Experimental simulation of a system of swamp biogeocenoses to improve the efficiency of quarry water treatment

Abstract

Mining activities were producing large quantities of wastewater contaminated with nitrogen compounds and metals. With insufficient treatment, these pollutants are released into the environment and have a toxic effect on living organisms. Constructed wetlands are now widely adopted as wastewater treatment systems because of the combination of physical, chemical and biological processes for the removal of contaminants. In this study, an experimental system was modeled to improve the efficiency of the quarry wastewater treatment of a mining enterprise by sharing the higher aquatic vegetation: broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia L.), common water-plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica L.), jointed rush (Juncus articulatus L.) and lower aquatic vegetation (Chlorella sp.). Concentrations of nitrogen compounds and metal were analyzed both in the model and in the treated solution of quarry wastewater for calculation of treatment efficiency. Concentrations of the pollutants in the tissues of the higher aquatic vegetation were analyzed to assess the accumulation capacity and efficiency of translocation of the pollutants. The results of the experimental study showed the practical applicability of the constructed integrated treatment system to reduce the concentration of pollutants in quarry wastewater, as well as increasing the efficiency of treatment by introducing lower aquatic vegetation into the system

Keywords

• wastewater
• vegetation
• coastal aquatic vegetation
• nitrogen compounds
• microalgae
• integrated treatment
• bioremediation
• phytoremediation