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Ammonia, phosphate, phenol, and copper(II) removal from aqueous solution by subsurface and surface flow constructed wetland

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Abstract

Water pollution is a global problem. During current study, ammonia, phosphate, phenol, and copper(II) were removed from aqueous solution by subsurface and surface flow constructed wetland. In current investigation, distilled water was polluted with four contaminants including ammonia, phosphate, copper (Cu), and phenol. Response surface methodology and central composite design were applied to optimize pollutant removal during treatment by subsurface flow constructed wetland (SSFCW). Contact time (12 to 80 h) and initial pollutant concentration (20 to 85 mg/L) were selected as independent factors; some upper and lower ranges were also monitored for accuracy. In SSFCW, water hyacinth transplanted in two substrate layers, namely zeolite and cockle shell. SSFCW removed 87.7, 81.4, 74.7, and 54.9% of ammonia, phosphate, Cu, and phenol, respectively, at optimum contact time (64.5 h) and initial pollutant concentration (69.2 mg/L). Aqueous solution was moved to a surface flow constructed wetland (SFCW) after treating via SSFCW at optimum conditions. In SFCW, Typha was transplanted to a fixed powdered substrate layer, including bentonite, zeolite, and cockle shell. SFCW could develop performance of this combined system and could improve elimination efficacy of the four contaminants to 99.99%. So this combined CW showed a good performance in removing pollutants.

Wetlands arrangement for treating aqueous solution in current study

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Institute for Infrastructure Engineering and Sustainable Management (IIESM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), for their supports.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Infrastructure Engineering and Sustainable Management (IIESM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

    Amin Mojiri, Zakiah Ahmad & Mohd Fadzil Arshad

  2. Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

    Ramlah Mohd Tajuddin

  3. Department of Soil Science, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khouzestan, Iran

    Ali Gholami

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  1. Amin Mojiri
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  2. Zakiah Ahmad
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  3. Ramlah Mohd Tajuddin
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  4. Mohd Fadzil Arshad
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  5. Ali Gholami
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Correspondence to Amin Mojiri.

Additional information

1- Pollutants were removed from aqueous solution by subsurface and surface flow constructed wetland (CW).

2- RSM and CCD were utilized for optimization.

3- At the optimum condition for subsurface flow CW, removal efficacies of ammonia, phosphate, phenol and Cu were 87.7, 81.4, 74.7, and 54.9%.

4- After treating at optimum performance via subsurface flow CW, wastewater was moved to surface flow CW which could improve removal efficiencies.

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Mojiri, A., Ahmad, Z., Tajuddin, R.M. et al. Ammonia, phosphate, phenol, and copper(II) removal from aqueous solution by subsurface and surface flow constructed wetland. Environ Monit Assess 189, 337 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6052-x

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