Effect of different bypass rates and unit area ratio in hybrid constructed wetlands

Gonzalo, Omar Gael; Ruiz, Isabel; Soto, Manuel

Effect of different bypass rates and unit area ratio in hybrid constructed wetlands

2020

Gonzalo, Omar Gael | Ruiz, Isabel | Soto, Manuel

This study presents the performance of a hybrid constructed wetland (Bp(VF + HF)₂:₁) system which consists of an unsaturated vertical flow (VF) unit followed by a saturated down-flow unit simulating horizontal flow (HF) with HF/VF area ratio of 0.5 and influent bypass to the HF unit. Treating synthetic wastewater simulating municipal wastewater, optimum total nitrogen (TN) removal (57%) was reached at 39% bypass and surface loading rate (SLR) of 33 g BOD₅/m² day and 9.7 g TN/m² day (overall system). On the other hand, treating actual municipal wastewater, the system reached 63% TN removal at 30% bypass and SLR of 18 g BOD₅/m² day and 4.7 g TN/m² day. Surface removal rates reached 5.5 and 3.0 g TN/m² day for synthetic and municipal wastewater. Surface nitrification rate in the VF unit was in the range of 5.0–7.4 and 3.6–3.8 g N/m² day for synthetic and municipal wastewater, respectively, indicating a large effect of wastewater characteristics on the nitrification process. Infiltration rate in the VF unit remained high and far from clogging risk. Overall greenhouse gas emissions were 0.11 (N₂O) and 0.41 (CH₄) g/m² day which corresponded to emissions factors (relative to total organic carbon and TN influent) of 0.7% (N₂O) and 3.6% (CH₄). Compared with a similar system with a different HF/VF area ratio of 2.0, organic matter and nitrogen removal efficiency was similar, but surface removal rates were about 3 times higher.

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