A two-stage subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland for high-rate nitrogen removal.

By using a two-stage constructed wetland (CW) system operated with an organic load of 40 gCOD.m(-2).d(-1) (2 m2 per person equivalent) average nitrogen removal efficiencies of about 50% and average nitrogen elimination rates of 980 g N.m(-2).yr(-1) could be achieved. Two vertical flow beds with intermittent loading have been operated in series. The first stage uses sand with a grain size of 2-3.2 mm for the main layer and has a drainage layer that is impounded; the second stage sand with a grain size of 0.06-4 mm and a drainage layer with free drainage. The high nitrogen removal can be achieved without recirculation thus it is possible to operate the two-stage CW system without energy input. The paper shows performance data for the two-stage CW system regarding removal of organic matter and nitrogen for the two year operating period of the system. Additionally, its efficiency is compared with the efficiency of a single-stage vertical flow CW system designed and operated according to the Austrian design standards with 4 m2 per person equivalent. The comparison shows that a higher effluent quality could be reached with the two-stage system although the two-stage CW system is operated with the double organic load or half the specific surface area requirement, respectively. Another advantage is that the specific investment costs of the two-stage CW system amount to 1,200 EUR per person (without mechanical pre-treatment) and are only about 60% of the specific investment costs of the singe-stage CW system.     

Optimization of subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) use the same processes that occur in natural wetlands to improve water quality and are used worldwide to treat different qualities of water. This paper shows the results of an Austrian research project having the main goals to optimize vertical flow beds in terms of surface area requirement and nutrient removal, respectively. It could be shown that a subsurface vertical flow constructed wetland (SSVFCW) operated with an organic load of 20 g COD x m(-2) x d(-1) (corresponding to a specific surface area demand of 4 m2 per person) can fulfil the requirements of the Austrian standard regarding effluent concentrations and removal efficiencies. During the warmer months (May - October), when the temperature of the effluent is higher than 12 degrees C, the specific surface area might be further reduced. Even 2 m2 per person have been proven to be adequate. Enhanced nitrogen removal of 58% could be achieved with a two-stage system (first stage: grain size for main layer 1-4 mm, saturated drainage layer; and second stage: grain size for main layer 0.06-4 mm, free drainage) that was operated with an organic load of 80 g COD x m(-2) x d(-1) for the first stage (1 m2 per person), i.e. 40 g COD x m(-2) x d(-1) for the two-stage system (2 m2 per person). Although the two-stage system was operated with higher organic loads a higher effluent quality compared to a single-stage SSVFCW (grain size for main layer 0.06-4 mm, free drainage, organic load 20 g COD x m(-2) x d(-1)) could be reached.     

Development of a horizontal subsurface flow modular constructed wetland for urban runoff treatment

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are well recognized as having low construction and maintenance cost and low energy requirement. However, CW design has been mainly based on rule-of-thumb approaches. In this study, the efficiency of a modular horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) CW using four different design schemes was investigated. Based on the results, the four systems have attained more than 90% removal of total suspended solids and more than 50% removal efficiency for total phosphorus, PO(4)-P and Zn. The planted system achieved higher pollutant removal rates than the unplanted system. In terms of media, bottom ash was more effective than woodchip in reducing the pollutants. Considering the flow length, optimum removal efficiency was achieved after passing the sedimentation tank and vertical media layer; with respect to depth, more pollutants were removed in the upper sand layer than in the lower gravel layer. This study recommended a surface area of 0.25 to 0.8% of catchment area for planted CW and 0.26 to 0.9% for unplanted CW using the 7.5 to 10 mm design rainfall.     

Interaction of oxygen concentration and retention of pollutants in vertical flow constructed wetlands for CSO treatment.

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) calls for a good quality of all water bodies. Retention soil filters (RSF) have been developed to treat discharges from combined sewers systems. RSF have proved over the past 15 years to be the most effective measure to meet the EU WFD standards, especially for small or particularly sensitive receiving waters, which require an enhanced reduction of emissions from combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The paper presents results from laboratory-scale experiments, in which the oxygen measurement in the filter plays a main role. The results show remarkable differences in oxygen concentrations in different filter depths. The highest oxygen consumption takes place in the upper part of the filter. In the lower part the re-aeration of sewage from the soil air dominates. This indicates that the biological activity is limited to the upper part of the filter. The availability of oxygen in the filter is a sign for degradation of wastewater compounds (ammonium, COD) under certain conditions and already takes place during the filter operation. The removal of ammonium especially cannot be strictly divided into phases of sorption during the loading and oxidation during the dry period any more.     

