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Influence of operational parameters on nutrient removal from eutrophic water in a constructed wetland

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Abstract

The present study offers several management strategies in order to improve the performance of a free water surface constructed wetland that treats mainly eutrophic water and which is also designed to improve and increase the biodiversity of habitat and wildlife. To attain these goals, it has been necessary to analyze the influence of certain operational parameters and environmental factors on the mass removal rates (MRRs) and the mass removal efficiencies (MREs), depending on if the objective is to maximize nutrient removal or to achieve low effluent concentrations. The system, referred to as FG, operated in a range of hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) from 7 to 58 m year−1 and removed phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) at an average rate of 7.15 g P m−2 year−1 and 60.07 g N m−2 year−1. P and N removal varied seasonally, mainly due to input concentrations (C in), but inlet mass loading and HLRs also strongly influenced MRRs. Based on these results, we propose to maintain a mean HLR of 58 m year−1 in winter and 25 m year−1 in summer to increase annual nutrient removal and thereby barely affecting pumping costs.

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Abbreviations

FWSCWs:

Free water surface constructed wetlands

FG:

The FWSCW studied

MRRs:

Mass removal rates

MREs:

Mass removal efficiencies

HLRs:

Hydraulic loading rates

P:

Phosphorus

N:

Nitrogen

C in :

Input concentrations

IML:

Inlet mass loading

AV Lake:

l’Albufera de València Lake

AVNP:

l’Albufera de València Natural Park

CWs:

Constructed wetlands

BP:

Barranco del Poyo

DIN:

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen

DIP:

Orthophosphates

n-DIP:

Non-orthophosphate phosphorus

DO:

Dissolved oxygen

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Acknowledgements

Núria Oliver acknowledges the scholarship provided by the Generalitat Valenciana, Spain (VALi + D PhD Program). The authors are also grateful to the Confederación Hidrográfica del Jucar (CHJ, MMARM) for the financial support of the project.

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  1. Instituto Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Cno. de Vera s/n., Valencia, Spain

    Núria Oliver, Miguel Martín, Sara Gargallo & Carmen Hernández-Crespo

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  1. Núria Oliver
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  2. Miguel Martín
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  4. Carmen Hernández-Crespo
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Correspondence to Núria Oliver or Carmen Hernández-Crespo.

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Oliver, N., Martín, M., Gargallo, S. et al. Influence of operational parameters on nutrient removal from eutrophic water in a constructed wetland. Hydrobiologia 792, 105–120 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-3048-4

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