Performance Evaluation of Integrated Constructed Wetlands Treating Domestic Wastewater

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 210; no. 1-4; pp. 435 - 451
• Main Authors: Kayranli, Birol, Scholz, Miklas, Mustafa, Atif, Hofmann, Oliver, Harrington, Rory
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.07.2010; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ammonia; ammonium nitrogen; Analysis; Applied sciences; Aquatic resources; Artificial wetlands; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biochemical oxygen demand; chemical bases; Chemical oxygen demand; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Constructed wetlands; Construction; Creeks & streams; Domestic wastewater; Earth and Environmental Science; Efficiency; Energy consumption; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Farms; Fishes; Groundwater; Hydrogeology; Ireland; Molybdate; nitrate nitrogen; Nitrogen; Nutrient removal; Performance assessment; Performance evaluation; Phosphorus; Pollution; Receiving waters; Sludge; Soil Science & Conservation; Statistical analysis; Surface water; Suspended solids; villages; Wastewater; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Water treatment; Wetlands; Europe; Ireland; Eire; ANE, Eire, Munster, Waterford; Molybdate-reactive phosphorus; Integrated constructed wetland; Groundwater; Domestic wastewater; Ammonia nitrogen; Surface water; Village; Nitrogen compounds; Phosphorus; Nitrates; Nitrogen; Biological purification; Ammonia; Domestic waste water; Suspended particle; Chemical oxygen demand; Artificial medium; Water quality; Poison; Waste water purification; Wetland; Ground water
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-009-0267-6

The performances of a new and a mature integrated constructed wetland (ICW) system treating domestic wastewater were evaluated for the first time. The new ICW in Glaslough (near Monaghan, Ireland) comprises five wetland cells, and the mature system in Dunhill (near Waterford, Ireland) comprises four cells. The performance assessment for these systems is based on physical and chemical parameters collected for 1 year in Glaslough and 5 years in Dunhill. The removal efficiencies for the former system were relatively good if compared to the international literature: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, 99.4%), chemical oxygen demand (COD, 97.0%), suspended solids (SS, 99.5%), ammonia nitrogen (99.0%), nitrate nitrogen (93.5%), and molybdate-reactive phosphorus (MRP, 99.2%). However, the mature ICW had removal efficiencies that decreased over time as the Dunhill village expanded rapidly. The mean removal efficiencies were as follows: BOD (95.2%), COD (89.1%), SS (97.2%), ammonia nitrogen (58.2%), nitrate nitrogen (−11.8%), and MRP (34.0%). The findings indicate that ICW are efficient in removing BOD, COD, SS, and ammonia nitrogen from domestic wastewater. Moreover, both ICW systems did not pollute the receiving surface waters and the groundwater.