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Removal of micro-pollutants from urban wastewater by constructed wetlands with Phragmites australis and Salix matsudana

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Abstract

This study assessed the ability to remove micro-pollutants from wastewater using herbaceous species (Phragmites australis L.) and trees (Salix matsudana Koidz.) in constructed wetland (CW) systems. The targets of the study were as follows: (i) pharmaceuticals like diclofenac, ketoprofen, and atenolol; (ii) 4-n-NP (4-n-nonylphenol) and the ethoxylated derivatives monoethoxylated nonylphenol (NP1EO) and diethoxylated nonylphenol (NP2EO); (iii) triclosan, a bactericide used in personal care products. The 12 CW systems, filled with clay and gravel, were irrigated with wastewater from municipal area of Pagnana (Tuscany, Italy) and influent and effluent water samples analyzed periodically by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The removal efficiency of CWs planted with willow and common red ranged from 8.4 up to 100%, with the higher removal efficiency for triclosan. On the contrary, the removal efficiency of NPs and NPEOs appears lower than pharmaceuticals. Data demonstrated that P. australis efficiently removed NP, diclofenac, and atenolol, while S. matsudana preferentially removed NP1EO, NP2EO, ketoprofene, and triclosan. A specific selection of plants used in CWs could be exploited for the removal of specific xenobiotics from wastewater.

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Funding

This research project has been co-funded by the Department of Biology University of Pisa and Acque Spa.

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Author notes

  1. Alessandra Francini and Lorenzo Mariotti contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, I-56127, Pisa, Italy

    Alessandra Francini & Luca Sebastiani

  2. Department of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Lorenzo Mariotti

  3. Department of Biology, University of Pisa, V. L. Ghini 13, I-56126, Pisa, Italy

    Simona Di Gregorio & Andrea Andreucci

Authors
  1. Alessandra Francini
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  2. Lorenzo Mariotti
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  3. Simona Di Gregorio
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  4. Luca Sebastiani
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  5. Andrea Andreucci
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simona Di Gregorio.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Francini, A., Mariotti, L., Di Gregorio, S. et al. Removal of micro-pollutants from urban wastewater by constructed wetlands with Phragmites australis and Salix matsudana. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 36474–36484 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3582-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3582-x

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