Pollutant Removal Efficiency of Pilot-Scale Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands Treating Landfill Leachate
Source abstract
Abstract
Landfill leachate contains various organic and inorganic substances resulting from the decomposition of solid waste. The treatment of this complex mixture is an imperative need for environmental protection. This study used five pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow (HSF) constructed wetland (CW) units to treat landfill leachate. The main objective was the evaluation of the performance of CW units in the removal of pollutants. The effect of porous media (gravel and zeolite), plants (common reed and cattail), and hydraulic residence time (HRT, 8 and 10 days) were investigated. Two pilot-scale CW units differed in HRT, two in porous media, and three in planting. The results showed that the planted CW units had higher organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (TKN, NH4-N) removal compared with the unplanted unit. The 10-day HRT CW unit had higher average removal rates for all pollutants compared with the CW unit with an 8-day HRT. Finally, the CW unit with zeolite (25%, by volume) in the fill material showed higher average removal rates for OM and nitrogen compared to the unit with gravel.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
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Affiliations
Laboratory of Ecological Engineering and Technology, Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece
Laboratory of Agricultural Pharmacology and Ecotoxicology, Faculty of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, 193 Pantazidou, 68200 Orestias, Greece
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