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Phosphorus retention and mass balance in an integrated constructed wetland treating domestic wastewater
Author(s) -
Dzakpasu Mawuli,
Scholz Miklas,
McCarthy Valerie,
Jordan Siobhán
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
water and environment journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1747-6593
pISSN - 1747-6585
DOI - 10.1111/wej.12107
Subject(s) - effluent , wetland , sediment , environmental science , wastewater , phosphorus , environmental engineering , phosphate , sewage treatment , constructed wetland , environmental chemistry , chemistry , geology , ecology , organic chemistry , biology , paleontology
This study quantified the contributions of different P removal pathways in an integrated constructed wetland ( ICW ) treating domestic wastewater. Findings over the study period ( F ebruary 2008 to M arch 2012) showed average P retention rates of 31 ± 2 mg/m 2 /day for molybdate reactive phosphate ( MRP ) and 40 ± 3 mg/m 2 /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.