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Composting plant leachate treatment by a pilot-scale, three-stage, horizontal flow constructed wetland in central Iran

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Abstract

Handling and treatment of composting leachate is difficult and poses major burdens on composting facilities. The main goal of this study was to evaluate usage of a three-stage, constructed wetland to treat leachate produced in Isfahan composting facility. A pilot-scale, three-stage, subsurface, horizontal flow constructed wetland, planted with vetiver with a flow rate of 24 L/day and a 15-day hydraulic retention time, was used. Removal of organic matter, ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen, suspended solids, and several heavy metals from Isfahan composting facility leachate was monitored over a 3-month period. Constructed wetland system was capable of efficiently removing BOD5 (87.3%), COD (74.5%), ammonia (91.5%), nitrate (87.9%), total nitrogen (87.8%), total suspended solids (85.5%), and heavy metals (ranging from 70 to 90%) from the composting leachate. High contaminant removal efficiencies were achieved, but effluent still failed to meet Iranian standards for treated wastewater. This study shows that although a three-stage horizontal flow constructed wetland planted with vetiver cannot be used alone to treat Isfahan composting facility leachate, but it has the potential to be used as a leachate pre-treatment step, along with another complementary method.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Water Science Engineering, School of Environmental Engineering, Ahvaz Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran

    Reza Bakhshoodeh

  2. Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Nadali Alavi

  3. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Nadali Alavi

  4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Pooya Paydary

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  1. Reza Bakhshoodeh
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  2. Nadali Alavi
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  3. Pooya Paydary
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Correspondence to Nadali Alavi.

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Bakhshoodeh, R., Alavi, N. & Paydary, P. Composting plant leachate treatment by a pilot-scale, three-stage, horizontal flow constructed wetland in central Iran. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 23803–23814 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0002-6

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