Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of different substrates on nitrogen and phosphorus removal in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the nitrogen and phosphorus removal performance of the horizontal submerged constructed wetland (HSCW) with Ti-bearing blast furnace slag (T). Another two HSCWs, with the converter steelmaking slag (G) and the stone (S) as wetland substrates, respectively, were simultaneously running as control. The results showed that the nitrogen and phosphorus removal capacities of the T-HSCW were generally better than those of another two HSCWs. When the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 6 days, the effluent concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and total nitrogen (TN) were 6.66 mg L−1 and 14.02 mg L−1, respectively, and the removal rates of NH4+-N and TN reached 77.54% and 71.07%, respectively. The T-HSCW had better removal efficiency of phosphorus. The effluent concentration of total phosphorus (TP) was lower than 0.3 mg L−1, and the maximum removal rate could reach 98%. Through the characterization of the three substrates before and after experiments, it was found that the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus by T and G mainly relied on chemical adsorption, while S mainly relied on physical adsorption. Ti could also promote the absorption of nitrogen by plants and increase the nitrogen removal capacity of T-HSCWs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albuquerque A, Oliveira J, Semitela S, Amaral L (2009) Influence of bed media characteristics on ammonia and nitrate removal in shallow horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland. Bioresour Technol 100:6269–6277

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bowden LI, Jarvis AP, Younger PL, Johnson KL (2009) Phosphorus removal from waste waters using basic oxygen steel slag. Environ Sci Technol 43:2476–2481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bueno E, Mania D, Frostegard A, Bedmar EJ, Bakken LR, Delgado MJ (2015) Anoxic growth of Ensifer meliloti 1021 by N2O-reduction, a potential mitigation strategy. Front Microbiol 6:537–547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixit S, Dixit A, Kumar P (2014) Nonsurgical treatment of two periapical lesions with calcium hydroxide using two different vehicles. Case Rep Dent 2014:1–4

    Google Scholar 

  • Donoso MV, Bates F, Montiel J, Huidobro-Toro JP (2015) Modelling the continuous calcination of CaCO3 in a ca-looping system. Chem Eng J 215:174–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Dordio AV, Carvalho AJP (2013) Organic xenobiotics removal in constructed wetlands, with emphasis on the importance of the support matrix. J Hazard Mater 10:252–253 272–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Drizo A, Forget C, Chapuis RP, Comeau Y (2006) Phosphorus removal by electric arc furnace steel slag and serpentinite. Water Res 40:1547–1554

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaspard M, Neveu A, Martin G (1983) Utilisation de la clinoptilolite en potabilisation deseaux—elimination de l'ion NH4 +. Water Res 17:279–288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gautier M, Muller F, Forestier LL, Beny JM, Guegan R (2010) NH-smectite: characterization, hydration properties and hydro mechanical behavior. Appl Clay Sci 49:247–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giergiczny E, Giergiczny Z (1988) Hydration studies on the system pulverized fly ash—ca(OH)2-CaCl2 using DTA and TG. J Therm Anal 33:821–825

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo ZY, Martucci NJ, Olivas FM, Tako E, Mahler GJ (2017) Titanium dioxide nanoparticle ingestion alters nutrient absorption in an in vitro model of the small intestine. Nanolmpact 5:70–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamdan R, Razi MAM, Zulkafli NF (2017) The effect of HLRs on nitrogen removal by using a pilot-scale aerated steel slag system. Matec Web of Conferences:1–6

  • Jiang FY, Wang XD, Wu DZ (2014) Design and synthesis of magnetic microcapsules based on n -eicosane core and Fe3O4 /SiO2 hybrid shell for dual-functional phase change materials. Appl Energy 134:456–468

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karageorgiou K, Paschalis M, Anastassakis GN (2007) Removal of phosphate species from solution by adsorption onto calcite used as natural adsorbent. J Hazard Mater 139:447–452

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kleiber T (2012) Effect of titanium application on lettuce growth under Mn stress. J Elem 22:329–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Koon JH, Kaufman WJ (1975) Ammonia removal from municipal wastewaters by ion exchange. J Water Pollut Control Feder 47:448–465

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu L (2011) Study on wet process of steel slag. Dissertation, Northeast University. (in Chinese)

