Assessment of diesel-contaminated domestic wastewater treated by constructed wetlands for irrigation of chillies grown in a greenhouse

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 23; no. 24; pp. 25003 - 25023
• Main Authors: Al-Isawi, Rawaa H. K., Scholz, Miklas, Al-Faraj, Furat A. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural Irrigation - methods; Agricultural production; Agricultural water resources management; Agriculture; Aquatic Pollution; Artificial wetlands; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biomass; Capsicum - growth & development; Capsicum annuum; Chemical oxygen demand; Civil Engineering; Contamination; Crop Production - methods; Crop yield; Domestic wastewater; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecological sanitation; Ecotoxicology; Engineering and Technology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Health; Environmental pollution; Environmental science; Environmental studies; Filters; Food contamination & poisoning; Freshwater resources; Fruit - growth & development; Fruits; Greenhouses; Heavy metals; Hydrocarbon contamination; Hydrocarbons; Irrigation; Load distribution; Naturresursteknik; Nitrates; Nitrogen; Nutrient and trace mineral control; Nutrient availability; Pollution; Potassium; Recycling; Reed bed; Research Article; Samhällsbyggnadsteknik; Statistical analysis; Teknik; Vattenteknik; Vertical flow; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste Water - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater treatment; Water Engineering; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water quality; Water reclamation; Water resources management; Water treatment; Wetlands; Agricultural water resources management; Reed bed; Environmental pollution; Ecological sanitation; Hydrocarbon contamination; Nutrient and trace mineral control; Water reclamation; Capsicum annuum
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7706-x

In order to avoid environmental pollution and eliminate the need for using fertiliser, this study assessed for the first time the optimum performance of mature (in operation since 2011) vertical flow constructed wetlands in treating domestic wastewater (with and without hydrocarbon) and the subsequent recycling of the outflow to irrigate chillies (De Cayenne; Capsicum annuum (Linnaeus) Longum Group ‘De Cayenne’) grown in a greenhouse. Various variables were investigated to assess the treatment performance. Concerning chilli fruit numbers, findings showed that the highest fruit yields for all wetland filters were associated with those that received inflow wastewater with a high loading rate, reflecting the high nutrient availability in treated wastewater, which is of obvious importance for yield production. Findings also indicated that wetlands without hydrocarbon, small aggregate size, low contact time and low inflow loading rate provided high marketable yields (expressed in economic return). In comparison, chillies irrigated by filters with hydrocarbon contamination, small aggregate size, high contact time and high loading rate also resulted in high marketable yields of chillies, which pointed out the role of high contact time and high inflow load for better diesel degradation rates.