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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 16856

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Jóźwiakowski

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Guest Editor

Department of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, Faculty of Production Engineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
Interests: water and wastewater management; wastewater treatment; constructed wetland; water quality; water protection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Piotr Bugajski

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Guest Editor

Department of Sanitary Engineering and Water Management, University of Agriculture in Kraków, Poland
Interests: household treatments plants; technological reliability; accidental water in sewerage system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Magda Kasprzyk

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Guest Editor

Department of Water and Wastewater Technology, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: nature-based solutions; phosphorus removal; rain gardens; stormwater quality; treatment wetland; wastewater treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Constructed wetland systems (CWs) have been used for water protection worldwide for more than 60 years. In the beginning, in the 20th century, one-stage CWs with vertical flow (VF) or horizontal flow (HF) were usually used. However, since the beginning of the 21st century, hybrid CWs have been used increasingly often because they provide much more efficient pollutant removal. The advantages of CWs include, among others, the low cost of their construction and operation and the low energy requirements. These systems meet all the sustainability criteria—particularly the ecological criterion, as they ensure high efficiency of wastewater treatment with relatively small energy demand.

The purpose of this Special Issue of Water is to present innovative studies on improved constructed wetland systems and related to 1) the processes of pollutant removal from a different kind of wastewater; 2) the identification of bacteria participating in wastewater treatment processes; 3) the creation of various technological hybrid systems in order to obtain the optimal effects of pollutants removal and most of all nitrogen and phosphorus or micropollutants; 4) the modeling of hydraulic flow; 5) the efficiency and reliability of pollutant removal; 6) the dewatering of sewage sludge; 7) water reuse; 8) and rules of design and economic aspects of the operation of constructed wetlands.

In light of the above, we would like to call for papers sharing recent innovative discoveries within the field of constructed wetlands. We hope that the results of the research presented in the submitted papers will allow for a greater dissemination of treatment technologies in constructed wetlands, which will contribute to the protection of water resources and the improvement of people’s standard of living worldwide.

Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Jóźwiakowski
Prof. Dr. Piotr Bugajski
Dr. Magda Kasprzyk
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

constructed wetland
wastewater treatment
processes of pollution removal
dewatering of sewage sludge
water protection
water reuse
rules of designing
economic aspects of operation
efficiency and reliability
hybrid systems

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 5144 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sludge Treatment Wetland for Treating Microalgae Digestate Grown in Agricultural Runoff: A Technical, Economic, and Environmental Assessment

by Eva Gonzalez-Flo, Antonio Ortiz, Carlos A. Arias, Rubén Díez-Montero, Norbert Kohlheb, Ulf-Henning Schauser, Joan García and Peder K. S. Gregersen

Water 2023, 15(12), 2159; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15122159 - 7 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1644

Abstract

The management and disposal of wastewater treatment sludge can be a costly and resource-intensive process. To provide a cost-effective and sustainable alternative, Sludge Treatment Wetlands (STW) have emerged as a viable solution for enhancing sludge quality through dewatering and biodegradation. In this study, the effectiveness of a full-scale STW for stabilizing and dewatering digested microalgal biomass from a domestic and agricultural wastewater treatment system was evaluated. The properties of the treated digestate in the STW were assessed after 35 weeks of operation and a resting period of 4 weeks. The dry matter content was found to be 12.8%, and the average macronutrient content was K: 3.8 mg/g DW, P: 4.9 mg/g DW, and Ca: 95 mg/g DW. The highest contents of micronutrients were for Fe: 7.8 mg/g DW and Mg: 7.6 mg/g DW, while heavy metals and pathogen contents were below the EC limits for sewage sludge reuse in agriculture. The STW was found to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option for treating mixed wastewater-based sludge for land application. The STW outperformed reference systems using centrifuge dewatering techniques, particularly in terms of eutrophication potential and acidification potential. However, the STW’s economic performance was slightly worse than that of the dewatering system in terms of unit production cost. This study is the first in the literature to investigate the use of STW for treating digested microalgae and its possible reuse in arable land, suggesting that STW infrastructures have great potential for the development of sustainable and eco-friendly sludge treatment technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improved Constructed Wetlands)

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33 pages, 6133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Degradation of Dimethylacetamide from Membrane Production through Constructed Wetlands—Pathways, Ecotoxicological Effects and Consequences for Chemical Analysis

by Thomas Schalk, Sara Schubert, Anja Rollberg, Dirk Freitag-Stechl, Annika Schubert, Alan Xavier Elena, Christian Koch and Peter Krebs

