Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sustainability of constructed wetlands using biochar as effective absorbent for treating wastewaters

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Energy and Water Resources Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Coconut shell as biochar was acquired by warm disintegration of natural material under limited supply of oxygen. It offers basic and financially savvy techniques to treat wastewater and diminishing carbon impression. Combination of both (constructed wetland and biochar) advancements was established to expand the efficiency in the treatment of domestic and tannery wastewater. Reduction in parameters such as pH, turbidity, and other physico-chemical parameters from domestic and tannery wastewater utilizing biochar from coconut shell was researched by blending the biochar with the wetland soil. The biochar altered wetlands demonstrated noteworthy reduction efficiencies of 99.9% and 85% in turbidity and TDS when contrasted with the normal wetlands which showed an effectiveness of 98% and 77.7% in reducing turbidity and TDS, for domestic wastewater. For tannery wastewater, the biochar mixed wetlands demonstrated a reduction efficiency of 99% and 83% in turbidity and TDS, separately when contrasted with the ordinary wetlands which displayed a reduction efficiency of 87% and 74% in reducing turbidity and TDS. The normal wetlands showed better productivity of 93% in nitrogen reduction when contrasted with biochar wetlands with a reduction efficiency of 77%. Concentration of Cr has been diminished marginally more in biochar wetlands.

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
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Fattah, T. M., Mahmoud, M. E., Ahmed, S. B., Huff, M. D., Lee, J. W., & Kumar, S. (2014). Biochar from woody biomass for removing metal contaminants and carbon sequestration. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 22, 103–109.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bolduc, M., Dorais, M., Gravel, V., Rochette, P., & Antoun, H. (2012). Enrichment of artificial wetlands with biochar to improve their efficiency and reduce N2O emission. http://www.oacc.info/COSC/. Accessed 16 Jan 2017.

  • Bozorgi, M., Abbasizadeh, S., Samani, F., & Mousavi, S. E. (2018). Performance of synthesized cast and electrospun PVA/chitosan/ZnO-NH2 nano-adsorbents in single and simultaneous adsorption of cadmium and nickel ions from wastewater. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 25(18), 17457–17472.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Calheiros, C. S. C., Rangel, A. O. S. S., & Castro, P. M. L. (2007). Constructed wetland systems vegetated with different plants applied to the treatment of tannery wastewater. Water Research, 41, 1790–1798.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deeptha, V. T., Sudarsan, J. S., & Baskar, G. (2015). Performance and cost evaluation of constructed wetland for domestic waste water treatment. Journal of Environmental Biology, 36(5), 1071–1074.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dong, X., Ma, L. Q., & Li, Y. (2011). Characteristics and mechanisms of hexavalent chromium removal by using biochar from sugar beet tailing. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 190, 909–915.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EPA. (1988). Design manual of constructed wetlands and aquatic plant systems for municipal wastewater treatment, EPA/625/1-88/022.

  • EPA. (1999). Manual-constructed wetlands treatment of municipal wastewaters, EPA/625/R-99/010, September 1999, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

  • EPR. (1996). The environment (protection) rules, India.

  • Foereid, B. (2015). Biochar in nutrient recycling: The effect and its use in wastewater treatment. Open Journal of Soil Science, 5, 39–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, P., Ann, T. W., & Lee, S. M. (2015). Use of biochar to enhance constructed wetland performance in wastewater reclamation. Environmental Engineering Research, 21(1), 36–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haynesa, R. J. (2014). Use of industrial wastes as media in constructed wetlands and filter beds—Prospects for removal of phosphate and metals from wastewater streams. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology.

