两种生物电化学系统原位缓解人工湿地生物堵塞效果

生物电化学系统(Bio-electrochemical Systems, BES)利用附加电场或自产电场可以促进EPS分散、降解和利用,可在一定程度上控制和缓解人工湿地的生物堵塞。为此,研究采用CW-MEC和CW-MFC两种生物电化学系统对不同生物堵塞时期的人工湿地进行干预,通过比较系统直观堵塞指标(孔隙率、出水速率)、净化效果(COD和氮的去除)及垂直方向上分层EPS的含量等来评价不同干预时机,两种BES系统对生物堵塞的缓解能力。结果表明:两种BES系统均能体现较好的堵塞缓解效果。堵塞前干预, CW-MFC系统能很好地维持污染物COD、TN去除效果(91.4%—61.3%和65%—40%)并提高出水速率(变化率为CW组67.6%);堵塞后修复,CW-MEC系统能显著减少上层EPS含量,恢复系统孔隙率,具有更好的缓解堵塞效果。这两种BES系统原位缓解人工湿地生物堵塞方面皆有较好的应用潜力。     

Clogging in subsurface-flow treatment wetlands: Occurrence and contributing factors

Clogging is a major operational and maintenance issue associated with the use of subsurface flow wetlands for wastewater treatment, and can ultimately limit the lifetime of the system. This review considers over two decades of accumulated knowledge regarding clogging in both vertical and horizontal subsurface flow treatment wetlands. The various physical, chemical and biological factors responsible for clogging are identified and discussed. The occurrence of clogging is placed into the context of various design and operational parameters such as wastewater characteristics, upstream treatment processes, intermittent or continuous operation, influent distribution, and media type. This information is then used to describe how clogging develops within, and subsequently impacts, common variants of subsurface flow treatment wetland typically used in the U.S., U.K., France and Germany. Comparison of these systems emphasized that both hydraulic loading rate and solids loading rate need to be considered when designing systems to operate robustly, i.e. hydraulic overloading makes horizontal-flow tertiary treatment systems in the U.K. more susceptible to clogging problems than vertical-flow primary treatment systems in France. Future research should focus on elucidating the underlying mechanisms of clogging as they relate to the design, operation, and maintenance of subsurface flow treatment wetlands.     

水平潜流人工湿地堵塞初期微生物群落结构变化

为了寻找合适的湿地堵塞监测指标,文章通过运行4组湿地装置来模拟水平潜流人工湿地堵塞的过程,并研究人工湿地中微生物群落在湿地堵塞初期的响应。在人工湿地反应器运行过程中,定期监测基质过滤速率与人工湿地处理性能,包括化学需氧量(COD)、总氮(TN)和总磷(TP)去除效率,同时应用高通量测序技术测定并分析湿地反应器中微生物群落结构组成与多样性。结果表明:随着堵塞的形成,在4组人工湿地中,基质过滤速率和TP的去除效率持续下降,而COD和TN的去除效率分别为50%—85%和10%—20%; 16S rDNA测序结果表明堵塞会降低细菌群落的丰富度和多样性;人工湿地系统中的优势菌门主要是变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)和绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)等,且当湿地进入堵塞初期后,变形菌门丰度明显增加,具体表现为其门下的反硝化细菌属(Thauera、Zoogloea和Rhizobium)丰度显著增加,此外厚壁菌门和绿弯菌门的有机物降解菌属(Clostridium sensu stricto、Gracilibacter和Levilinea)的丰度也明显增加,这...     

人工湿地及其在工业废水处理中的应用

论述了人工湿地污水处理技术的机理和优点,人工湿地利用基质、植物和微生物这个复合生态系统的物理、化学和生物的三重协调作用,通过过滤,吸附、共沉淀、离子交换,植物吸收和微生物分解来实现对废水的高效净化,同时通过营养物质和水分的生物地球化学循环,促进绿色植物生长并使其增产,实现废水的资源化与无害化;人工湿地污水处理系统具有出水水质稳定,对营养物质去除能力强,基建和运行费用低,技术含量低,维护管理方便,耐冲击负荷强,适于处理间歇排放的污水和具有美学价值等优点,该技术不仅能够在发展中国家和发达国家的城市生活污水处理中广泛应用,其在工业废水处理中的应用也正在不断受到重视,根据人工湿地在工业废水处理中的研究和应用现状,指出了人工湿地处理特殊工业废水的前景及今后的研究方向。     