  • Liu HW, Dong YH, Wang HY, Liu Y (2010) Ammonium adsorption from aqueous solutions by strawberry leaf powder: equilibrium, kinetics and efficiencys of coexisting ions. Desalination 263:70–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu SH, Wei XY, Chen JJ, Wang C, Wang XM, Pan DM (2017) Titanium as a beneficial element for crop production. Front Plant Sci 8:597–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma XG, Liu JM, Han C (2009) Experiment of titanium-bearing blast furnace slag adsorbing phosphorus in water. J N Univer 9:1286–1290 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mihailova B, Gasharova B, Konstantinov L (2015) Influence of non-tetrahedral cations on Si-O vibrations in complex silicates. J Raman Spectrosc 27:829–833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller RL, Jensen BJ, Munns BT, Cardon GE (2011) Use of steel slag to remove dissolved phosphorus from lagoon supernatant. Trans Asae Am Soc Agricul Eng 54:191–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Mou Z (2005) Preparation and characterization of pillared hydrotalcite and its composite oxide catalysts. Dissertation, Shandong University. (in Chinese)

  • Pai A, Mccarthy B (2010) Suitability of the medicinal plant, acorus calamus L., for wetland restoration. Nat Areas J 30:380–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu RF, Cheng FQ, Gao R, Li JF (2014) Ammonia nitrogen removal from micro-polluted river by permeable reactive barriers: lab-scale study with steel slag and fly ash brick in combination as reactive media. Desalin Water Treat 52:365–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qu HQ, Wu WH, Wu HJ, Xie JX, Xu JZ (2011) Study on the effects of flame retardants on the thermal decomposition of wood by TG–MS. J Therm Anal Calorim 103:935–942

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sakadevan K, Bavor HJ (1998) Phosphate adsorption characteristics of soils, slags and zeolite to be used as substrates in constructed wetland systems. Water Res 32:393–399

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seyedahmadian M, Houshyarazar S, Amirshaghaghi A (2013) Synthesis and characterization of nanosized of spinel LiMn2O4 via sol-gel and freeze drying methods. Bull Kor Chem Soc 34(2):622–628

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stefanakis AI, Akratos CS, Gikas GD, Tsihrintzis VA (2009) Effluent quality improvement of two pilot-scale, horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands using natural zeolite (Clinoptilolite). Microporous Mesoporous Mater 124:131–143

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sui ZT, Zhang PX (1997) Selective precipitating behavior of the boron components from the boron stags. Acta Metall Sin 33:943–951

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tietz A, Kirschner A, Langergraber G, Sleytr K, Haberl R (2007) Characterisation of microbial biocoenosis in vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands. Sci Total Environ 380:163–172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang R, Korboulewsky N, Prudent P, Domeizel M, Rolando C, Bonin G (2014a) Feasibility of using an organic substrate in a wetland system treating wastewater sludge: impact of plant species. Bioresour Technol 101:51–57

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XG, Lü SY, Gao CM, Xu XB, Zhang XJ, Bai X, Liu MZ, Wu L (2014b) Highly efficient adsorption of ammonium onto palygorskite nanocomposite and evaluation of its recovery as a multifunctional slow-release fertilizer. Chem Eng J 252:404–414

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang M, Zhao T, Wang G, Zhou J (2014c) Blend films of human hair and cellulose prepared from an ionic liquid. Text Res J 84:1315–1324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu JM, He F, Xu D, Wang R, Zhang XL, Xiao ER, Wu ZB (2011) Phosphorus removal by laboratory-scale unvegetated vertical-flow constructed wetland systems using anthracite, steel slag and related blends as substrate. Water Sci Technol 63(11):2719–2724

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamauchi S, Nagata K, Sato S (2009) Hydrogen absorption of titanium heat exchanger tubes in MSF desalination plants. Zairyo Kankyo 32:311–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang J, Ren J, Jia G, Tao T, Song F (2011) Characterization of modified Hβ zeolite and its application to catalytic modification of methanol gasoline. Petrochem Technol 40:146–150 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang N, Kuang S, Yue Y (2015) Infrared spectra analysis of several common anhydrous carbonate minerals. J Mineral Petrol 35:37–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu XZ, Cui LH, Wen XL, Tuo X (2003) Removal efficiency of different substrates used in vertical flow constructed wetlands for treating municipal wastewater. J Agro-Environ Sci 22:454–457 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work is supported by National Water Pollution Control and Treatment Science and Technology Major Project (2017ZX07203-003) and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China (BK20171478).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Rui Xu, Yong Zhang, Rong Liu, Yun Cao, Guoxiang Wang, Lingchen Ji & Yifan Xu

  2. Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Materials Cycling and Pollution Controlling, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Rui Xu, Yong Zhang, Rong Liu, Yun Cao, Guoxiang Wang, Lingchen Ji & Yifan Xu

  3. Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, 210023, China

    Rui Xu, Yong Zhang, Rong Liu, Yun Cao, Guoxiang Wang, Lingchen Ji & Yifan Xu

Authors
  1. Rui Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yong Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rong Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yun Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Guoxiang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lingchen Ji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yifan Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rong Liu.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xu, R., Zhang, Y., Liu, R. et al. Effects of different substrates on nitrogen and phosphorus removal in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 16229–16238 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04945-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04945-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation