Phosphorus retention and mass balance in an integrated constructed wetland treating domestic wastewater

Dzakpasu, M; Scholz, M; McCarthy, V; Jordan, S

Abstract

This study quantified the contributions of different P removal pathways in an integrated constructed wetland (ICW) treating domestic wastewater. Findings over the study period (February 2008 to March 2012) showed average P retention rates of 31 ± 2 mg/m2/day for molybdate reactive phosphate (MRP) and 40 ± 3 mg/m2/day for total P. Near complete P removal was achieved during the first 2 years of operation. Thereafter, effluent concentrations increased slightly. According to the mass balance estimation, assimilation by plants accounted for approximately 16% of the total P retained, while sediment storage contributed nearly 60%. Sediment storage was the major P removal pathway in the ICW. Thus, high effluent concentrations recorded during high effluent flow volumes was due to remobilisation of P from the sediment. Management of ICW systems may therefore require implementing sediment removal schemes. The combination of plants with high biomass production can be beneficial for improving ICW performance.

Citation

Dzakpasu, M., Scholz, M., McCarthy, V., & Jordan, S. (2015). Phosphorus retention and mass balance in an integrated constructed wetland treating domestic wastewater. Water and Environment Journal, 29(2), 298-306. https://doi.org/10.1111/wej.12107

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Feb 9, 2015
• Publication Date: May 15, 2015
• Deposit Date: Mar 17, 2015
• Journal: Water and Environment Journal
• Print ISSN: 1747-6585
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-6593
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 298-306
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/wej.12107
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/wej.12107
• Related Public URLs: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1747-6593
• Additional Information: Funders : Monaghan County Council;Dundalk Institute of Technology