Efficiency and effectiveness of systems for the treatment of domestic wastewater based on subsurface flow constructed wetlands in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Constructed wetlands(CwW)are well known nature-based systems for water treatment.This study evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of seven domestic wastewater treatment systems based on horizontal flow CWs in Jarabacoa,the Dominican Republic.The results showed that the CWs were efficient in reducing the degree of contamination of wastewater to levels below the Dominican wastewater discharge standards for parameters such as the 5-day biochemical oxygen demand(BOD5)and chemical oxygen demand,but not for the removal of phosphorus and fecal coliforms.In addition,a horizontal flow subsurface wetland in the peri-urban area El Dorado was evaluated in terms of the performance of wastewater treatment in tropical climatic conditions.The concentrations of heavy metals,such as zinc,copper,chromium,and iron,were found to decrease in the effluent of the wetland,and the concentrations for nickel and manganese tended to increase.The levels of heavy metals in the effluent were lower than the limit values of the Dominican wastewater discharge standards.The construction cost of these facilities was around 200 USD per population equivalent,similar to the cost in other countries in the same region.This study suggested some solutions to the improved performance of CWs:selection of a microbial flora that guarantees the reduction of nitrates and nitrites to molecular nitrogen,use of endemic plants that bioaccumulate heavy metals,combination of constructed wetlands with filtration on activated carbon,and inclusion of water purification processes that allow to evaluate the reuse of treated water.

Mangrove wetlands distribution status identification, changing trend analyzation and carbon storage assessment of China

This research investigates the ecological importance,changes,and status of mangrove wetlands along China’s coastline.Visual interpretation,geological surveys,and ISO clustering unsupervised classification methods are employed to interpret mangrove distribution from remote sensing images from 2021,utilizing ArcGIS software platform.Furthermore,the carbon storage capacity of mangrove wetlands is quantified using the carbon storage module of InVEST model.Results show that the mangrove wetlands in China covered an area of 278.85 km2 in 2021,predominantly distributed in Hainan,Guangxi,Guangdong,Fujian,Zhejiang,Taiwan,Hong Kong,and Macao.The total carbon storage is assessed at 2.11×10^(6) t,with specific regional data provided.Trends since the 1950s reveal periods of increase,decrease,sharp decrease,and slight-steady increases in mangrove areas in China.An important finding is the predominant replacement of natural coastlines adjacent to mangrove wetlands by artificial ones,highlighting the need for creating suitable spaces for mangrove restoration.This study is poised to guide future mangroverelated investigations and conservation strategies.

Significance of Primary Treatment Selection in the Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment in Constructed Wetlands (CWs)

This research explores strategies to enhance the efficiency of secondary treatment in Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands (CW) in Montenegro. The focus is on selecting appropriate primary treatment methods alongside three distinct substrate types to improve wastewater treatment efficacy. The study examines the combination of two primary treatments with different substrate types in constructed wetlands (CW1, CW2, and CW3). The primary treatments include the existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Podgorica, involving coarse material removal through screens, inert material separation in aerated sand traps, and sediment and suspended matter removal in primary sedimentation tanks. The Extreme Separator (ExSep) was employed to evaluate its efficacy as a primary treatment method. The research demonstrates that the efficiency of CW can be significantly enhanced by selecting suitable primary treatment methods and substrates in Podgorica’s conditions. The most promising results were achieved by combining ExSep as a primary treatment with secondary treatment in CW-3. The removal efficiencies after CW3 for COD, BOD, and TSS exceeded 89%, 93%, and 91%, respectively. The outcomes underscore the significance of primary treatment in mitigating pollutant loads before discharge into the constructed wetlands, emphasizing potential areas for further optimization in wastewater treatment practices to enhance environmental sustainability and water quality management.

