Management of arsenic-accumulated waste from constructed wetland treatment of mountain tap-water

Arsenic-contaminated mountain tap water supply in Ron Phibun District, Nakorn Si Thammarat Province, Thailand poses a health hazard. Arsenic was removed using a constructed wetland (CW) system, in which the treated contaminated tap water was sedimented in 3 consecutive ponds before entering into the CW ponds, containing either Cyperus spp. or Colocasia esculenta. Following 1 year of operation both plants had similar ability to remove arsenic from mountain tap water. Arsenic was mostly concentrated at the roots of both plants. Arsenic in C. esculenta leaves was allowed to leach out in freshwater for 149 days, but the level (0.05 mg L(-1)) was much lower than standard guidelines for industrial discharge. For Cyperus spp., young shoots were utilized as ornamental plants. As the sediments contained high arsenic levels, they were converted by a solidification/stabilization (S/S) system into cement-containing blocks, which after curing for 21 days produced arsenic leaching at levels that did not require a secure landfill for storage. The success of this study demonstrated that CW combined with appropriate S/S system is a suitable approach for Thailand in removing arsenic from contaminated water.