Effects of hydraulic loading rate and substrate on ammonium removal in tidal flow constructed wetlands treating black and odorous water bodies

Quan Zhang; Yongqiang Yang; Fanrong Chen; Lingling Zhang; Jingjun Ruan; Shijun Wu; Runliang Zhu

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124468

Effects of hydraulic loading rate and substrate on ammonium removal in tidal flow constructed wetlands treating black and odorous water bodies

Bioresour Technol. 2021 Feb:321:124468. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124468. Epub 2020 Dec 1.

Authors

Quan Zhang¹, Yongqiang Yang², Fanrong Chen³, Lingling Zhang¹, Jingjun Ruan¹, Shijun Wu³, Runliang Zhu³

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, 510640 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, 510640 Guangzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, 100049 Beijing, China.
² CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, 510640 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, 510640 Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, 510640 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 511 Kehua Street, 510640 Guangzhou, China.

PMID: 33296774
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124468

Abstract

The efficient removal of ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) is vital to eliminating black and odorous water bodies. In this work, tidal flow constructed wetlands with gravel (TFCW-G) and with a mixture of zeolite and gravel (TFCW-Z) were set up to treat black and odorous water bodies at different hydraulic loading rates (HLRs). Results showed that zeolite significantly enhanced nitrogen removal, and the maximum NH₄⁺-N removal efficiency of 96.69% was achieved in TFCW-Z at HLR of 3 m·d^-1 with a flooding and drying cycle of 2 h. Zeolite addition changed the microbial community structure and the abundance of nitrification genes. Comammox Nitrospira was the only enriched strain accounting for NH₄⁺-N removal in TFCW-G, while the co-occurrence of comammox Nitrospira and the canonical and potential ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were identified in TFCW-Z. Summarily, high performance, together with low footprint and low maintenance cost, are characteristics that make the TFCW-Z a promising and competitive alternative.

Keywords: Black and odorous water bodies; Hydraulic loading rate; Microbial community; Substrate; Tidal flow constructed wetlands.

MeSH terms

Ammonium Compounds*
Denitrification
Nitrogen
Waste Disposal, Fluid
Water
Wetlands*

Substances

Ammonium Compounds
Water
Nitrogen