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Hydroponic root mats for wastewater treatment—a review

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Abstract

Hydroponic root mats (HRMs) are ecotechnological wastewater treatment systems where aquatic vegetation forms buoyant filters by their dense interwoven roots and rhizomes, sometimes supported by rafts or other floating materials. A preferential hydraulic flow is created in the water zone between the plant root mat and the bottom of the treatment system. When the mat touches the bottom of the water body, such systems can also function as HRM filter; i.e. the hydraulic flow passes directly through the root zone. HRMs have been used for the treatment of various types of polluted water, including domestic wastewater; agricultural effluents; and polluted river, lake, stormwater and groundwater and even acid mine drainage. This article provides an overview on the concept of applying floating HRM and non-floating HRM filters for wastewater treatment. Exemplary performance data are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of this technology are discussed in comparison to those of ponds, free-floating plant and soil-based constructed wetlands. Finally, suggestions are provided on the preferred scope of application of HRMs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the International Science and Technology Cooperation Program from Hubei Province of China (Grant No. 2015BHE010) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2662015QC004). It is also supported by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ within the scope of the SAFIRA II Research Programme (Revitalization of Contaminated Land and Groundwater at Megasites, subproject “Compartment Transfer(COTRA)”) and the European Commission (Grant Agreement FP7-KBBE-2012-6-311933) in the framework of the project “Integrating bio-treated wastewater reuse and valorization with enhanced water use efficiency to support the Green Economy in EU and India (Water4Crops).” We would like to thank Nancy Hachicho for drawing Fig. 1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shizishan 1, 430070, Wuhan, China

    Zhongbing Chen

  2. Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Landscape Ecology, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 16521, Praha 6, Czech Republic

    Zhongbing Chen & Jan Vymazal

  3. Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Apartado Aereo 97, Sede la Julita, Pereira, Colombia

    Diego Paredes Cuervo

  4. Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research−UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany

    Jochen A. Müller, Arndt Wiessner, Matthias Kästner & Peter Kuschk

  5. Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute of Instrumental and Environmental Technology, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany

    Heinz Köser

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhongbing Chen.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

The late Peter Kuschk initiated this manuscript as corresponding author. The corresponding author responsibility was taken over by Zhongbing Chen.

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Chen, Z., Cuervo, D.P., Müller, J.A. et al. Hydroponic root mats for wastewater treatment—a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 15911–15928 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6801-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6801-3

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