The retention of heavy metals at two pilot-scale treatment wetlands (TWs), consisting of two vertical flow beds (VSSF) followed by a horizontal flow bed (HSSF) was studied. The TWs received highstrength wastewater: reject waters from sewage sludge centrifugation (RW) and landfill leachate (LL). The concentrations of metals: Fe, Mn, Zn, Al, Pb, Cu, Cd, Co, Ni were measured in treated wastewater, substrate of the beds and in plant material harvested from the beds (separately in above ground, ABG parts and below ground, BG parts). The TWs differed in metals retention. In the RW treating TW the metal removal efficiencies varied from 27% for Pb to over 97% for Fe and Al. In the LL treating system the concentrations of most metals decreased after VSSF-1 and VSSF-2 beds, however in the outflow from the last (HSSF) bed, the concentrations of metals (apart from Al) increased again, probably due to the anaerobic conditions at the bed. A major removal pathway was sedimentation and adsorption onto soil substrate as well as precipitation and co-precipitation. In LL treating facility the plants contained substantially higher metal concentrations in BG parts, while the upward movement of metals was restricted. In RW treating facility the BG/ABG ratios were lower, indicating that metals were transported to shoots.
Authors
Additional information
- DOI
- Digital Object Identifier link open in new tab 10.2166/wst.2013.283
- Category
- Publikacja w czasopiśmie
- Type
- artykuł w czasopiśmie wyróżnionym w JCR
- Language
- angielski
- Publication year
- 2013
