A Floating Island Treatment System for the Removal of Phosphorus from Surface Waters

The goal of this project was to design, build, and test a pilot-scale floating modular treatment system for total phosphorus （TP） removal from nutrient-impaired lakes in central Florida, USA. The treatment sys-tem consisted of biological and physical-chemical treatment modules. First, investigations of prospective biological and physical-chemical treatment processes in mesocosms and in bench-scale experiments were conducted. Thirteen different mesocosms were constructed with a variety of substrates and combi-nations of macrophytes and tested for TP and orthophosphate （PO4-^3） removal efficiencies and potential areal removal rates. Bench-scale jar tests and column tests of seven types of absorptive media in addition to three commercial resins were conducted in order to test absorptive capacity. Once isolated process testing was complete, a floating island treatment system （FITS） was designed and deployed for eight months in a lake in central Florida. Phosphorus removal efficiencies of the mesocosm systems averaged about 40%-50%, providing an average uptake of 5.0 g.m ^2.a ^1 across all mesocosms. The best-performing mesocosms were a submerged aquatic vegetation （SAV） mesocosm and an algae scrubber （AGS）, which removed 20 and 50 mg.m ^2.d ^1, respectively, for an average removal of 5.5 and 12.0 g.m ^2.a ^1 for the SAV and AGS systems, Of the absorptive media, the best performance was alum residual （AR）, which reduced PO4-^3 concentrations by about 75% after 5 min of contact time. Of the commercial resins tested, the PhosX resin was superior to the others, removing about 40% of phosphorus after 30 rain and 60% after 60min. Under baseline operation conditions during deployment, the FITS exhibited mean PO4-^3 removal efficiencies of 53%; using the 50th and 90th percentile of PO4-^3 removal during deployment, and the footprint of the FITS system, yielded efficiencies for the combined FITS system of 56% and 86%, respectively, and areal phosphorus removal rates between 8.9 and 16.5 g.m ^2.a ^1

Restoration or Rehabilitation of the Faleme River Affected by Mining Activities: What Methods?

The Faleme River, a West Africa long transboundary stream (625 km) and abundant flow (>1100 million m3) is affected by severe erosion because of mining activities that takes place throughout the riverbed. To preserve this important watercourse and ensure the sustainability of its services, selecting and implementing appropriates restorations techniques is vital. In this context, the purpose of this paper was to present an overview of the actions and techniques that can be implemented for the restoration/rehabilitation of the Faleme. The methodological approach includes field investigation, water sampling, literature review with cases studies and SWOT analysis of the four methods presented: river dredging, constructed wetlands, floating treatment wetlands and chemical precipitation (coagulation and flocculation). The study confirmed the pollution of the river by suspended solids (TSS > 1100 mg/L) and heavy metals such as iron, zinc, aluminium, and arsenic. For the restoration methods, it was illustrated through description of their mode of operation and through some case studies presented, that all the four methods have proven their effectiveness in treating rivers but have differences in their costs, their sustainability (detrimental to living organisms or causing a second pollution) and social acceptance. They also have weaknesses and issues that must be addressed to ensure success of rehabilitation. For the case of the Faleme river, after analysis, floating treatment wetlands are highly recommended for their low cost, good removal efficiency if the vulnerability of the raft and buoyancy to strong waves and flow is under control.