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Mixed culture of plants improved nutrient removal in constructed wetlands: response of microbes and root exudates

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Abstract

Root exudates are determined by plant species configuration and affect microbial community, which in turn affect purification efficiency of constructed wetlands (CWs). However, it is not well understood how plant configuration affects CW purification efficiency through specific root exudates. Herein, four mixed culture CWs were constructed; CW-G3 with Iris pseudacorus, Iris sibirica, Juncus effusus, and Hydrocotyle vulgaris showed the optimal diversity nutrients removal efficiency (TN: 94.2%, TP: 82.9%, COD: 74.7%). Highly increased antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase and catalase) reduced photosynthesis-negative enzyme (malondialdehyde) activity of plants in CW-G3, which ensured oxygen (O2) and organic carbon (OC) production and successfully released to rhizosphere by well-developed root aeration tissues. Further, CW-G3 enriched higher abundance of genus Saccharimonadales and Flavobacterium, which benefited nitrogen removal. Moreover, as OC, higher contents of maltose in CW-G3 (6.6 ~ 11.1-fold of that in other three CWs), as well as lauramide, choline, triethylamine and urocanic acid contributed to microbial denitrifying. Differently, higher contents of unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid and oleic acid) in other three CWs inhibited microbial nitrifying as inhibitors, which also proved by co-occurrent network. Thereby, plant configuration in CW-G3 provided higher O2 and OC contents for bacteria and reduced nitrifying inhibitors, which contributed to higher purifying efficiency. The study promoted the understanding about root exudates’ effects on bacteria through plant configurations and improved the purification efficiency of CWs.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 51909157]; National Key Research and Development Project [No. 2019YFC0408604]; Shanghai Rising Star Program [No. 19QC1401100]; Open Foundation of Hebei Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Conservation [No. hklk201912]; and Research project of ecological environment protection and restoration of Yangtze River in Zhoushan [No. SZGXZS2020068].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Engineering Research Center for Water Environment Ecology in Shanghai, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Zhufang Wang, Yinjing Zhang, Xiao Li, Jinkun Li & Zhimiao Zhao

  2. Chongqing Water Resources and Electric Engineering College, Chongqing, 402160, China

    Xin Hou

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  1. Zhufang Wang
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  2. Yinjing Zhang
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Contributions

Zhufang Wang: ideas, methodology, data, writing of the manuscript. Yinjiang Zhang: ideas, methodology. Xiao Li, Jinkun Li, and Xin Hou: data. Zhimiao Zhao: writing—review, supervision, and conceptualization. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.

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Wang, Z., Zhang, Y., Li, X. et al. Mixed culture of plants improved nutrient removal in constructed wetlands: response of microbes and root exudates. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 5861–5872 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22305-4

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