Water 2023, 15(8), 1463; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15081463 - 8 Apr 2023

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Abstract

Wastewater from factories producing polysulfone-based membranes mainly contains the used organic solvent, i.e., dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Due to the environmental impact of DMAc, wastewater treatment is mandatory. Several biological treatment options based on the activated sludge process are described in the literature. Due to artificial aeration, these techniques have high energy requirements. Near-nature processes such as vertical flow constructed wetlands (VF wetlands) have a low energy demand, high tolerance to load fluctuations, and low maintenance requirements. Therefore, high-loaded, two-stage VF wetlands are an efficient option for treating wastewater. However, constructed wetlands have so far only been used to a limited extent for the treatment of industrial wastewater. In the present study, the ability of laboratory-scale, high-load, two-stage VF wetlands to treat DMAc was investigated. This included their DMAc degradation efficiency and corresponding pathways, removal of the total organic carbon (TOC), nitrification and denitrification of the nitrogen, as well as the ecotoxicological effects (mutagenicity, genotoxicity, reactive oxygen species) of untreated and treated wastewater. The focus was to determine the effect of different grain size distributions on removal rates, the maximum inflow loading, and the effect of high inflow concentrations on effluent concentrations. In general, DMAc was completely degraded using VF wetlands, with dimethylamine (DMA) identified as the main intermediate. TOC removal rates reached more than 99%. The nitrogen bound to DMAc was completely nitrified. However, the start-up of the VF wetlands without seeded filter material temporarily leads to high nitrite accumulation. This may affect the mutagenicity of the treated wastewater. The results show that high-loaded, two-stage VF wetlands are an effective option for treating wastewater containing DMAc with higher efficiency than comparable biological processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improved Constructed Wetlands)

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25 pages, 2473 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Evaluation of the Richness, Species Diversity, and Biosafety of Saprotrophic Fungal Communities in Constructed Wetlands and Biological Wastewater Ponds

by Teresa Korniłłowicz-Kowalska, Justyna Bohacz, Kamila Rybczyńska-Tkaczyk and Krzysztof Jóźwiakowski

Water 2023, 15(1), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15010031 - 22 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1682

Abstract

The present study was focused on the characterization of the biocenotic diversity of saprotrophic fungi, taking into account the impact of various treatment systems and technological stages as well as the physicochemical properties of wastewater. The biodegradation potential, the hazard posed to humans, animals, and the environment, and the effectiveness of elimination of propagules were evaluated. The most effective elimination of fungal propagules was recorded in hybrid constructed wetland systems with horizontal (HF-CW) and vertical (VF-CW) wastewater flow, especially in the VF-HF objects. The fungal communities present in wastewater from small constructed wetland (CW) and wastewater stabilization ponds (WSP) were dominated by ubiquitous terrestrial molds accompanied by a minimal number of yeasts. The similarity of the species composition of the fungal communities between the treatment plants was generally low, whereas the species diversity together with the population size was very high at the various stages of wastewater treatment. Species with potential pathogenicity to humans and animals accounted for over 45%, i.e., were classified as BioSafety Level 1 and 2 (BSL-1 and BSL-2 groups), and potentially phytopathogenic fungi represented 31.5% of the mycobiota species composition. The dynamics of fungal growth were correlated with the content of organic pollutants and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and with oxygen deficiency. The accumulation of nitrates corresponded to the decline in the frequency of fungi in treated wastewater. The lowest efficiency of the removal of fungi was exhibited by the biological wastewater stabilization ponds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improved Constructed Wetlands)

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13 pages, 2094 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Environmental Conditions and Bed Configuration on Oxygen Transfer Efficiency in Aerated Constructed Wetlands

by Ismael Vera-Puerto, José Campal, Sandra Martínez, Laura Cortés-Rico, Hadher Coy, Sheyie Tan, Carlos A. Arias, Gustavo Baquero-Rodríguez and Diego Rosso

Water 2022, 14(20), 3284; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14203284 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2366

