Abstract
Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been used for wastewater treatment since the 1960s. Constructed wetlands are engineered systems that have been designed and constructed to utilize natural processes involving wetland soils, vegetation, and microbes to treat wastewater. Constructed wetlands may be categorized according to the various design parameters, but three most important criteria are hydrology (surface flow and subsurface flow), type of macrophytic growth (emergent, submerged, free-floating), and flow path (horizontal and vertical). Different types of constructed wetlands may be combined with each other, i.e., hybrid or combined systems, to utilize the specific advantages of the various systems. CWs are used to treat municipal sewage, as well as agricultural and mine drainage, industrial effluents, landfill leachate or stormwater runoff. Constructed wetlands are considered as reliable and robust treatment systems with low maintenance and operation costs.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brix H. Do macrophytes play a role in constructed treatment wetlands? Wat Sci Tech. 1997;35:11–7.
Cooper PF, Job GD, Green MB, Shutes RBE. Reed beds and constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. Medmenham: WRc Publications; 1996.
Kadlec RH, Knight RL. Treatment wetlands. Boca Raton: CRC Press/Lewis Publishers; 1996.
Kadlec RH, Wallace SD. Treatment wetlands. 2nd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2009.
Reed SC, Middlebrooks EJ, Crites RW. Natural systems for waste management and treatment. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1995.
Seidel K. Neue Wege zur Grunwasseranreicherung in Krefeld. Vol. II. Hydrobotanische Reinigungsmethode. GWF Wasser/Abwasser. 1965;30:831–3.
Vohla C, Koiv M, Bavor J, Chazarenc F, Mander Ü. Filter materials for phosphorus removal from wastewater in treatment wetlands – a review. Ecol Eng. 2011;37:70–89.
Vymazal J. Constructed wetlands with horizontal sub-surface flow and hybrid systems for wastewater treatment. Ecol Eng. 2005;25:478–90.
Vymazal J. Removal of nutrients in various types of constructed wetlands. Sci Tot Environ. 2007;380:48–65.
Vymazal J. Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: five decades of experience. Environ Sci Technol. 2011a;45:61–9.
Vymazal J. Plants used in constructed wetlands with horizontal subsurface flow: a review. Hydrobiologia. 2011b;674:133–56.
Vymazal J, Kröpfelová L. Wastewater treatment in constructed wetlands with horizontal sub-surface flow. Dordrecht: Springer; 2008.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Vymazal, J. (2018). Constructed Wetlands for Water Quality Regulation. In: Finlayson, C.M., et al. The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9659-3_234
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9659-3_234
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-3493-9
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-9659-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences