo, Delia Ventura and Giuseppe Luigi Cirelli

Water 2020, 12(8), 2286; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w12082286 - 14 Aug 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2855

Abstract

While there have been numerous studies on the rate and development of clogging in horizontal subsurface treatment wetlands (HSTWs) and, consequently, the effects on its hydraulic characteristics, research has not shown a clear understanding of the processes. The existing methods for measuring the impact of clogging provide limited information on the extension and degree of the phenomenon. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of various measurement techniques to assess the degree and variation in space and time of clogging in HSTWs. Hydraulic conductivity at saturation (K_s) measurements were conducted using a newly implemented scheme, the drainage equation method, and traditional tracer tests, which were carried out in a full-scale HSTW system, located in Sicily, Italy, during 2019. After five years of operation, the results highlighted a severe decrease in K_s (<1000 m day⁻¹) in the inlet zone (despite the fact that the filter gravel was replaced in 2017), a very high reduction of K_s along the central path inside the bed, a nonuniform flow through the HSTW, the presence of stagnant zones, and a reduction of the porosity of the bed gravel. Nonetheless, the mean values of the physical–chemical and bacteriological parameters at the hybrid treatment wetland (hybrid TW) outlet indicated that the partial clogging had no significant effect on the quality of the discharged water. Moreover, the results obtained using the different measurement techniques (in terms of both the K_s values and the flow distribution inside the bed) were consistent with each other and with results obtained previously for the same system. Finally, the most efficient combination of methods to assess clogging in HSTWs was identified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Processes Understanding and Designs of Constructed Wetlands Applied for Treatment of Various Wastewater Sources)

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Review

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22 pages, 2607 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture: A Review of Nature-Based Solutions for Nitrogen Removal and Recovery

by Giuseppe Mancuso, Grazia Federica Bencresciuto, Stevo Lavrnić and Attilio Toscano

Water 2021, 13(14), 1893; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13141893 - 08 Jul 2021

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 9600

Abstract

The implementation of nature-based solutions (NBSs) can be a suitable and sustainable approach to coping with environmental issues related to diffuse water pollution from agriculture. NBSs exploit natural mitigation processes that can promote the removal of different contaminants from agricultural wastewater, and they can also enable the recovery of otherwise lost resources (i.e., nutrients). Among these, nitrogen impacts different ecosystems, resulting in serious environmental and human health issues. Recent research activities have investigated the capability of NBS to remove nitrogen from polluted water. However, the regulating mechanisms for nitrogen removal can be complex, since a wide range of decontamination pathways, such as plant uptake, microbial degradation, substrate adsorption and filtration, precipitation, sedimentation, and volatilization, can be involved. Investigating these processes is beneficial for the enhancement of the performance of NBSs. The present study provides a comprehensive review of factors that can influence nitrogen removal in different types of NBSs, and the possible strategies for nitrogen recovery that have been reported in the literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Processes Understanding and Designs of Constructed Wetlands Applied for Treatment of Various Wastewater Sources)

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