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Impact of Prior Physico-Chemical Treatment on the Clogging Process of Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands: Model-Based Evaluation

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to check the effect of the use of a physico-chemical treatment on the clogging process of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands by means of dynamic modelling. The hydraulic submodel was based on series as well as parallel branched complete stirred tanks of equal volume. The model was validated with data obtained from 2 identical experimental wetlands, which had a surface area of 0.54 m2 and a water depth of 0.30 m, and that were monitored over a period of 5 months. One of the wetlands was fed with settled urban wastewater, whereas the other with the same wastewater, but previously treated with a physico-chemical treatment. In the model, pore volume reduction depends on the growth of bacteria and on solids retained. The effluent concentrations of COD and ammonium in both experimental wetlands were very similar in all the conditions tested, and therefore the physico-chemical treatment did not improve the removal efficiency. The model indicated that after 120 days of operation in some regions of the wetland fed with settled wastewater the porosity decreased in a 17%, whereas in the other wetlands it only decreased as much as 6%. The use of a prior physico-chemical treatment is a good alternative for avoiding an anticipated clogging of subsurface flow constructed wetlands.

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Aknowledgements

The authors wish to express their gratitude to Jorge Bentué, Silvia Martín and Eduardo Álvarez, for their kind and invaluable help in the experimental work. The results of this study were obtained in part thanks to a grant awarded by the Spanish Department of Education and Science, Research Projects REN2002-04113-C03/TECNO and CTM2005-06457-C05/TECNO. The first author also thanks the Spanish Department of Education and Science for the grant received to make a research stage in Ghent University (Belgium). The third author thanks the Atlantic University (Colombia) to develop PhD studies in Spain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament d’Enginyeria Hidràulica, Marítima i Ambiental, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, c/ Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Joan García & Aracelly Caselles-Osorio

  2. Department of Environmental Resources, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, Delft 2601, DA, The Netherlands

    Diederik Rousseau

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

    Aracelly Caselles-Osorio

  4. Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, 9000, Gent, Belgium

    Anke Story & Niels De Pauw

  5. BIOMATH, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Gent, Belgium

    Anke Story & Peter Vanrolleghem

  6. modelEAU, Département Génie Civil, Pavillon Pouliot, Université Laval, Québec, G1K 7P4, QC, Canada

    Peter Vanrolleghem

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  1. Joan García
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  2. Diederik Rousseau
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  3. Aracelly Caselles-Osorio
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  4. Anke Story
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  5. Niels De Pauw
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  6. Peter Vanrolleghem
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joan García.

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García, J., Rousseau, D., Caselles-Osorio, A. et al. Impact of Prior Physico-Chemical Treatment on the Clogging Process of Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands: Model-Based Evaluation. Water Air Soil Pollut 185, 101–109 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9434-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9434-9

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