Removal of arsenic by pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetland

doi:10.1007/s11783-021-1435-1

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.

2021, Vol. 15

Issue (4) : 79 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-021-1435-1

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Removal of arsenic by pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetland

Yaocheng Fan^1,², Tiancui Li^1,², Deshou Cun^1,², Haibing Tang^1,², Yanran Dai¹, Feihua Wang¹, Wei Liang¹(

)

¹. State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
². University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

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Abstract

• VFCWs are effective for the treatment of arsenic-containing wastewater.

• Arsenic removal did not affect the removal of nutrients, except for TP in CW500.

• Arsenic removal was highest when the temperature peaked and the reed was in bloom.

• Substrate accumulation contributed more to arsenic removal than plant absorption.

Four pilot-scale Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands (VFCWs) filled with gravel and planted with Phragmites australis were operated for seven months in the field to study the efficiency of arsenic removal in contaminated wastewater. The average arsenic removal efficiency by the VFCWs was 52.0%±20.2%, 52.9%±21.3%, and 40.3%±19.4% at the theoretical concentrations of 50 μg/L (CW50), 100 μg/L (CW100), and 500 μg/L (CW500) arsenic in the wastewater, respectively. The results also showed no significant differences in the removal efficiency for conventional contaminants (nitrogen, phosphorus, or chemical oxygen demand) between wastewater treatments that did or did not contain arsenic (P>0.05), except for phosphorus in CW500. The highest average monthly removal rate of arsenic occurred in August (55.9%–74.5%) and the lowest in November (7.8%–15.5%). The arsenic removal efficiency of each VFCW was positively correlated with temperature (P<0.05). Arsenic accumulated in both substrates and plants, with greater accumulation associated with increased arsenic concentrations in the influent. The maximum accumulated arsenic concentrations in the substrates and plants at the end of the experiment were 4.47 mg/kg and 281.9 mg/kg, respectively, both present in CW500. The translocation factor (TF) of arsenic in the reeds was less than 1, with most of the arsenic accumulating in the roots. The arsenic mass balance indicated that substrate accumulation contributed most to arsenic removal (19.9%–30.4%), with lower levels in plants (3.8%–9.5%). In summary, VFCWs are effective for the treatment of arsenic-containing wastewater.

Keywords Constructed wetland Arsenic Removal efficiency Mass balance

Corresponding Author(s): Wei Liang

Issue Date: 14 May 2021

Cite this article:

Yaocheng Fan,Tiancui Li,Deshou Cun, et al. Removal of arsenic by pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetland[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2021, 15(4): 79.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-021-1435-1
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2021/V15/I4/79

Fig.1 Schematic diagram (a) and field picture (b, in August) of the vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW).

Tab.1 Characteristics of influent and effluent water in the VFCWs (mean±SD)

Tab.2 Removal efficiency (%) of nitrogen, phosphorus, and COD in the VFCWs during the entire experiment (mean±SD)

Tab.3 Monthly changes in arsenic removal efficiency and effluent water temperature in the VFCWs (mean±SD)

Fig.2 Arsenic removal in VFCWs during the entire experiment. Stable change level was the result of Change-Point Analysis of arsenic removal efficiency.

Fig.3 Correlation coefficients between effluent water parameters and removal efficiencies of arsenic (n = 93). The lower triangular matrix shows the numerical values of the correlation coefficients, and the upper triangular matrix shows the correlation coefficients by different sizes and colors of the circles (only P<0.05 are displayed). R_As: Removal efficiencies of As, ORP: Oxidation-reduction potential, Cond: Conductivity, DO: Dissolved oxygen, T: Temperature.

Fig.4 Regression analysis between effluent water temperature and removal efficiencies of arsenic with different concentrations.

Fig.5 Total arsenic concentrations in the VFCW substrates. (a) different months in layer 0–5 cm, (b) different layers at the end of the experiment.

Fig.6 Dry biomass of the different plant parts in the VFCWs.

Tab.4 Shoot number, flower number, and bloom rate in each VFCW at the end of the experiment

Fig.7 Total arsenic concentrations in the different organs of plants in the VFCWs. (a) before the experiment, (b) at the end of the experiment.

Tab.5 Arsenic bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) for Phragmites australis in each VFCW

Fig.8 Arsenic mass balance in VFCWs.

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