Assessment of Cryptosporidium Removal from Domestic Wastewater Via Constructed Wetland Systems

Constructed wetlands have been recognized as offering a removal treatment option for high concentrations removal of chemical and biological contaminants in domestic wastewater. The enteric protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is considered one of the highly resistant to treatment and highly infectious organisms to humans and animals. Moreover, some species of Cryptosporidium are known to have a zoonotic nature. In this investigation a pilot scale for domestic wastewater treatment system was used, consisting of the following steps in series: (1) up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, (2) free water surface (FWS) wetland unit, and (3) sub-surface flow (SSF) wetland unit. This treatment system was fed with domestic wastewater to assess its efficiency in removing Cryptosporidium oocysts. The obtained Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected and enumerated by two different staining techniques 'acid fast trichrome (AFT) and modified Ziehl Neelsen (MZN) stains'. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was also used to detect Cryptosporidium DNA in wastewater samples. Results revealed that anaerobic treatment (using UASB reactor) could remove about 53.1% of Cryptosporidium oocysts present in raw wastewater. The in-series connection between the two wetland units allowed complete elimination of Cryptosporidium oocysts as the first (FWS) wetland unit removed 95.9% of the oocysts present in anaerobically treated wastewater and the remaining portion of oocysts was completely removed by the second (SSF) wetland unit. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 95.8% of raw wastewater samples with a mean count of 43.8 oocysts/l when AFT stain was used while they were detected in only 87.5% of raw wastewater samples with a mean count of 35.6 oocysts/l when MZN stain was used. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was able to detect Cryptosporidium DNA in only 45.8% of raw wastewater samples. Positive PCR results were only achieved in wastewater samples containing 52 oocysts or more per liter.