Abstract
Four vertical-flow constructed wetland systems were set up in the field in order to study the removal efficiency and possible enzymatic mechanism of the constructed wetlands in treating sewage containing different concentrations of dibutyl phthalate (DBP). Under DBP spiked concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/L, good DBP removal rates of 62.08, 82.17, and 84.17% were achieved, respectively. Meanwhile, certain removal effects of general water quality parameters were observed in all four constructed wetlands: with high average removal rates of nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 91.10~93.89 and 82.83~89.17%, respectively, with moderate removal efficiencies of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) of 44.59~49.67, 30.58~37.18, and 28.52~37.45%, respectively. Compared to the control, an increase of enzyme activities of urease, phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and nitrate reductase was observed in the treatments with DBP addition. In the presence of 0.5 mg/L of DBP concentration, the urease, phosphatase, and dehydrogenase activities reached the highest levels, with an increase of 350.02, 36.57, and 417.88% compared with the control, respectively. It appeared that the low concentration of DBP might better stimulate the release of enzymes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agudelo RM (2010) Simultaneous removal of chlorpyrifos and dissolved organic carbon using horizontal sub-surface flow pilot wetlands. Ecol Eng 36:1401–1408
Allison SD, Vitousen PM (2005) Responses of extracellular enzymes to simple and complex nutrient inputs. Soil Biol Biochem 37:937–944
APHA (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC
Baddam R, Reddy GB, Raczkowski C, Cyrus JS (2016) Activity of soil enzymes in constructed wetlands treated with swine wastewater. Ecol Eng 91:24–30
Beliles R, Salinas JA, Klune WM (1989) A review of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) risk assessments. Drug Metab Rev 21:3–12
Cui W, Zhang Y, Huang MS (2011) Activities of urease and phosphatase in integrated vertical flow constructed wetland and purification effect of black and odorous river. J Anhui Agric Sci 39:8016–8018 8022 (in Chinese)
Dordio A, Carvalho AJP, Teixeira DM, Dias, CB, Pinto AP (2010) Removal of pharmaceuticals in microcosm constructed wetlands using Typha spp. and LECA. Bioresour. Technol. 3:886-892.
Fountoulakis MS, Terzakis S, Kalogerakis N, Manios T (2009) Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and linear alkylbenzenesulfonates from domestic wastewater in pilot constructed wetlands and a gravel filter. Ecol Eng 35:1702–1709
Freeman C, Liska G, Ostle NJ, Jones SE, Lock MA (1995) The use of fluorogenic substrates for measuring enzyme activity in peatlands. Plant Soil 175:147–152
Fromme H, Küchler T, Otto T, Pilz K, Müller J, Wenzel A (2002) Occurrence of phthalates and bisphenol A and F in the environment. Water Res 36:1429–1438
Gale PM, Reddy KR, Graetz DA (1993) Nitrogen removal from reclaimed water applied to constructed and natural wetland microcosms. J Anhui Agric Sci 65:162–168
Hammer DA (1989) Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. Lewis Publishers Inc., Michigan, pp 5–20
Heudorf U, Mersch-Sundermann S, Angerer J (2007) Phthalates: toxicology and exposure. Int J Hyg Environ Health 210:623–634
Kang HJ, Freeman C, Lee D, Mitsch WJ (1998) Enzyme activities in constructed wetlands: implication for water quality amelioration. Hydrobiologia 368:231–235
Liang K, Dai YR, Wang FH, Liang W (2017) Seasonal variation of microbial community for the treatment of tail water in constructed wetland. Water Sci. Technol. 10, 2434-2442
Liang W, Wu ZB, Cheng SP, Zhou QH, Hu HY (2003) Roles of substrate microorganisms and urease activities in wastewater purification in a constructed wetland system. Ecol Eng 21:191–195
Liu XW, Shi JH, Bo T, Zhang H, Wu W, Chen Q (2014) Occurrence of phthalic acid esters in source waters: a nationwide survey in China during the period of 2009–2012. Environ Pollut 184:262–270
Margesin R, Walder G, Schinner F (2000) The impact of hydrocarbon remediation (diesel oil and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) on enzyme activities and microbial properties of soil. Acta Biotechnol 20:313–333
Matamoros V, Arias C, Brix H, Bayona JM (2009) Preliminary screening of small-scale domestic wastewater treatment systems for removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products. Water Res 43:55–62
Megharaj M, Singleton I, Kookana R, Naidu R (1999) Persistence and effects of fenamiphos on native algal populations and enzymatic activities in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 31:1549–1553
Mungur AS, Shutes RBE, Revitt DM (1997) An assessment of metal removal by a laboratory scale wetland. Water Sci Technol 35:125–133
Net S, Sempéré R, Delmont A, Paluselli A, Ouddane B (2015) Occurrence, fate, behavior and ecotoxicological state of phthalates in different environmental matrices. Environ Sci Technol 49:4019–4035
Ong S-A, Uchiyama K, Inadama D, Ishida YJ, Yamagiwa K (2013) Performance evaluation of laboratory scale up-flow constructed wetlands with different designs and emergent plants. Bioresour Technol 101:7239–7244
Pang GF, Gao XH, Gao J (2009) Dynamic effects of PAEs on soil urease and phosphatase. J Anhui Agric Sci 37:18,075–18,077 18,107 (in Chinese)
Peralta RM, Ahn C, Gillevet PM (2013) Characterization of soil bacterial community structure and physicochemical properties in created and natural wetlands. Sci Total Environ 443:725–732
Reddy, K.R., DeLaune, R.D., Craft, C.B., 2010. Nutrients in wetlands: implications to water quality under changing climatic conditions. In: Report to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Contract No. EP-C-09-001, pp. 1–48.
Reyes-Contreras C, Matamoros V, Ruiz I, Soto M, Bayona JM (2011) Evaluation of PPCPs removal in a combined anaerobic digester-constructed wetland pilot plant treating urban wastewater. Chemosphere 84:1200–1207
Romero JA, Comin FA, Garcia C (1999) Restored wetlands as filters to remove nitrogen. Environ Chem 39:323–332
Santino O, Roberta I, Salvatore B (2013) The distribution of phthalate esters in indoor dust of Palermo (Italy). Environ Geochem Health 35:613–624
Sinsabaugh RL, Antibus RK, Linkins AE, McClaugherty CA, Rayburn L, Repert D, Weiland T (1993) Wood decomposition: nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics in relation to extracellular enzyme activity. Ecology 74:1586–1593
Stanislaw B, Jolanta EB, Patryk O (2004) Enzymatic activity in an airfield soil polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Geoderma 118:221–232
Staples CA, Peterson DR, Parkerton TF, Adams WJ (1997) The environmental fate of phthalate esters: a literature review. Chemosphere 35:667–749
Tabatabai MA, Bremner JM (1969) Use of p-nitrophenyl phosphate for assay of soil phosphatase activity. Soil Biol Biochem 1:301–307
Tang XY, Wang SY, Yang Y, Tao R, Dai YN, A D, Li L (2015) Removal of six phthalic acid esters (PAEs) from domestic sewage by constructed wetlands. Chem Eng J 275:198–205
Tyler CR, Joblong S, Sumpter JP (1998) Endocrine disruption on wildlife: a critical review of the evidence. Crit Rev Toxicol 28:319–361
Verhoeven JTA, Meuleman AFM (1999) Wetlands for wastewater treatment: opportunities and limitations. Ecol Eng 12:5–12
Watanabe T (2001) Determination of dialkyl phthalates in high altitude atmosphere for validation of sampling method using a helicopter. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 66:456–463
Xu GH, Zheng HY (1986) Handbook of analysis of soil microorganism. Agriculture Press, Beijing, pp 249–291 (in Chinese)
Xu G, Li FS, Wang QH (2008) Occurrence and degradation characteristics of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in typical agricultural soils of China. Sci Total Environ 393:333–340
Yan Q, Feng, JZ, Gao X, Sun, CX, Guo JS, Zhu ZW (2016) Removal of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and toxicological response of Cyperus alternifolius exposed to PhACs in microcosm constructed wetlands. J Hazard Mater 301:566–575
Zantua MI, Bremner JM (1975) Comparison of methods of assaying urease activity in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 7:291–295
Zeng F, Cui KY, Xie ZY, Liu M, Li YJ, Lin YJ, Zeng ZX, Li FB (2008) Occurrence of phthalate esters in water and sediment of urban lakes in a subtropical city, Guangzhou, South China. Environ Int 34:372–380
Zeng F, Cui KY, Xie ZY, Wu LN, Luo DL, Chen LX, Lin YJ, Liu M, Sun GX (2009) Distribution of phthalate esters in urban soils of subtropical city, Guangzhou, China. J Hazard Mater 164:1171–1178
Zhang ZM, Zhang HH, Zhang J, Wang QW, Yang GP (2017) Occurrence, distribution, and ecological risks of phthalate esters in the seawater and sediment of Changjiang River Estuary and its adjacent area. Sci Total Environ 619:93–102
Zhang LL, Yue QY, Yang KL, Zhao P, Gao BY (2018) Enhanced phosphorus and ciprofloxacin removal in a modified BAF system by configuring Fe-C micro electrolysis: Investigation on pollutants removal and degradation mechanisms [J]. J Hazard Mater 342:705–714
Funding
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51578538) and Science and Science and Technology Promotion Project of Ministry of Water Resources (TG1520).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Qi, X., Li, T., Wang, F. et al. Removal efficiency and enzymatic mechanism of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) by constructed wetlands. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 23009–23017 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2384-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-2384-5