Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Treatment via the Living Machine system of blackwater collected from septic tanks: effect of different plant groups in the systems

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Living Machine (LW) was principle technology in the treatment of source-separated blackwater for resource recovery. In this study, three Living Machine (LM) systems planted with different phytocoenoses were operated in parallel to investigate the removal performance of blackwater from septic tank. Higher removal efficiency of turbidity, COD, NH4+-N, TN, and TP of 98.2%, 88.7% 86.5%, 61.2%, and 41.3%, respectively, was obtained in system 1. The floristics with better tolerance and reduction capacity of blackwater in five tanks were listed as follows: Canna indica L., Cyperus alternifolius, and Arundo donax var. versicolor Stokes of tank 3; Polygonum chinense L., Scirpus validus Vahl, Pontederia cordata L., Setcreasea pallida, and Hydrocotyle chinensis (Dunn) Craib of tank 4; and Myriophyllum verticillatum L. and Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid. of tank 5. Overall, the LM system with suit plant groups offered a more sustainable and economical solution for treating blackwater.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bateman, E. J., & Baggs, E. M. (2005). Contributions of nitrification and denitrification to N2O emissions from soils at different water-filled pore space. Biology & Fertility of Soils, 41(6), 379–388.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bisschops, I., Kjerstadius, H., Meulman, B., & Eekert, M. V. (2019). Integrated nutrient recovery from source-separated domestic wastewaters for application as fertilisers. Environmental Sustainability, 40, 7–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brix, H. (1994). Functions of macrophytes in constructed wetlands. Water Science & Technology, 29, 37–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buddhavarapu, L. R., & Hancock, S. J. (1991). Advanced treatment for lagoons using duckweed. Water Environment & Technology, 3, 41–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, D. Y., Gu, X. S., Zhu, W. Y., He, S. B., Wu, F., Huang, J. C., et al. (2019). Denitrification-and anammox-dominant simultaneous nitrification, anammox and denitrification (SNAD) process in subsurface flow constructed wetlands. Bioresource Technology, 271, 298–305.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J., Hench, K., Garbutt, K., Sexstone, A., Bissonnette, G., & Skousen, J. (2001). Treatment of Domestic Wastewater by Three Plant Species in Constructed Wetlands. Water Air & Soil Pollution, 128, 283–295.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Culley, D. D., & Epps, E. A. (1973). Use of Duckweed for Waste Treatment and Animal Feed. Journal, 45, 337–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong, C., Zhu, W., Zhao, Y. Q., & Gao, M. (2011). Diurnal fluctuations in root oxygen release rate and dissolved oxygen budget in wetland mesocosm. Desalination, 272, 254–258.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Du, S. T., Shentu, J. L., Luo, B. F., Shamsi, I. H., Lin, X. Y., Zhang, Y. S., et al. (2011). Facilitation of phosphorus adsorption onto sediment by aquatic plant debris. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 191, 212–218.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fan, Y., Li, G., Wu, L., Yang, W., Dong, C., Xu, H., et al. (2006). Treatment and reuse of toilet wastewater by an airlift external circulation membrane bioreactor. Process Biochemistry, 41, 1364–1370.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, M. J., Guo, B., Zhang, L., Zhang, Y. D., & Liu, Y. (2019). Microbial community dynamics in anaerobic digesters treating conventional and vacuum toilet flushed blackwater. Water Research., 160, 249–258.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gong, Y. P., Ni, Z. Y., Xiong, Z. Z., Cheng, L. H., & Xu, X. H. (2017). Phosphate and ammonium adsorption of the modified biochar based on Phragmites australis after phytoremediation. Environmental Science & Pollution Research, 24, 1–10.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haverl, R. (1991). Nutrient removal in a reed bed system. Water Science & Technology, 23, 729–737.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hua, Y. M., Peng, L., Zhang, S. H., Heal, K. V., Zhao, J. W., & Zhu, D. W. (2017). Effects of plants and temperature on nitrogen removal and microbiology in pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands treating domestic wastewater. Ecological Engineering, 108, 70–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, L. A., Wu, N. C., Tang, T., Li, D. F., & Cai, Q. H. (2010). Enrichment and removal of nutrients in eutrophic water by aquatic macrophytes. China Environmental Science, 30, 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hung, Y. T., Hawumba, J. F., & Wang, L. K. (2014). Living Machines for bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and water conservation. Modern Water Resources Engineering, 15, 681–713.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin, Z., Lv, C., Zhao, M., Zhang, Y., Huang, X., Bei, K., et al. (2018a). Black water collected from the septic tank treated with a living machine system: HRT effect and microbial community structure. Chemosphere, 210, 745–752.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jin, Z., Xie, X., Zhou, J., Bei, K., Zhang, Y., Huang, X., et al. (2018b). Blackwater treatment using vertical greening: Efficiency and microbial community structure. Bioresource Technology, 249, 175–181.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, L., Yang, Y., Tam, N. F. Y., Yang, L., Mei, X. Q., & Yang, F. J. (2013). Growth characteristics of six wetland plants and their influences on domestic wastewater treatment efficiency. Ecological Engineering, 60, 382–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, T. (2001). Water and wastewater & environmental engineering., 19, 146–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohan, S. V., Mohanakrishna, G., Chiranjeevi, P., Peri, D., & Sarma, P. N. (2010). Ecologically engineered system (EES) designed to integrate floating, emergent and submerged macrophytes for the treatment of domestic sewage and acid rich fermented-distillery wastewater: Evaluation of long term performance. Bioresource Technology., 101, 3363–3370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paulo, P. L., Azevedo, C., Begosso, L., Galbiati, A. F., & Boncz, M. A. (2013). Natural systems treating greywater and blackwater on-site: Integrating treatment, reuse and landscaping. Ecological Engineering, 50, 95–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rejmánková, E. (1975). Comparison of Lemna gibba and Lemna minor from the production ecological viewpoint. Aquatic Botany, 1, 423–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, K. H., Breen, P. F., & Chick, A. J. (1991). Nitrogen removal in experimental wetland treatment systems: evidence for the role of aquatic plants. Research Journal of the Water Pollution Control Federation, 63, 934–941.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steen, P. V. D., Brenner, A., Buuren, J. V., & Oron, G. (1999). Post-treatment of UASB reactor effluent in an integrated duckweed and stabilization pond system. Water Research, 33, 615–620.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todd, J., Brown, E. J. G., & Wells, E. (2003). Ecological design applied. Ecological Engineering, 20, 421–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S.EPA. (2002). Wastewater technology fact sheet: The Living Machine. Carpsan Com, pp. 35–52.

  • U.S.EPA. (2001). The Living Machine wastewater treatment technology: An evaluation of performance and system cost.

  • Wang, H. J., Zhu, S. K., Qu, B., Zhang, Y., & Fan, B. (2018). Anaerobic treatment of source-separated domestic bio-wastes with an improved up-flow solid reactor at a short HRT. Journal of environmental sciences., 66, 255–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, A. (1995). Constructed wetlands in water pollution control: Fundamentals to their understanding. Water Science & Technology., 32, 21–29.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, S., Kuschk, P., Brix, H., Vymazal, J., & Dong, R. (2014). Development of constructed wetlands in performance intensifications for wastewater treatment: A nitrogen and organic matter targeted review. Water Research., 57, 40–55.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeeman, G., & Lettinga, G. (1999). The role of anaerobic digestion of domestic sewage in closing the water and nutrient cycle at community level. Water Science and Technology, 39, 187–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, X. B., Liu, P., Yang, Y. S., & Chen, W. R. (2007). Phytoremediation of urban wastewater by model wetlands with ornamental hydrophytes. Journal of Environmental Sciences., 19, 902–909.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zurita, F., Anda, J. D., & Belmont, M. A. (2009). Treatment of domestic wastewater and production of commercial flowers in vertical and horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands. Ecological Engineering, 35, 861–869.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project (No. 2013ZX0731200101) and Major Project of Science and Technology in Zhejiang Province (No. 2015C03G2250001).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325000, China

    Li Tian, Lu Jinzhong, Yang Shenglin, Zhao Min & Zheng Xiangyong

  2. National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Ecological Treatment Technology for Urban Water Pollution, Wenzhou, 32500, China

    Li Tian, Lu Jinzhong, Yang Shenglin, Zhao Min & Zheng Xiangyong

  3. Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, China

    Ye Zhourong

  4. School of Environmental Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    Kong Hainan

Authors
  1. Li Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lu Jinzhong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yang Shenglin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ye Zhourong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zhao Min
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Kong Hainan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Zheng Xiangyong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ye Zhourong or Zheng Xiangyong.

Additional information

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

Tian, L., Jinzhong, L., Shenglin, Y. et al. Treatment via the Living Machine system of blackwater collected from septic tanks: effect of different plant groups in the systems. Environ Dev Sustain 23, 1964–1975 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00658-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00658-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation