Phosphorus removal in a vertical upflow constructed wetland system.
Mechanisms for P removal in a vertical upflow macrophyte system were studied in controlled laboratory columns filled with sand and planted with Phragmites australis. Substrate P removal was shown to increase with flow rate, a parameter which can be enhanced through effluent recirculation. An alternative substrate (leca, light expanded clay aggregate) provided improved equilibrium adsorption characteristics, but uncrushed and within the kinetic constraints of a macrophyte system gave no improvement for P adsorption over sand. Intermittent loading of the sand based macrophyte system permitted control of the P concentration, with lower effluent peak concentrations for increased resting interval (no P inflow). Where P loading was targeted, continuous flow provided the optimum mass removal conditions.
Farahbakhshazad
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Department of Applied Environmental Science, Göteborg University, P.O. Box 464, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. neda@miljo.gu.se
Morrison
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GM
D000327:Adsorption; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D017753:Ecosystem; D005374:Filtration; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006109:Poaceae; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014872:Water Movements; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
D010758:Phosphorus; D012822:Silicon Dioxide