Towards optimum permeability reduction in porous media using biofilm growth simulations

While biological clogging of porous systems can be problematic in numerous processes (e.g., microbial enhanced oil recovery—MEOR), it is targeted during bio‐barrier formation to control sub‐surface pollution plumes in ground water. In this simulation study, constant pressure drop (CPD) and constant volumetric flow rate (CVF) operational modes for nutrient provision for biofilm growth in a porous system are considered with respect to optimum (minimum energy requirement for nutrient provision) permeability reduction for bio‐barrier applications. Biofilm growth is simulated using a Lattice‐Boltzmann (LB) simulation platform complemented with an individual‐based biofilm model (IbM). A biomass detachment technique has been included using a fast marching level set (FMLS) method that models the propagation of the biofilm–liquid interface with a speed proportional to the adjacent velocity shear field. The porous medium permeability reduction is simulated for both operational modes using a range of biofilm strengths. For stronger biofilms, less biomass deposition and energy input are required to reduce the system permeability during CPD operation, whereas CVF is more efficient at reducing the permeability of systems containing weaker biofilms. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 767–779. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Chromium removal in constructed wetlands: A review

The distribution, mobility and availability of metals in the environment depend not only on their total concentration but also on their formations and bounds with the soil. Hexavalent chromium is a very toxic, metal compound, frequently found in polluted industrial wastewaters, and causes serious environmental problems. The potential application of constructed wetlands in the treatment of chromium bearing wastewaters has been reported recently. This paper reviews research on constructed wetlands treating chromium polluted wastewaters, and focuses on several design and operational parameters. The review highlights the effect of vegetation type, hydraulic residence time and porous media type on wetland performance. Constructed wetlands have been proved to be rather efficient at treating chromium containing wastewaters.     

Environmental decision support systems: A new approach to support the operation and maintenance of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands

This paper describes the development and operation of an Environmental Decision Support System (EDSS) to improve the operation and maintenance of horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands (EDSS-maintenance). Constructed wetlands (CWs) allow wastewater treatment in a sustainable manner since they involve low energy consumption, low construction and functioning costs and low environmental impact. However, operation and maintenance activities are essential to guarantee reliability in CWs performance. The definition of operation and maintenance protocols depends on several quantitative and qualitative aspects such as wastewater treatment plant configuration, CW design, influent characteristics, sensitivity of the receiving media, etc. Bearing this in mind and considering the limited technical knowledge about CWs, the need for a new tool to support CW performance is clear. In this sense, EDSSs offer a new approach because they can tackle problems of complex and uncertain systems. The EDSS-maintenance provides operation and maintenance manuals specifically defined for every CW. To achieve it, the required knowledge was implemented within a rule-based system, which forms the backbone of the EDSS. Several features presented in this paper demonstrate how the EDSS-maintenance provides a proper platform to support the necessary collaborative work in the ecological engineering problem of horizontal subsurface flow CWs operation and maintenance.     

人工湿地污水处理技术问题及改进措施研究进展

人工湿地作为一种绿色生态、低成本的污水处理技术,其应用日渐广泛。随着应用和机理研究的深入,传统湿地在运行过程中也涌现出各种问题。本文总结了近几年来人工湿地污水处理所出现的堵塞、脱氮效率低、污染负荷小、受温度影响大等问题,综述了国内外学者针对这些问题采取的内部系统强化、工艺改进以及与其他工艺类型组合等措施,并对今后人工湿地技术的发展方向进行探讨。     

Subsurface horizontal-flow constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: The Czech experience

