Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Performance of a floating treatment wetland for in-stream water amelioration in NE Italy

  • Wetland Restoration
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Floating treatment wetlands are innovative systems and their processes are still scarcely known within the traditional methods of phytodepuration. To gain initial information on their performance and potential in removing pollutants, two experiments have been conducted in northeast Italy, in a Natural Park with resurgent water. Barriers formed by a new patented floating element were tested in real climatic and water flow conditions. One experiment was conducted in a channel receiving aquaculture effluents, while the other was set in two cleaner channels to test two installation designs (two barriers composed of two lines of elements—2 × 2 design and two composed of three lines of elements—2 × 3 design). Different macrophyte species were used (Phragmites australis, Carex elata, Juncus effusus, Typha latifolia, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Sparganium erectum, and Dactylis glomerata). The floating systems were easily installed and required few maintenance operations. Native plants grew successfully, developing roots 90–135 cm deep 1 year after planting. Conversely, Chrysopogon zizanioides showed scarce adaptation to local conditions. In the first experiment, median chemical oxygen demand (COD) in water passing through the floating wetland system was reduced by 66%, biochemical oxygen demand by 52%, and total phosphorus by 65%. In the second experiment, the 2 × 3 design had a slightly better performance than 2 × 2 in reducing COD (38 and 28% of removal, respectively). The two designs performed similarly on NO3-N, reducing the incoming concentrations by 12% (2 × 3 design) and 14% (2 × 2). This form of nitrogen represents almost all the total nitrogen, which was abated by 13% by the 2 × 3 design and by 29% by 2 × 2 design.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • APHA, 1992. Microbiological examination of water. In Standard methods evaluation of water one wastewater 18th ed. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.

  • Ash, R. & P. Troung, 2003. The use of Vetiver grass wetlands for sewerage treatment in Australia. In Procceding of 3rd International Conference on Vetiver, Guangzhou, China.

  • Billore, S., K. Prashant, J. K. Sharma, N. Singh, H. Ram, P. Dass & R. Jain, 2008. Restoration and conservation of stagnant water bodies by gravel-bed treatmen ands and artificial floating reed beds in tropical India. In Billore, S., P. Dass & J. Vymazal (eds), Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control, Vol. 1, Institute of Environment Management and Plant Sciences, Vikram University, Ujjain, India: 408–414.

  • Headley, T. R. & C. C. Tanner, 2006. Applications of floating wetlands for enhanced stormwater treatment: a review. Auckland Regional Council, Technical Publication, Auckland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoeger, S., 1988. SCHWIMMKAMPEN Germany’s artificial floating island. Journal of Soil Water Conservation 43: 304–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogg, E. H. & R. W. Wein, 1988. The contribution of Thypa components to floating mat buoyancy. Ecology 69: 1025–1031.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbard, R. K., G. J. Gascho & G. L. Newton, 2004. Use of floating vegetation to remove nutrients from swine lagoon wastewater. Transactions of the ASAE, American Society of Agricultural Engineers 47: 1963–1972.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lakatos, G., 1998. Hungary. In Vymazal, J., H. Brix, P. F. Cooper, M. B. Green & R. Haberl (eds), Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment in Europe. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands: 191–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lianpeng, S., L. Yang & J. Hui, 2009. Nitrogen removal from polluted river by enhanced floating bed grown canna. Ecological Engineering 35: 135–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maffei, M., 2002. Vetiveria: the genus Vetiveria. CRC Press, Boca Raton.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Mecella, G., 2001. Metodi di analisi delle acque di scolo per uso agricolo e zootecnico. Franco Angeli editore.

  • Murphy, J. & J. P. Riley, 1962. A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Analytical Chemistry Acta 27: 31–37.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura, K. & Y. Shimatani, 1997. Water purification and environmental enhancement by the floating wetland. In Proceeding of Asia WATERQUAL’ 97, IAWQ: 888–895.

  • Pignatti, S., 1997. Flora d’Italia. Volume terzo. Bologna: Edagricole – Edizioni Agricole della Calderini s.r.l. Regelsberger M., 2005. Swamp Guidelines, A project under the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme of the 5th Framework Programme. Published by Arbeitsgemeinschaft ERNEUERBARE ENERGIE GMBH. ISBN 3-901425-99-3: 132.

  • Revitt, D. M., P. Worrall & D. Brewer, 2001. The integration of constructed wetlands into a treatment system for airport runoff. Water Science and Technology 44: 469–476.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sasser et al., 1991. Distribution of nitrogen and phosphorus in a Louisiana freshwater floating marsh. Aquatic Botany 41: 317–331.

  • Schulz, C., J. Gelbrecht & B. Rennert, 2003. Treatment of rainbow trout farm effluents in constructed wetland with emergent plants and subsurface horizontal water flow. Aquaculture 217: 207–221.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. P. & M. Kalin, 2000. Floating wetland vegetation covers for suspended solids removal. Treatment wetlands for water quality improvement. In Proceeding of Quebec 2000 Conference, CH2MHILL, Canada.

  • Van Acker, J., L. Buts, C. Thoeye & G. de Gueldre, 2005. Floating plant beds: BAT for CSO treatment? Book of abstracts from international symposium on wetland pollutant dynamics and control, September 4–8, 2005, Ghent, Belgium: 186–187.

  • Van de Moortel, A. M. K., 2008. In 11th International Conference on Urban Drainage, Edinburgh Scotland, UK.

  • Ying Feng, L., J. Shuh Ren, L. Der Yuan & W. Tze Wen, 2002. Nutrient removal from aquaculture wastewater using a constructed wetlands system. Aquaculture 209: 169–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Production, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    G. De Stefani, M. Salvato & M. Borin

  2. PAN srl, Spin Off at Padova University, Padova, Italy

    D. Tocchetto

Authors
  1. G. De Stefani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Tocchetto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Salvato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. Borin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. De Stefani.

Additional information

Guest editors: Dominik Zak, Robert McInnes, Jörg Gelbrecht / Restoration, biogeochemistry and ecological services of wetlands

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

De Stefani, G., Tocchetto, D., Salvato, M. et al. Performance of a floating treatment wetland for in-stream water amelioration in NE Italy. Hydrobiologia 674, 157–167 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0730-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0730-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation