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Effect of High Organic Loading Rates of Particulate and Dissolved Organic Matter on the Efficiency of Shallow Experimental Horizontal Subsurface-flow Constructed Wetlands

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Abstract

Two identical experimental subsurface-flow constructed wetlands were operated at relatively high organic loading rates (23 g COD m−2 day−1) for 4 months to evaluate their relative ability to remove either dissolved organic carbon (glucose, considered to be a readily biodegradable substrate) or particulate organic carbon (starch, considered to be a slowly biodegradable substrate). The systems were built using plastic containers (0.93 m long, 0.59 m wide and 0.52 m high) that were filled with an 0.35 m layer of wetted gravel (D60 = 3.5 mm, uniformity coefficient Cu = D60/D10 = 1.7) and the water level was maintained at 0.05 m under the gravel surface to give a water depth of 0.30 m. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in COD removal between the two systems. Both systems generally had COD removal rates of over 90%, which is quite high if the heavy load applied is taken into account. The removal of ammonium was greater in the glucose-fed system (57%) in comparison with the starch-fed system (43%). Based on mass balance calculations and stoichiometric relationships, it was estimated that denitrification and sulphate reduction were minor pathways for the removal of organic matter. Indirect observations allowed to assume that methanogenesis made a highly significant contribution to the removal of organic matter.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their gratitude to Emma Segú, Ana Pedescoll, Cristina Ramos and Eduardo Álvarez for their kind and invaluable help in the experimental work. The results of this study were obtained thanks to a grant awarded by the Spanish Department of Education and Science, research project REN2002-04113-C03-03. The first author wishes to thank the University of the Atlantic (Colombia) for the grant to carry out PhD studies in Spain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Hydraulic, Maritime and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Catalonia, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, Mòdul D-1, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Aracelly Caselles-Osorio, Alessandro Porta, Montserrat Porras & Joan García

  2. Department of Biology, Atlantic University, Km 7 Highway Old Colombia Port, Barranquilla, Colombia

    Aracelly Caselles-Osorio

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  1. Aracelly Caselles-Osorio
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  2. Alessandro Porta
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  3. Montserrat Porras
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  4. Joan García
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Correspondence to Joan García.

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Caselles-Osorio, A., Porta, A., Porras, M. et al. Effect of High Organic Loading Rates of Particulate and Dissolved Organic Matter on the Efficiency of Shallow Experimental Horizontal Subsurface-flow Constructed Wetlands. Water Air Soil Pollut 183, 367–375 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9385-1

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