Abstract

This research evaluated the oxygen transfer efficiency in beds to be used as aerated constructed wetlands. The research methods included oxygen transfer efficiency evaluations in several bed configurations using diffused aeration systems. Experiments were conducted at two locations with different environmental conditions: a) Talca (Chile), 120 m above sea level (m.a.s.l.), 0.99 Atm and b) Cajicá (Colombia), 2550 m.a.s.l., 0.76 Atm. A column with only clean water and three bed configurations representing aerated constructed wetlands were evaluated. These configurations included: (a) coarse gravel, (b) coarse gravel with an empty core in the middle (inner container), and (c) fine gravel. Three airflow rates were evaluated: (a) low, 0.7 L/min; (b) medium, 2.5 L/min; and (c) high, 3.6 L/min. The overall oxygen mass transfer coefficient, standard oxygen transfer rate, and standard oxygen transfer efficiency were the variables calculated from the oxygen transfer evaluation tests. The research results indicated that in diffused aeration systems, oxygen transfer efficiency was negatively influenced by environmental conditions, particularly altitude, which limits the driving force for oxygen transfer into water. Furthermore, the results showed that the size of the gravel used in the bed is related to the oxygen transfer efficiency: the larger the gravel size, the higher the oxygen transfer, regardless of the altitude. Finally, research regarding oxygen transfer in aerated constructed wetlands has signaled the need for a standard procedure for aeration testing, and this work suggests a new methodology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improved Constructed Wetlands)

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21 pages, 2008 KiB

Open AccessReview

Vertical and Hybrid Constructed Wetlands as a Sustainable Technique to Improve Domestic Wastewater Quality

by Asmaa Masharqa, Sharaf Al-Tardeh, Rawan Mlih and Roland Bol

Water 2023, 15(19), 3348; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15193348 - 24 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1547

Abstract

Developing safer and environmentally friendly methods for wastewater management is a crucial issue worldwide. Pollutants stemming from pure elemental, organic or inorganic compounds, or microbial sources, are an increasing problem in domestic wastewater. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been used as an effective and low-cost method of treating different types of polluted water. This review paper focuses on the effectiveness of pollutant-removal from domestic wastewater using vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) and hybrid constructed wetlands (HCWs). Meta-analysis and ANOVA tests were conducted to analyse the potentiality of VFCW and HCW as a remedy for domestic wastewater and the effect of using different substrates and plant species. Meta-analysis shows a high significance (p = 0.001) between the interactions (method, plant, and substrate) on the pollutant’s removal efficiency. In both analysis methods, there were no significant differences between VFCW and HCW for the same pollutant (p > 0.05); the average removal percentages when using VFCW and HCW (according to ANOVA analysis) were 80% vs. 90% for BOD, 78% vs. 77% for COD, 75% vs. 83% for ammonium-N, 48% vs. 56% for TN, and 60% for TP, respectively. Moreover, this review article presents a comprehensive overview of the removal mechanisms for organics, inorganics, and metals from domestic wastewater using VFCW, and the effects of environmental parameters including substrate type, plant species, and dissolved oxygen which have direct and indirect impacts on physical, chemical, and biological removal mechanisms. In conclusion, VFCWs and HCWs seem to be an excellent approach, offering economical and environmentally friendly techniques for domestic wastewater treatment, but VFCW is considered simpler and more applicable for setting up on-site near houses, as there is no significant difference (p > 0.05) between applying VFCW or HCW on removal percentages for most pollutants, according to ANOVA testing. More work is needed to study the effect of non-planted VFCWs and HCWs on removal efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improved Constructed Wetlands)

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18 pages, 9878 KiB

Open AccessReview

Natural Swimming Ponds as an Application of Treatment Wetlands—A Review

by Wojciech Walczak, Artur Serafin and Tadeusz Siwiec

Water 2023, 15(10), 1878; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15101878 - 16 May 2023

Viewed by 4740

Abstract

Natural swimming ponds using treatment wetlands (TWs) as an element of treatment of swimming water are an ecologically beneficial alternative to conventional pools. Unlike conventional swimming pools, in natural swimming ponds, the water treatment avoids the use of chemical methods and is based on the phenomenon of water self-purification and the rhizofiltration capacity of repository macrophytes in TWs of the regeneration zone, as well as on typical physical filtering processes (e.g., straining, sedimentation, or flotation), physicochemical filtration (physical and chemical adsorption, mainly of phosphorus), and biological filtration (nitrification and denitrification). Market solutions usually arise from the implementation of water treatment solutions used in small garden ponds, which are not typical for ponds; moreover, they are expensive and difficult to use and maintain. Therefore, they require the development of a dedicated system that improves the functioning and usability of the filtration system. A modular, compact filtration system for the treatment of water by physical and biological methods, made of polymer composites and with replaceable filtration modules and essential equipment (e.g., skimmers, dispensers, and filtration mats), is a solution expected by many pond users. It enables the exploitation of the natural functions of ponds and contributes to the preservation of biodiversity and active recreation in a biologically living aquatic ecosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improved Constructed Wetlands)

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