The first full-scale constructed wetland (CW) in the Czech Republic was built in 1989 and there are now three tertiary systems and 50 secondary treatment facilities. We report here on the design and operational efficiencies of these facilities. All CWs have been designed with horizontal subsurface flow. Coarse sand, gravel and crushed stones with size fraction of 4–16 mm are commonly used as substrates. The area of vegetated beds ranges between 18 and 4500 m² and operational CWs are designed for population equivalent (PE) of 4 to 1,100. Common reed (Phragmites australis) is the most frequently used macrophyte species.Results from systems studied during 1994 and 1995 show that the effluent concentrations of organics and suspended solids (SS) are well below the required discharge limits. In most cases the final effluent BOD₅ concentration is <10 mg l^–1. The relationship between vegetated bed BOD₅ inflow loadings (L ₀) and outflow loadings (L) is very strong (r=0.92). Constructed wetlands with subsurface horizontal flow usually do not remove larger amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus. The results from five Czech constructed wetlands show that nitrogen removal varies among systems, but the amount of removed nitrogen is very predictable. A regression equation between nitrogen inflow loading (L ₀) and outflow loading (L) produces a strong correlation (r=0.98). The most important process responsible for phosphorus removal in wetlands is precipitation with soil Ca, Fe and Al. However, the subsurface horizontal flow constructed wetlands use mostly coarse gravel and/or sandy materials and this provides little or no P precipitation. Results from monitored systems in the Czech Republic show that the percentage phosphorus removal varies widely among systems and is lower than the percentage removal of organics and suspended solids.     

Constructed wetlands for waste water treatment: the use of laterite in the bed medium in phosphorus and heavy metal removal

In Northern Ireland, phosphorus enrichment of lakes due to agriculture is a significant problem. Heavy metal exports from landfill sites, often located on water-logged land, are also of concern. Locally available laterite, a low grade bauxite which is rich in iron and aluminium, is used in acid solution with subsequent precipitation to remove phosphorus and heavy metals at several sewage treatment works. Constructed wetlands offer an attractive alternative to conventional waste water treatment in certain circumstances but removal of phosphorus is strongly dependent on the bed medium. Calcium-, iron- and aluminium-rich solid media are recommended. A brief introduction to the use and cost-effectiveness of constructed wetlands (CWs) in treating a range of effluents is given. This study, using both laboratory tests and pilot-scale constructed wetlands, reports the effectiveness of granular laterite in removing phosphorus and heavy metals from landfill leachate. Initial laboratory studies have shown that laterite is capable of 99% removal of phosphorus from solution. A pilot-scale experimental CW containing laterite achieved 96% removal of phosphorus. This removal is much greater than that reported in other systems. Initial removals of aluminium and iron by pilot-scale CWs have been up to 85% and 98% respectively. Percolating columns of laterite reduced Cd, Cr and Pb to undetectable concentrations. Possible application of this low cost, low technology, visually unobtrusive yet efficient system to rural areas with dispersed point sources of pollution is discussed.     

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation in constructed wetlands with bio-contact oxidation as pretreatment

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) may provide an effective nitrogen removal pathway for constructed wetlands with low C/N influent. In a study of domestic sewage treatment, anaerobic ammonium oxidation process was identified in the pilot-scale constructed wetland of a bio-ecological process which was composed of a bio-contact oxidation reactor and a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (CW). To investigate the ANAMMOX establishment in the bio-ecological process, two new CWs (planted and unplanted) were developed to be a control for the pre-existing CW. Under operational conditions of DO 2-3 mg/l, HRT 3.5 h for the bio-contact oxidation reactor, HRT 3 days for CWs, and domestic sewage as influent, the process achieved more than 90% TN removal rate after the ANAMMOX was established. The ANAMMOX bacteria on the media of the constructed wetlands were analyzed by specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with ANAMMOX specific primer set AMX818F-AMX1066R. The result of the genetic sequencing showed that the PCR product was related to Candidatus B. anammoxidans (AF375994.1) with 98% sequence similarity. Copy numbers of 16S rRNA gene of ANAMMOX bacteria in the pre-existing CW, the new planted CW and new unplanted CW were 3.47 × 10⁵, 3.02 × 10⁵ and 1.30 × 10⁵, respectively. These results demonstrated that the ANAMMOX process was successfully established and operated consistently in the constructed wetlands with a bio-contact oxidation reactor as a pretreatment, and that vegetation positively affected the growth and enrichment of ANAMMOX bacteria.     