  • Inyang, M., Gao, B., Yao, Y., Xue, Y., Zimmerman, A. R., Pullammanappallil, P., et al. (2012). Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution by biochars derived from anaerobically digested biomass. Bioresource Technology, 110, 50–56.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, B. I., Musa, A. E., Ibrahim, E. H., Salma, A. A. S., & Babiker, M. E. (2014). Evaluation and characterization of tannery wastewater. Journal of Forest Products & Industries, 3(3), 141–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jahan, M. A. A., Akhtar, N., Khan, N. M. S., Roy, C. K., Islam, R., & Nurunnabi, M. (2014). Characterization of tannery wastewater and its treatment by aquatic macrophytes and algae. Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 49(4), 233–242.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jayasanthakumari, H., Krishnamoorthy, P., & Arumugam, T. K. (2015). Kinetics, thermodynamics and isotherm studies on the removal of chromium by Typha latifolia bioremediator stem carbon. Journal of Materials and Environmental Science, 6(6), 1532–1541.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jindo, K., Mizumoto, H., Sawada, Y., Sanchez-Monedero, M. A., & Sonoki, T. (2014). Physical and chemical characterization of biochars derived from different agricultural residues. Biogeosciences, 11, 6613–6621.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leura-Vicencio, A., Alonso-Castro, A. J., Carranza-Álvarez, C., Loredo-Portales, R., Alfaro-De la Torre, M. C., & García-De la Cruz, R. F. (2013). Removal and accumulation of As, Cd and Cr by Typha latifolia. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 90, 650–653.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Z., & Zhang, F. S. (2009). Removal of lead from water using biochars prepared from hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 167, 933–939.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mustafa, M. (2013). Constructed wetland for wastewater treatment and reuse: A case study of developing country. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 4(1), 20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perez-Mercado, L. F., Lalander, C., Berger, C., & Dalahmeh, S. S. (2018). Potential of biochar filters for onsite wastewater treatment: Effects of biochar type, physical properties and operating conditions. Water, 10, 1835. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10121835.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prasanna, K., Sudarsan, J. S., & Nithiyanantham, S. (2017). Wastewater treatment using combined biological and constructed wetlands technique in paper mills. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 3(2), 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qasaimeh, A., AlSharie, H., & Masoud, T. (2015). A review on constructed wetlands components and heavy metal removal from wastewater. Journal of Environmental Protection, 6, 710–718.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saeed, T., Afrin, R., Al Muyeed, A., & Sun, G. (2012). Treatment of tannery wastewater in a pilot-scale hybrid constructed wetland system in Bangladesh. Chemosphere, 88, 1065–1073.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shelef, O., Gross, A., & Rachmilevitch, S. (2013). Role of plants in a constructed wetland: Current and new perspectives. Water, 5(2), 405–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shenbagavalli, S., & Mahimairaja, S. (2012). Production and characterization of biochar from different biological wastes. International Journal of Plant, Animal and Environmental Sciences, 2(1), 14–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sudarsan, J. S., Roy, R. L., Baskar, G., Deeptha, V. T., & Nithiyanantham, S. (2015). Domestic wastewater treatment performance using constructed wetland. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 1(2), 89–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takaya, C. A., Parmar, K. R., Fletcher, L. A., & Ross, A. B. (2019). Biomass-derived carbonaceous adsorbents for trapping ammonia. Agriculture, 9, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9010016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan, X., Liu, Y., Zeng, G., Wang, X., Hu, X., Gu, Y., et al. (2015). Application of biochar for the removal of pollutants from aqueous solutions. Chemosphere, 125, 70–85.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • UN-HABITAT. (2008). Constructed wetlands manual. UN-HABITAT Water for Asian Cities Programme Nepal, Kathmandu.

  • Vymazal, J., & Kropfelova, L. (2011). A three stage experimental constructed wetland for treatment of domestic sewage: First 2 years of operation. Ecological Engineering, 37, 90–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, H., Zhang, J., Ngo, H. H., Guo, W., Hu, Z., et al. (2015). A review on the sustainability of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: Design and operation. Bioresource Technology, 175, 594–601.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xie, T., Reddy, K. R., Wang, C., Yargicoglu, E., & Spokas, K. (2015). Characteristics and applications of biochar for environmental remediation: A review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 45, 939–969.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye, S., Zeng, G., Wu, H., Liang, J., Zhang, C., Dai, J., et al. (2019). The effects of activated biochar addition on remediation efficiency of co-composting with contaminated wetland soil. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 140, 278–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, S., Yang, X., Liu, L., Ju, M., & Zheng, K. (2019). Adsorption behavior of selective recognition functionalized biochar to Cd(II) in wastewater. Materials (Basel), 11, 299.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all who assisted in conducting this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamilnadu, 603203, India

    M. Vidya Vijay

  2. National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR), 25/1, Balewadi, Pune, 411045, India

    J. S. Sudarsan

  3. PG and Research Department of Physics, Thiru. Vi. Ka. Govt. Arts and Science College, Thiruvarur, Tamilnadu, 610003, India

    S. Nithiyanantham

Authors
  1. M. Vidya Vijay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. S. Sudarsan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Nithiyanantham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Nithiyanantham.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vidya Vijay, M., Sudarsan, J.S. & Nithiyanantham, S. Sustainability of constructed wetlands using biochar as effective absorbent for treating wastewaters. Int J Energ Water Res 3, 153–164 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42108-019-00025-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42108-019-00025-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation