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Floating Wetlands: A Sustainable Tool for Wastewater Treatment
Author(s) -
Shahid Munazzam Jawad,
Arslan Muhammad,
Ali Shafaqat,
Siddique Muhammad,
Afzal Muhammad
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
clean – soil, air, water
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1863-0669
pISSN - 1863-0650
DOI - 10.1002/clen.201800120
Subject(s) - wastewater , environmental science , wetland , effluent , sewage treatment , stormwater , environmental remediation , organic matter , environmental engineering , industrial wastewater treatment , nutrient , constructed wetland , surface runoff , waste management , contamination , ecology , biology , engineering
Floating treatment wetland (FTW) is an effective and sustainable technology for wastewater treatment. It has been widely adopted for treating various kinds of polluted water including agricultural runoff, stormwater, industrial effluents, etc. In FTWs, plants are vegetated on a floating mat while their roots are extended down to the contaminated water hence acting as biological filters. Nutrients and potentially toxic metal(s)/element(s) are taken up from the wastewater by plants through their roots whereas organic matter is degraded by the microorganisms forming biofilms on the roots and mat surface. Additionally, organic contaminants which are already taken up by the plants are degraded by endophytic bacteria in planta . This article provides an overview of FTWs and their application for wastewater treatment. The key factors which have an impact on the performance of FTWs are also described. Lastly, the potential role of combined use of plants and bacteria in FTWs for the maximum remediation of polluted water is emphasized.