三段式水平潜流人工湿地的中试研究

采用三段式水平潜流人工湿地处理生活污水,具有较强的抗污染负荷冲击能力,出水水质可达GB 18918—2002一级A标准。人工湿地对COD_(Cr)的去除规律符合一级反应,COD_(Cr)与长度的关系为C_i-C_*=90.356L~(-0.5201)。     

Diversity of ammonia oxidising bacteria in a vertical flow constructed wetland.

Vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) with intermittent loading are very suitable for nitrification. Ammonia oxidising bacteria (AOB) are the limiting step of nitration. Therefore the AOB community of a full-scale VFCW, receiving municipal wastewater, was investigated within this study. The diversity of the functional gene encoding the alpha-subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA), present only in AOB, was assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Only very few amoA sequence types dominated the wetland filter substrate; nevertheless a stable nitrification performance could be observed. During the cold season the nitrification was slightly reduced, but it has been shown that the same AOB could be identified. No spatial AOB pattern could be observed within the filter body of the VFCW. The most prominent bands were excised from DGGE gels and sequenced. Sequence analyses revealed two dominant AOB lineages: Nitrosomonas europaea/"Nitrosococcus mobilis" and Nitrosospira. Species of the Nitrosomonas lineage are commonly found in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In contrast, members of the Nitrosospira lineage are rarely present in WWTPs. Our observations indicate that the AOB community in this VFCW is similar to that found in horizontal flow constructed wetlands, but differs from common WWTPs regarding the presence of Nitrosospira.     

Vertical flow constructed wetland for textile effluent treatment.

A pulse feed vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW) proved to be efficient in the treatment of a textile effluent being able to buffer, dilute and treat an Acid Orange (AO7) accidental discharge. The influence of the flooding level (FL) and pulse feed (PF) duration on the removal efficiencies of a VFCW was examined. Average AO7 removal efficiencies of 70% were achieved for an AO7 Inlet concentration of 700 mgl(-1) applied during 15 min cycle(-1) (every three hours) at a hydraulic load of 13 lm(-2) cycle(-1) and an FL of 21%. The VFCW was modelled by analogy with a combination of ideal reactors. The simplest combination that best reproduced the experimental results was an association of 2 reactors in series plus 1 reactor accounting the dead volumes. The model parameters helped to understand the hydrological and kinetic processes occurring in VFCW. Through the model simulation it was shown that 3 VFCW in series were enough to efficiently treat an organic mass load of 76 gAO7 m(-2) day(-1) in 9 hours and fulfil the discharge legislation. In this work it was possible to establish that the overall degradation kinetics was of first order.     

Landfill leachate treatment by an experimental subsurface flow constructed wetland in tropical climate countries.

Municipal leachate was treated in an experimental unit of constructed wetlands of subsurface flow type. The parameters studied were organics (BOD and COD), solids and heavy metals (Zn, Ni, Cu, Cr and Pb). Using two types of emergent plants of Scirpus globulosus and Eriocaulon sexangulare, more than 80% removal was achieved for all the parameters. E. sexangulare removed organics and heavy metals better than Scirpus globulosus. A higher concentration of heavy metals in the influent did not change the removal efficiency.     

Effect of dosing regime on nitrification in a subsurface vertical flow treatment wetland system

In this study, the effect of dosing regime on nitrification in a subsurface vertical flow treatment wetland system was investigated. The experimental unit was composed of four circular concrete tanks (1 m diameter and 80 cm deep), filled with gravel (1-2 cm) and planted with Cyperus alternifolius L. Synthetic wastewater with average chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen of 1,151 and 339 mg/L was fed into each tank. Different feeding and resting periods were applied: continuous flow (tank 1), 4 hrs on and 4 hrs off (tank 2), 1 hr on and 3 hrs off (tank 3) and 15 minutes on and 3 hrs 45 minutes off (tank 4). All four tanks were under the same hydraulic loading rate of 5 cm/day. After 165 days the reduction of total Kjeldahl nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen and the increase of nitrate nitrogen were greatest in tank 4, which had the shortest feeding period, while the continuous flow produced the lowest results. Effluent tanks 2 and 3 experienced similar levels of nitrification, both higher than that of tank 1. Thus supporting the idea that rapid dosing periods provide better aerobic conditions resulting in enhanced nitrification within the bed. Tank 4 had the highest removal rates for COD, and the continuous flow had the lowest. Tank 2 also exhibited a higher COD removal rate than tank 3, demonstrating that short dosing periods provide better within-bed oxidation and therefore offer higher removal efficiency.     

Removal efficiency of subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands for different organic loads.