Fate of metallic engineered nanomaterials in constructed wetlands: prospection and future research perspectives

Metallic engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) undergo various transformations in the environment which affect their fate, toxicity and bioavailability. Although constructed wetlands (CWs) are applied as treatment systems for waste streams potentially containing metallic ENMs, little is known about the fate and effects of ENMs in CWs. Hence, literature data from related fields such as activated sludge wastewater treatment and natural wetlands is used to predict the fate and effects of ENMs in CWs and to analyze the risk of nanomaterials being released from CWs into surface waters. The ENMs are likely to reach the CW (partly) transformed and the transformations will continue in the CW. The main transformation processes depend on the type of ENM and the ambient environmental conditions in the CW. In general, ENMs are expected to undergo sorption onto (suspended) organic matter and plant roots. Although the risk of ENMs being released at high concentrations from CWs is estimated low, caution is warranted because of the estimated rise in the production of these materials. As discharge of (transformed) ENMs from CWs during normal operation is predicted to be low, future research should rather focus on the effects of system malfunctions (e.g. short-circuiting). Efficient retention in the CW and increasing production volumes in the future entail increasing concentrations within the CW substrate and further research needs to address possible adverse effects caused.     

The flower and the butterfly constructed wetland system at Koh Phi Phi—System design and lessons learned during implementation and operation

In 2007, a constructed wetland system was implemented on the tourist island of Koh Phi Phi in Southern Thailand. This paper presents the process of planning, designing and implementing the system and discusses the performance and operational issues 3 years after implementation. The system is an international lighthouse project showing the potential for aesthetical integration of constructed wetland systems in the built environment. The system comprises a wastewater collection system for the main business and hotel area of the island, a pumping station and a pressure pipe system to the treatment facility, a multi-stage constructed wetland system, and a system for reuse of treated wastewater. The treatment chains consist of vertical-flow, horizontal subsurface flow and free water surface flow units. Because the treatment system is located at the centre of the island, surrounded by resorts, restaurants and shops, the systems are designed with terrains as scenic landscaping. The wastewater is treated to meet the Thai effluent standards for total suspended solids and nitrogen, but because of inadequate pre-treatment and removal of oil and grease prior to the system, the standards for oil and grease and BOD are not met. A number of challenges during construction and operation have caused problems with clogging of the vertical flow constructed wetlands and given rise to odour problems. Safeguards were prepared, but not effectively activated, mainly because no key-person or key-authority took responsibility for managing the system.     

Design methodology accounting for the effects of porous medium heterogeneity on hydraulic residence time and biodegradation in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands

Horizontal flow constructed wetlands are engineered systems capable of eliminating a wide range of pollutants from the aquatic environment. Nevertheless, poor hydrodynamic behavior is commonly found resulting in preferential pathways and variations in both (i) the hydraulic residence time distribution (HRTD) and, consequently, (ii) the wetland's treatment efficiency. The aim of this work was to outline a methodology for wetland design that accounts for the effect of heterogeneous hydraulic properties of the porous substrate on the HRTD and treatment efficiency. Biodegradation of benzene was used to illustrate the influence of hydraulic conductivity heterogeneity on wetland efficiency. Random, spatially correlated hydraulic conductivity fields following a log-normal distribution were generated and then introduced in a subsurface flow numerical model. The results showed that the variance of the distribution and the correlation length in the longitudinal direction are key indicators of the extent of heterogeneity. A reduction of the mean hydraulic residence time was observed as the extent of heterogeneity increased, while the HRTD became broader with increased skewness. At the same time, substrate heterogeneity induced preferential flow paths within the wetland bed resulting in variations of the benzene treatment efficiency. Further to this it was observed that the distribution of biomass within the porous bed became heterogeneous, rising questions on the representativeness of sampling. It was concluded that traditional methods for wetland design based on assumptions such as a homogeneous porous medium and plug flow are not reliable. The alternative design methodology presented here is based on the incorporation of heterogeneity directly during the design phase. The same methodology can also be used to optimize existing systems, where the HRTD has been characterized with tracer experiments.     

