Performance of pilot scale constructed wetland as ecological practice for domestic wastewater treatment in an arid climate – Algeria

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential for pollutant removal in a pilot-scale horizontal flow polyculture constructed wetland functioning in an arid region during different seasons. The analyzed system is located in the southeast of Algeria, where the climate is arid. During the research, 32 samples of sewage were collected from both the inflow and the outflow of the constructed wetland (CW). The effluent Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Ammonia-Nitrogen (NH4-N) and Ortho-Phosphate-Phosphorus (PO4-P) from all of the treatments were significantly lower than the influent and had a removal efficiency of 71.83, 73.75, 82.77, 80.29 and 59.49% respectively. The results showed that pollution removal efficiency in the tested CW system was affected by the season (air temperature and sunlight hours). It was observed that the removal rate of pollutant indicators was higher in summer and autumn compared to winter and spring. Finally, these findings confirmed that CW with polyculture would be an excellent candidate for treating domestic wastewater in rural settlements under arid environments. HIGHLIGHTS The CWs with polyculture would be an excellent candidate species for treating domestic wastewater.; The CWs have aesthetic, ecological, and cultural benefits in addition to being very efficient and robust.; The performance of constructed wetland is heavily influenced by weather conditions.; According to Algerian and international norms, the effluent characteristics of constructed weatland were adequate for irrigation.;

Keywords

• arid climate
• constructed wetland
• domestic wastewater
• wastewater treatment