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Influence of earthworm Eisenia fetida on removal efficiency of N and P in vertical flow constructed wetland

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Abstract

This study investigates biomass, density, photosynthetic activity, and accumulation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in three wetland plants (Canna indica, Typha augustifolia, and Phragmites austrail) in response to the introduction of the earthworm Eisenia fetida into a constructed wetland. The removal efficiency of N and P in constructed wetlands were also investigated. Results showed that the photosynthetic rate (P n), transpiration rate (T r), and stomatal conductance (S cond) of C. indica and P. austrail were (p < 0.05) significantly higher when earthworms were present. The addition of E. fetida increased the N uptake value by above-ground of C. indica, T. augustifolia, and P. australis by 185, 216, and 108 %, respectively; and its P uptake value increased by 300, 355, and 211 %, respectively. Earthworms could enhance photosynthetic activity, density, and biomass of wetland plants in constructed wetland, resulting in the higher N and P uptake. The addition of E. fetida into constructed wetland increased the removal efficiency of TN and TP by 10 and 7 %, respectively. The addition of earthworms into vertical flow constructed wetland increased the removal efficiency of TN and TP, which was related to higher photosynthetic activity and N and P uptake. The addition of earthworms into vertical flow constructed wetland and plant harvests could be the significantly sustainable N and P removal strategy.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 40901257), Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology (grant nos. KYQ1206 and JKLAM2012 01) and a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Defu Xu & Yingxue Li

  2. Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AB, UK

    Alan Howard

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  1. Defu Xu
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  2. Yingxue Li
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  3. Alan Howard
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Correspondence to Defu Xu.

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Responsible editor: Hailong Wang

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Xu, D., Li, Y. & Howard, A. Influence of earthworm Eisenia fetida on removal efficiency of N and P in vertical flow constructed wetland. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 5922–5929 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1860-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1860-1

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