Impact of hydraulic loading rate and season on water contaminant reductions within integrated constructed wetlands

Dong, Y; Wiliński, PR; Dzakpasu, M; Scholz, M

Abstract

The impact of hydraulic loading rate (HLR) and
seasonal temperature on contaminant removal efficiencies
within an integrated constructed wetland (ICW) system of
3.25 ha was assessed. The ICW system was designed to
treat domestic wastewater from Glaslough (Ireland). The
current loading rate is 800 population equivalents. The
system has shown good removal performances (2008 to
2010). Mean concentration removal efficiencies were high:
92% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 98% for the
5 days at 20°CN-allylthiourea biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD), 94% for total suspended solids (TSS), 97% for
ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N), 90% for nitrate-nitrogen
(NO3-N), 96% for total nitrogen (TN), and 96% for
molybdate reactive phosphate (MRP). The mean mass
removal efficiencies were 92% for COD, 98% for BOD,
96% for TSS, 92% for NH3-N, 83% for NO3-N, 90% for
TN, and 91% for MRP. Loading rate fluctuations were
mainly due to high variation in rainfall (0.4 to 400 m3 day-1)
and in evapotranspiration rate (0 to 262 m3 day-1). The
influence on the removal efficiencies of the hydraulic
loading rate (−0.7 to 15.3 cm day-1), which was based on
overall water balance, was negligible. This implies that the
large footprint of the system provides a high hydraulic
retention time (92 days).

Citation

Dong, Y., Wiliński, P., Dzakpasu, M., & Scholz, M. (2011). Impact of hydraulic loading rate and season on water contaminant reductions within integrated constructed wetlands. Wetlands, 31(3), 499-509. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-011-0176-5

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Mar 21, 2012
• Journal: Wetlands
• Print ISSN: 0277-5212
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 499-509
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-011-0176-5
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13157-011-0176-5