Seasonal response of nitrogen exchange fluxes to crab disturbance at sediment-water interface in coastal tidal wetlands

Coastal wetlands are hotspots for nitrogen(N)cycling,and crab burrowing is known to transform N in intertidal marsh soils.However,the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.This study conducted field experiments and used indoor control test devices to investigate the seasonal response of nitrogen to crab disturbance at the sediment-water interface in coastal tidal flat wetlands.The results showed that crab disturbance exhibited significant seasonality with large seasonal differences in cave density and depth.Due to crab disturbance,nitrogen fuxes at the sediment-water interface were much greater in the box with crabs than in the box without crabs.In summer,NH-N showed a positive flux from the sediment to the overlying water,but NO2-N and NOg-N showed positive fluxes from the sediment to the overlying water only in early stages.In winter,NH-N showed a positive flux from the sediment to the overlying water,but NO-N and NO,-N both exhibited positive and negative fluxes.These results indicated that the presence of crab burrows can cause the aerobic layer to move downward by approximately 8-15 cm in summer and directly promote nitrification at the sediment surface.

Mapping and understanding degradation of alpine wetlands in the northern Maloti-Drakensberg, southern Africa

The alpine terrestrials of the Maloti-Drakensberg in southern Africa play crucial roles in ecosystem functions and livelihoods,yet they face escalating degradation from various factors including overgrazing and climate change.This study employs advanced Digital Soil Mapping(DSM)techniques coupled with remote sensing to map and assess wetland coverage and degradation in the northern Maloti-Drakensberg.The model achieved high accuracies of 96%and 92%for training and validation data,respectively,with Kappa statistics of 0.91 and 0.83,marking a pioneering automated attempt at wetland mapping in this region.Terrain attributes such as terrain wetness index(TWI)and valley depth(VD)exhibit significant positive correlations with wetland coverage and erosion gully density,Channel Network Depth and slope were negative correlated.Gully density analysis revealed terrain attributes as dominant factors driving degradation,highlighting the need to consider catchment-specific susceptibility to erosion.This challenge traditional assumptions which mainly attribute wetland degradation to external forces such as livestock overgrazing,ice rate activity and climate change.The sensitivity map produced could serve as a basis for Integrated Catchment Management(ICM)projects,facilitating tailored conservation strategies.Future research should expand on this work to include other highland areas,explore additional covariates,and categorize wetlands based on hydroperiod and sensitivity to degradation.This comprehensive study underscores the potential of DSM and remote sensing in accurately assessing and managing wetland ecosystems,crucial for sustainable resource management in alpine regions.

Persistence of fertilization effects on soil organic carbon in degraded alpine wetlands in the Yellow River source region

In the restoration of degraded wetlands,fertilization can improve the vegetation-soil-microorganisms complex,thereby affecting the organic carbon content.However,it is currently unclear whether these effects are sustainable.This study employed Biolog-Eco surveys to investigate the changes in vegetation characteristics,soil physicochemical properties,and soil microbial functional diversity in degraded alpine wetlands of the source region of the Yellow River at 3 and 15 months after the application of nitrogen,phosphorus,and organic mixed fertilizer.The following results were obtained:The addition of nitrogen fertilizer and organic compost significantly affects the soil organic carbon content in degraded wetlands.Three months after fertilization,nitrogen addition increases soil organic carbon in both lightly and severely degraded wetlands,whereas after 15 months,organic compost enhanced the soil organic carbon level in severely degraded wetlands.Structural equation modeling indicates that fertilization decreases the soil pH and directly or indirectly influences the soil organic carbon levels through variations in the soil water content and the aboveground biomass of vegetation.Three months after fertilization,nitrogen fertilizer showed a direct positive effect on soil organic carbon.However,organic mixed fertilizer indirectly reduced soil organic carbon by increasing biomass and decreasing soil moisture.After 15 months,none of the fertilizers significantly affected the soil organic carbon level.In summary,it can be inferred that the addition of nitrogen fertilizer lacks sustainability in positively influencing the organic carbon content.

Population Dynamics and Breeding Space Niche of Four Heron Species in Tanghai Wetlands

The population dynamics and breeding behaviors of Black-crowned Night Herons （ Nycticorax nycticorax ）, Egrets （Egtetta garzetta）, Chinese Pond Herons （Ardeola bacchus） and Great Egrets （Casmerodius albus） were observed in Tanghai Wetlands, Hebei Province from August 2004 to July 2005. Further, we studied the relationship of nest space distribution and directly calculated the nest density of vertical and horizontal levels, the niche overlapping index and the niche breadth. The results showed that there were two breeding areas, named Area Ⅰ and Area Ⅱ . The maximum population occurred in the period from April to September and was approximately 5800 individuals. Area Ⅰ was occupied earlier than Area Ⅱ by approximately half a month. In the breeding period, Black-crowned Night Herons were dominant in numbers and most occupied the upper nests of the core areas. Great Egrets also took the upper nests but they have the smallest population. Most Egrets took the middle nests of the edges of the area. Chinese Pond Herons, with a smaller population than the Egret, mostly nested in the edges, but some of them also took the lower nests of the core area. On the whole, the vertical niche of Egrets is the widest, the horizontal niche of Black-crowned Night Herons is the widest and the niche breadth of Chinese Pond Herons is the largest. The nest distribution pattern is the most similar between Chinese Pond Herons and Black-crowned Night Herons, and the niche overlapping index of Chinese Pond Herons and Egrets is the largest. Black-crowned Night Herons and Great Egrets control Egrets and Chinese Pond Herons in competition. Rich food and the optimal ecological environments lead to plenty of herons in the wetlands. In addition, it is a distinguishing feature of the four species that nests are built in poplar trees over 22 m tall.

The Effect of Baffled Surface Flow Wetlands on Water Purification

[Objective] The effect of baffled surface flow wetlands on water purification was studied in order to provide a reference for the ecological restoration of polluted river.[Method] Contents of some indexes like DO,TN,TP,NH＋4-N,CODCr,SS,SD,etc.were determined in the band baffled surface flow wetlands with total area of 7 400 m2 at JiaLu riverside.[Result] Baffled surface flow wetlands could improve the effluent quality significantly,could enhance transparency and dissolved oxygen content and also could decrease SS content.The removal rate of TN was kept at more than 73% in summer and decreased to 23% in early winter;The removal rate of TP was little influenced by temperature,and it was kept at more than 77% in summer and still kept at more than 69% in autumn and winter;The removal rate of NH＋4-N was kept at more than 83% in summer and decreased slightly in autumn and winter,but still kept at more than 75%;The removal rate of CODCr ranged from 14% to 50%.[Conclusion] Baffled surface flow wetlands could effectively improve the purification effect of surface flow wetlands,which is a feasible way for ecological restoration.

Treatment of Wastewater in Chemistry Laboratory through Flocculent Settling and Constructed Wetlands

The basic chemistry laboratories of three colleges and universities in Guizhou Province were investigated completely,especially the pollution situations of the basic chemistry projects were counted,and the discharge amounts of the poisonous and harmful pollutants in the waste liquid from laboratories were monitored and analyzed.On the basis of the summing-up and analysis of the current research findings,a simple and feasible treatment scheme through flocculating,precipitating and constructed wetlands was designed to control the three kinds of excessive pollutants.

Study on Purification Efficiency of Vertical Flow Wetlands on Domestic Wastewater

The combination method of intermittent influent and vertical flow wetlands （VFW） was used in the test to treat the domestic wastewater. Four artificial wetlands including Typha latifolia wetland,Phragmites australis （P.H.） wetland,polyculture wetlands （Typha latifolia and Phragmites australis） and non-vegetation wetland were established in the test. The effects of hydraulic retention time （HRT） and plant species on pollutants removal efficiencies were studied. The results showed that when HRT=7,the treatment efficiencies of wetlands with plants for the removal of TN and NH＋4-N were up to 99.65% and 99.58%,respectively. For the control wetland,TN removal efficiency was up to 87.9% when HRT were 6 days,and NH＋4-N removal efficiency was up to 91.8% when HRT were 5 days. TP removal efficiencies of four wetlands were higher than 93% when HRT was 6 days. Through the studies on different plants,it was found that vegetation wetlands had better nitrogen removal efficiency than non-vegetation wetland. The treatment efficacy of Phragmites australis wetland and polyculture wetland was better than Typha latifolia wetland.

Analysis on Ecological Benefits of Urban Wetlands and Protection Measures with a Case of Nansha Wetland

Nansha wetland plays a crucial role in ecological balance of the Pearl River Delta or even Guangzhou. The research, based on researches available, analyzed ecological benefits of Nansha wetland and proposed protection measures in order to better protect urban wetlands and achieve sustainable development of ecological resources of Nansha wetland.

Construction of Artificial Wetlands and Ecotourism Resource Development in Jilin City

Definition of artificial wetlands or construction background and significance of artificial wetlands in Jilin City were introduced in this study,while characteristics of wetland tourist resources and advantages of ecotourism development in Jilin City were also analyzed,which put forward measures to develop artificial wetland ecotourism resources in Jilin City.

Design of Wujiatang Wetlands Park in Kunming City

According to the status of Wujiatang Wetlands Park in Kunming and its guiding ideology,the design and recovery strategies are proposed.The wetlands park is divided into 3 functional areas:the wetlands reserve,the eco-tourism part,and the entertainment & recreation part.The restoration of Wujiatang Wetlands Park in Kunming City is carried out by the habitats building of plants and animals,water system management,and water purification.

Landscape Construction of Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment

By reviewing the development of wetlands used for wastewater treatment both in China and other countries, the definition and classification of wetlands for wastewater treatment are put forward and the guiding principle in the construction of wetlands for wastewater treatment is discussed in this paper. In view of the process of wastewater treatment of the wetlands, appropriate landscape structure of wetlands used for wastewater treatment is proposed which includes three sections as pre-treatment, wetlands and posttreatment. The discussion as well as conclusion is made upon the approaches of landscape construction of these three parts.

Survey of the use by birds of various karst wetlands in southwestern Guangxi, southern China

The limestone area located in southwestern Guangxi in the south of China is part of a global biodiversity hotspot. As an important habitat of this limestone region, karst wetlands provide birds with necessary water conditions for their survival and reproduction. From 2007 to 2012, bird surveys were conducted in natural wetlands(pools, streams, springs and seasonal flows) in 14 nature reserves and 18 reservoirs in the limestone area of southwestern Guangxi. A total of 365 bird species were recorded in field investigations, including 103 water-dependent birds mainly seen in wetlands. Among these 103 birds, 10 species are globally threatened and 5 species have been placed under national key protection. The birds were selective in their use of the various types of karst wetlands. The number of bird species was the highest in pools and springs, with 304 and 266 respectively, followed by streams with 131 species. Reservoirs are the main wintering habitat for the large Natatores and in the rainy season the importance of seasonal flows is paramount. Seasonal changes in the utilization of karst wetlands by birds were obvious; the number of bird species in the dry season was much higher than during the rainy season. Bird migration and seasonal flows are the main reasons for seasonal variation in the number of water-dependent birds. These natural karst wetlands ensure the drinking water supply for more than 80% of the water-independent birds in the dry season. These karst wetlands are the wintering ground and stopover area for 58 species of migrant birds. At present, threats to the birds in the karst wetlands consist of illegal hunting, habitat changes and eucalyptus plantations. Karst wetlands are important for protecting biodiversity. More attention ought to be directed to these wetlands and protection efforts enhanced.

Functional Assessment of Typical Wetlands in Shangri-La

The development and protection of Shangri-La wetlands in southwestern Yunnan Province is of great significance for the protection of regional biodiversity, ecotourism and regional development. To specify the functions of Shangri-La wetlands, with the help of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), 7 typical wetlands in Shangri-La (Bita Lake Wetland, Napa Lake Wetland, Shudu Lake Wetland, Dazhongdian Wetland, Xiaozhongdian Wetland, Dahei Lake Wetland, Jinsha River Wetland) were selected for the quantitative analysis of 20 indexes in 3 comprehensive assessment layers (service functions, protective functions and production functions). The results showed that Shangri-La wetlands followed the below sequence in function: Bita Lake Wetland (0.811 4), Shudu Lake Wetland (0.739 3), Napa Lake Wetland (0.695 3), Dahei Lake Wetland (0.659 5), Jinsha River Wetland (0.614 3), Dazhongdian Wetland (0.520 4) and Xiaozhongdian Wetland (0.505 2). As single indexes of those wetlands were compared, it was found that values of certain indexes varied greatly, and value differences among 5 of 20 indexes even reached more than 100%, among which that of water supply capacity and tourism recreational value (164.60%) remained the highest, then water supplementation capacity (121.17%) and habitat stability (109.05%), and others varied between 5.58%-91.10%. The assessment results were similar to actual conditions, thus such a method was proved scientific and practical.

Application of constructed wetlands treatment technique for stormwater runoff pollution control

In order to improve the pollution control effect of nitrogen phosphorus and heavy metals in stormwater runoff by using the constructed wetlands factors such as medium plants pretreatments etc.that may influence the removal efficiency are discussed based on the current studies. The pollution control effect can be enhanced by the improvement of the design methods the components and management of constructed wetlands.The design methods aimed at controlling the stormwater runoff should be based on the hydrological data accumulated for years.The development of novel medium and the selection of plants i.e. flood-tolerant and economical should be considered in advance. The management of constructed wetlands should be enhanced and the database of the stormwater in wetlands should be built.The discussion above should be effective in improving the pollution control effect in stormwater runoff by applying constructed wetlands.

Effect of carbon source on the denitrification in constructed wetlands

The ability of constructed wetlands with different plants in nitrate removal were investigated. The factors promoting the rates of denitrification including organic carbon, nitrate load, plants in wetlands, pH and water temperature in field were systematically investigated. The results showed that the additional carbon source （glucose） can remarkably improve the nitrate removal ability of the constructed wetland. It demonstrated that the nitrate removal rate can increase from 20% to more than 50% in summer and from 10% to 30% in winter, when the nitrate concentration was 30-40 rag/L, the retention time was 24 h and 25 mg/L dissolved organic carbon （DOC） was ploughed into the constructed wetland. However, the nitrite in the constructed wetland accumulated a little with the supply of the additional carbon source in summer and winter, and it increased from 0.15 to 2 mg/L in the effluent. It was also found that the abilities of plant in adjusting pH and temperature can result in an increase of denitrification in wetlands. The seasonal change may also impact the denitrification.

Clogging processes caused by biofilm growth and organic particle accumulation in lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands

The accumulation of organic matter in substratum pores is regarded as an important factor causing clogging separately in the subsurface flow constructed wetlands.In this study,the developing process of clogging caused by biofilm growth or organic particle accumulation instead of total organic matter accumulation was investigated in two groups of lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands（VFCWs）,which were fed with glucose（dissolved organic matter） and starch（particulate organic matter） influent.Results showed that the growth of biofilms within the substratum pores certainly caused remarkable reduction of effective porosity,especially for the strong organic wastewater,whereas its influence on infiltration rate was negligible.It was implied that the most important contribution of biofilm growth to clogging was accelerating the occurrence of clogging.In comparison with biofilm growth,particles accumulation within pores could rapidly reduce infiltration rate besides effective porosity and the clogging occurred in the upper 0-15 cm layer.With approximately equal amount of accumulated organic matter,the effective porosity of the clogged layer in starch-fed systems was far less than that of glucose-fed systems,which indicated that composition and accumulation mode in addition to the amount of the accumulated organic matter played an important role in causing clogging.

Alpine wetlands in the Lhasa River Basin, China

The Lhasa River Basin is one of the typical distribution regions of alpine wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau. It is very important to get a better understanding of the background and characteristics of alpine wetland for monitoring, protection and utilization. Wetland construction and distribution in the basin were analyzed based on multi-source data including field investigation data, CBERS remote sensing data and other thematic data provided by 3S technology. The results are （1） the total area of wetlands is 209,322.26 hm^2, accounting for 6.37% of the total land area of the basin. The wetlands are mainly dominated by natural wetland, with artificial wetland occupying only 1.09% of the wetland area; marsh wetland is the principal part of natural wetland, dominated by Kobresia littledalei swampy meadow which is distributed in the river source area and upstream of Chali, Damshung and Medro Gongkar counties. The ratio and type of wetlands in different counties differ significantly, which are widely distributed in Chali and Damshung counties （accounting for 62% of the total wetland area）. （2） The concentrated vertical distribution of wetlands is at an elevation of 3600-5100 m The wetlands are widely distributed throughout the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley from river source to river mouth into the Yarlung Zangbo River. Marsh wetland is dominant in the source area and upstream of the river, with the mosaic distribution of lakes, Kobresia litUedalei and Carex moorcroftii swampy meadow, shrubby swamp and river; as for the middle-down streams, the primary types are river wetland and flooded wetland. The distribution is in a mosaic pattern of river, Kobresia humilis and Carex moorcroftii swampy meadow, Phragmites australis and subordinate grass marsh, flooded wetland and artificial wetland.