Using subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands (SSVFCWs) with intermittent loading it is possible to fulfil the stringent Austrian effluent standards regarding nitrification. For small plants (less than 500 persons) standards for ammonia nitrogen concentration have to be met at water temperatures higher than 12 degrees C, effluent concentrations and treatment efficiencies for organic matter have to be met the whole year around. According to the Austrian design standards the required surface area for SSVFCWs treating wastewater was 5 m2 per person. Within the first part of an Austrian research project the goal was to optimise, i.e. minimise the surface area requirement of vertical flow beds. Therefore, three SSVFCWs with a surface area of 20 m2 each have been operated in parallel. The organic loads applied were 20, 27 and 40 g COD/m2/d, which corresponds to a specific surface area requirement of 4, 3 and 2 m2 per PE, respectively. The paper compares the effluent concentrations and elimination efficiencies of the three parallel operated beds. It could be shown that a specific area demand of 4 m2 per person is suitable to be included in the revision of the Austrian design standard. Additionally it could be shown that during the warmer seasons (May-October) when the temperature of the effluent is higher than 12 degrees C the specific surface area might be further reduced; even 2 m2 per person has been proven to be adequate.     

Use of headspace solid-phase microextraction to characterize odour compounds in subsurface flow constructed wetland for wastewater treatment.

A headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) preconcentration method was applied to the analysis of some of the major odorous compounds occurring in wastewater using GC/MS or GC/NPD detection. The detection limit for volatile amines, volatile fatty acids, and volatile alkylsulphides ranged from 3 to 100, 2 to 150, and 0.0006 to 0.035 microg/L, respectively. The SPME method was used to examine the fate of odorous compounds in the subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SFCW) operated under different hydraulic loading rate (HLR), bed aspect ratio, and granular medium size. Among the experimental conditions evaluated in the SFCW beds, HLR was found to be the most important factor influencing the evolution of the studied compounds. There were also significant differences among bed types in the behaviour of ammonia (NH3), acetic acid (Ac), isovaleric acid (IsoA), propionic acid (PrA), and dimethylsulphide. Aspect ratio and medium granular size were minor factors influencing SFCW performance. The major odour compounds by mass in the effluent of SFCW with different operational conditions were NH3 and Ac. Further removal of these two compounds is considered as very important from the viewpoint of chemical composition. On the other hand, Relative Odour Intensity (ROI: ratio between the absolute concentration to the odour threshold concentration) suggested that PrA and IsoA were the two major compounds responsible for odour intensity. Thus, further removal of these two compounds is viewed as very important for the effluent deodorization, especially for PrA. From our results, this compound appears to be produced by processes occurring in the SFCW.     

The effect of a vertical flow filter bed on a hybrid constructed wetland system.

Data from 18 sampling wells in Kodij?rve horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) constructed wetland (CW) (South Estonia) is presented and differences in purification efficiencies inside the HSSF CW are calculated. Temporarily anaerobic conditions in the Kodij?rve HSSF system did not allow efficient removal of BOD7, NH4-N, Ntot and Ptot. In 2002 a vertical subsurface flow filter was constructed to enhance aeration. The design of the system was based simply on the oxygen demand of the wastewater and on the aeration potential of vertical flow wetlands. The vertical flow system has shown satisfactory results. The purification efficiency of BOD7 in the Kodij?rve CW has improved significantly and there has been a slight increase in purification efficiencies of NH4-N and Ntot. On the ohther hand, the removal efficiency of Ptot has decreased significantly. Although, the mass loading rates have increased, mass removal rates of all four parameters have improved significantly. Nevertheless, optimization of the constructed wetland system is essential in order to meet effluent standards during wintertime.     

Treatment of high strength wastewater with vertical flow constructed wetland filters.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behaviour of vertical flow constructed wetlands to treat high strength wastewater. Influents were obtained mixing tap water with different percentages of MSW landfill leachate (5%, 10% and 20%). Phragmites australis seedlings were used as macrophytes. The reeds were nurtured during three spring months, before the start of the experimental period. Three and four days of detention time were adopted. Influent concentrations of 510-2,050 mg L(-1), 180-740 mg L(-1) and 65-260 mg L(-1) were obtained for COD, N-NH4(+) and N-NO3(-), respectively. The environmental temperature averaged around 31.0 +/- 1.4 degrees C. During the experimental period, all parameters showed an increasing removal efficiency trend. Best results in terms of COD removal were obtained for mixtures at lowest rate of landfill leachate; while, denitrification process showed an opposite behaviour; finally, the removal of ammonia nitrogen appeared to be independent upon influent concentrations. Analysis carried out on the reed tissues showed a theoretic maximum storage of TKN in the leaves of about 55 mg/g dry weight. A leachate percentage of about 35% was derived to be able to fully inhibit the growth of macrophytes.     

潜流人工湿地对污染物去除率的正交实验研究

以湿地污染物去除率为考察指标,通过正交实验分析了植物、流量和水位对去除率的影响。结果表明：3种因素对BOD5、CODMn和TN去除率的影响一致,均为植物〉流量〉水位;植物是BOD5、CODMn和TN去除率的显著性影响因素,其中大薸对3种污染物的去除率显著高于凤眼莲,但其在9月底易发生二次污染,需要及早收割,流量是TN和CODMn去除率的显著性因素,水位为不显著因素;BOD5、CODMn和TN浓度在系统的前端下降速率较大,随后逐渐减小并趋于平稳,表明大部分污染物在湿地的前端被去除,湿地整体截污能力尚有较大提升空间。应用中可选择大薸在北方推广,并充分利用湿地后端潜能,最大化处理污染源水体。     

垂直流人工湿地中污染物昼夜及沿程变化规律

利用垂直潜流人工湿地单元模型探讨COD、TN和NH4+-N质量浓度在一昼夜之中随时间及深度的变化规律。结果表明:垂直潜流人工湿地中污染物去除率的变化呈一定的周期性,昼夜差距较大。COD、NH4+-N和TN的去除率在15:00达到最大,夜间最小。COD和NH4+-N质量浓度在表层(距湿地底部60～90cm段)迅速降低,底部变化幅度较小。TN浓度沿程的降低趋势很明显。湿地中COD、NH4+-N和TN质量浓度的变化趋势与DO显著相关,DO质量浓度越高,越有利于有机物和氮的去除。     

北方潜流人工湿地植物布局与管理探讨

<正>官厅水库黑土洼人工湿地示范工程建于2003年,由永定河引水工程、稳定塘、人工湿地、退水渠等部分组成,工程充分利用黑土洼村附近的有利地形,运用生态工程原理,采用无污染、效率高的人工湿地技术来处     

Nitrogen removal and ammonia-oxidising bacteria in a vertical flow constructed wetland treating inorganic wastewater

Nitrogen removal performance and the ammonia-oxidising bacterial (AOB) community were assessed in the batch loaded 1.3 ha saturated surface vertical flow wetland at CSBP Ltd, a fertiliser and chemical manufacturer located in Kwinana, Western Australia. From September 2008 to October 2009 water quality was monitored and sediment samples collected for bacterial analyses. During the period of study the wetland received an average inflow of 1,109 m3/day with NH3-N = 40 mg/L and NO3-N = 23 mg/L. Effluent NH3-N and NO3-N were on average 31 and 25 mg/L, respectively. The overall NH3-N removal rate for the period was 1.2 g/m2/day indicating the nitrifying capacity of the wetland. The structure of the AOB community was analysed using group specific primers for the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and by clone libraries to identify key members. The majority of sequences obtained were most similar to Nitrosomonas sp. while Nitrosospira sp. was less frequent. Another two vertical flow wetlands, 0.8 ha each, were commissioned at CSBP in July 2009, since then the wetland in this study has received nitrified effluent from these two new cells.     

Comparison of measured and simulated distribution of microbial biomass in subsurface vertical flow constructed wetlands.

The multi-component reactive transport module CW2D has been developed to model transport and reactions of the main constituents of municipal wastewater in subsurface flow constructed wetlands and is able to describe the biochemical elimination and transformation processes for organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. It has been shown that simulation results match the measured data when the flow model can be calibrated well. However, there is a need to develop experimental techniques for the measurement of CW2D model parameters to increase the quality of the simulation results. Over the last years methods to characterise the microbial biocoenosis in vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands have been developed. The paper shows measured data for microbial biomass and their comparison with simulation results using different heterotrophic lysis rate constants.     

北方潜流人工湿地水质梯级净化能力分析

潜流人工湿地是人工湿地的主要类型,湿地梯级净化效果需要进一步研究。以官厅水库黑土洼地湿地系统示范工程为研究对象,通过近4 a实验,总结得出湿地对各类污染物的梯级净化效果。分析结果表明,人工湿地示范工程对水质净化效果较为明显,各个主要污染物的去除率平均达到40％以上;前两级湿地污染物的去除率占总去除率的比例大部分达到50%以上;潜流人工湿地具有进一步净化水质的潜力。基于分析结果,对于北方人工湿地的建设提出了有指导价值的建议,并指出了今后的研究方向。     

上下回流人工湿地预处理微污染水库水的研究

采用上下回流潜流人工湿地对微污染水库水进行预处理试验。根据试验数据,构建了上下回流潜流人工湿地系统CODCr、TN、TP的一级动力学模拟方程。结果表明:在水力负荷为0.4m3/(m2.d)条件下,CODCr、TN、NH3-N、TP的平均去除率均分别达到56.06%、58.97%、55.91%和50.56%。湿地系统夏季处理效果明显好于其他季节。使用周期按20年考虑,日均进水量3.6m3/d,湿地建设成本为2100元,水的处理成本为0.13元/m3,这表明采用人工湿地预处理微污染水库水是经济可行的。