Abstract
The present study aimed to develop a pilot-scale integrated system composed of anaerobic biofilter (AF), a floating treatment wetland (FTW) unit, and a vertical flow constructed wetland coupled with a microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) and a reactive bed filter (RBF) for simultaneously decentralized urban wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generation. The first treatment stage (AF) had 1450 L and two compartments: a settler and a second one filled with plastic conduits. The two CWs (1000 L each) were vegetated with mixed plant species, the first supported in a buoyant expanded polyethylene foam and the second (CW-MFC) filled with pebbles and gravel, whereas the RBF unit was filled with P adsorbent material (light expanded clay aggregate, or LECA) and sand. In the CW-MFC units, 4 pairs of electrode chambers were placed in different spacing. First, both cathode and anode electrodes were composed of graphite sticks and monitored as open circuit. Later, the cathode electrodes were replaced by granular activated carbon (GAC) and monitored as open and closed circuits. The combined system efficiently reduced COD (> 64.65%), BOD5 (81.95%), N-NH3 (93.17%), TP (86.93%), turbidity (94.3%), and total coliforms (removal of three log units). Concerning bioenergy, highest voltage values were obtained with GAC electrodes, reaching up to 557 mV (open circuit) and considerably lower voltage outputs with closed circuit (23.1 mV). Maximum power densities were obtained with 20 cm (0.325 mW/m2) and 30 cm (0.251 mW/m2). Besides the electrode superficial areas, the HRT and the water level may have influenced the voltage values, impacting DO and COD concentrations in the wastewater.
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Funding
Gustavo Stolzenberg Colares and Gislayne Alves Oliveira thank the CAPES “Comissão de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior–Funding Support Code-001.”
Carlos Alexandre Lutterbeck thanks the Brazilian “Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico” (CNPq) for their financial support (Grant N. 157933/2018-0).
Ênio Leandro Machado acknowledges the financial support provided by FAPERGS “Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul,” PqG2017, CNPq-9 Project 307257/2015-0 and CNPq-Project 307599/2018-3.
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Gustavo Stolzenberg Colares: methodology — development of methodology, investigation — conducting research, writing — original draft. Naira Dell’Osbel: design of methodology. Investigation — performing experiments. Gabriele Paranhos: investigation — performing experiments and data collection. Patrícia Cerentini: investigation — performing experiments and data collection. Gislayne Alves Oliveira: investigation — performing experiments, writing — reviewing and editing. Elizandro Silveira: conceptualization — ideas — research goal and aims. Lucia Ribeiro Rodrigues: conceptualization — ideas — provision of resources. Jocelene Soares: investigation — performing experiments. Provision of resources — reagents–materials. Carlos Alexandre Lutterbeck: investigation — performing experiments, writing — reviewing and editing. Adriane Lawisch Rodriguez: conception of the treatment system. Provision of resources — reagents–materials. Jan Vymazal: writing — review and editing. Enio Leandro Machado: conception of the treatment system, writing — review and editing. Supervision. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Colares, G.S., Dell’Osbel, N., Paranhos, G. et al. Hybrid constructed wetlands integrated with microbial fuel cells and reactive bed filter for wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 22223–22236 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17395-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17395-5