人工湿地-微生物燃料电池耦合系统缓解生物堵塞试验研究

微生物燃料电池(Microbial Fuel Cell,MFC)利用电极表面富集的电化学活性菌(Electrochemically Active Bacteria,EAB)对生物堵塞的胞外聚合物(Extracellular Polymeric Substances,EPS)进行降解,并通过产电过程中形成的微弱电场来抑制微生物胞外多糖大量分泌,可在一定程度上控制人工湿地(Constructed Wetland,CW)的生物堵塞。为此,研究将阴极和阳极电极分别嵌入垂直流人工湿地的不同深度位置处,构建了人工湿地-微生物燃料电池(CW-MFC)耦合系统。通过比较开路和闭路耦合系统的孔隙率、过水速率以及净化效果,评价CW-MFC系统的堵塞延缓能力。结果表明:相较开路系统,闭路系统的过滤速率增幅较大,孔隙率的降幅较小,在一定程度上缓解了堵塞。闭路系统对TN和NH4+-N的去除率显著高于开路系统。嵌入电极形成的CWMFC系统可原位缓解堵塞,有较好的应用潜力。     

High-density culture of FM-3A cells using a bioreactor with an external tangential-flow filtration device

A novel bioreactor system developed for high-density cultures of suspended mammalian cells is described using a tangential-flow filtration device outside the culture vessel to separate viable cells from spent medium. The filtration device is based on thin porous microfiltration membranes with a pore size of 0.20–0.65 m. Because cells have a diameter of about 10–20 m, they cannot permeate these membranes with the spent medium. So, allowing a perfusion culture to be created using this system. In most membrane filtration systems, clogging of the membranes has made long-term operation difficult. In this system, however, high pressure is not applied directly to the membrane, thus minimizing clogging. Also, clogging of the membrane was prevented by washing the membrane surface once a day, and increasing the membrane surface are. With this system, FM-3A cells were cultured and maintained at a high density of 3.0×10⁷ cells/ml for two weeks, and a continuous culture was supported for as long as 34 days.Abbreviation DO dissolved oxygen - PVDF polyvinylidene di-fluoride     

Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment

The first experiments using wetland macrophytes for wastewater treatment were carried by out by Käthe Seidel in Germany in early 1950s. The horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetlands (HF CWs) were initiated by Seidel in the early 1960s and improved by Reinhold Kickuth under the name Root Zone Method in late 1960s and early 1970s and spread throughout Europe in 1980s and 1990s. However, cohesive soils proposed by Kickuth got clogged very quickly because of low hydraulic permeability and were replaced by more porous media such as gravel in late 1980s in the United Kingdom and this design feature is still used. In fact, the use of porous media with high hydraulic conductivity was originally proposed by Seidel. HF CWs provide high removal of organics and suspended solids but removal of nutrients is low. Removal of nitrogen is limited by anoxic/anaerobic conditions in filtration beds which do not allow for ammonia nitrification. Phosphorus removal is restricted by the use of filter materials (pea gravel, crushed rock) with low sorption capacity. Various types of constructed wetlands may be combined in order to achieve higher treatment effect, especially for nitrogen. However, hybrid systems are comprised most frequently of vertical flow (VF) and HF systems arranged in a staged manner. HF systems cannot provide nitrification because of their limited oxygen transfer capacity. VF systems, on the other hand, do provide a good conditions for nitrification but no denitrification occurs in these systems. In hybrid systems (also sometimes called combined systems) the advantages of the HF and VF systems can be combined to complement processes in each system to produce an effluent low in BOD, which is fully nitrified and partly denitrified and hence has a much lower total-N outflow concentrations.     

Wetlands classification for amphibian conservation in Mediterranean landscapes

Habitat fragmentation and alteration have been described as the major factors relating to the decline observed in several amphibian species. In Spain, these processes are mainly associated with the large agricultural land area, the widespread use of toxic substances, and the agricultural practices used. All these aggressions affect wetlands and their watersheds, which are essential aquatic systems for many amphibian species. In an effort to discover where conservation and specific action plans could be more necessary, this study relates the amphibian richness in 28 representative Mediterranean wetlands to their characteristics and the activities carried out on their watershed. The required information considers diverse wetland variables. Our results show that watershed habitat heterogeneity is significantly positively correlated with amphibian richness, while the percentage of the watershed area devoted to olive cultivation is negatively correlated with it. The results allow us to classify wetlands according to their importance for amphibian conservation. Our results also show that 80% of the studied wetlands need specific action plans. Especially, more sustainable cultivation methods are required considering drastic changes in current agricultural practices. Finally, our data provides a baseline to understand future alterations due to agricultural practices.