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Nutrient Accumulation in Typha latifolia L. and Sediment of a Representative Integrated Constructed Wetland

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Abstract

This paper investigates the role of plants and sediment in removing nutrients from wastewater being treated in a representative integrated constructed wetland (ICW). It discusses the role of plants and sediment in removing nutrients from an ICW treating agricultural wastewater for more than 7 years. More nitrogen and phosphorus were stored in wetland soils and sediments than in plants. The first cell had the highest depth of sediment accumulation (45 cm). Over the 7-year operation period, the accretion rate was approximately 6.4 cm/year. With respect to maintenance, desludging of the first wetland cell of the ICW system appears to be necessary in 2011. An average of 10,000 m3 per year of wastewater entered the ICW. Approximately 74% (780 kg) of the phosphorus and 52% (5,175 kg) of the nitrogen that entered the wetland system was stored in the wetland soils and sediments. Plants stored a small fraction of nutrients compared to soils (<1% for both nitrogen and phosphorus). This study demonstrates that soils within a mature wetland system are an important and sustainable nutrient storage component.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are very thankful to Rory Harrington (Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government) and Paul Carroll and Susan Cook (both Waterford County Council) for their support with fieldwork activities. Thanks go to Kate Heal, John Morman, Andrew Gray, Graeme Allan and Ann Mennim (The University of Edinburgh) for assistance in the soil and plant analyses and corresponding interpretation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Infrastructure and Environment, School of Engineering, William Rankine Building, The King’s Buildings, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, Scotland, UK

    Atif Mustafa & Miklas Scholz

  2. Civil Engineering Group, School of Computing, Science and Engineering, The University of Salford, Newton Building, Salford, M5 4WT, England, UK

    Miklas Scholz

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  1. Atif Mustafa
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Correspondence to Miklas Scholz.

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Mustafa, A., Scholz, M. Nutrient Accumulation in Typha latifolia L. and Sediment of a Representative Integrated Constructed Wetland. Water Air Soil Pollut 219, 329–341 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0710-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0710-8

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