Abstract
Treating wastewater with low carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios by constructed wetlands (CWs) is still problematic. Adding chemicals is costly and may cause secondary pollution. Configuring plant diversity in substrate-based CWs has been found to be a better way to treat low-C/N wastewater, but wastewater treatment in floating CWs needs to be studied. In this study, wastewater with C/N ratios of 5 and 10 were set in simulated floating CWs, and 9 combinations with plant species richness (SR) of 1, 3, and 4 were configured. The results showed that (1) increasing SR improved the total N mass removal (NMR) by 29% at a C/N ratio of 5 but not 10; (2) the presence of Oenanthe javanica in the microcosms increased the NMR by 13% and 20% with C/N ratios of 5 and 10, respectively; (3) increasing SR mitigated the net global warming potential (GWP) by 120% at a C/N ratio of 5 but not 10; and (4) a Hemerocallis fulva × O. javanica × Echinodorus parviflours × Iris hybrids mixture resulted in a high NMR and low net GWP. In summary, assembling plant diversity in floating CWs is an efficient and clean measure during the treatment of wastewater with a C/N ratio of 5.
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We thank Lei He, Bin Luo, Shaodan Niu, and Lichunxiao Wang for their assistance in the field and laboratory works.
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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 41901242 and 31770434) and “Pioneer” and “Leading Goose” R&D Program of Zhejiang (2022C02038).
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Ying Ge, Jie Chang, and Yuanyuan Du designed the experiments. Chenxu Xiang, Hang Jiang, Hua Liu, Yu An, and Yu Liu performed the experiments. Chenxu Xiang analyzed the data. Chenxu Xiang, Ying Ge, and Jie Chang wrote the first manuscript. Yuanyuan Du, Wenjuan Han, and Baohua Guan provided editorial advice in the process of writing the article, and all authors provided insights throughout the completion of the manuscript.
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Xiang, C., Du, Y., Han, W. et al. Proper C/N ratio enhances the effect of plant diversity on nitrogen removal and greenhouse effect mitigation in floating constructed wetlands. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31, 12036–12051 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-31985-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-31985-z