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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
08:24
Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetland Design for Wastewater Treatment
Published on: May 2, 2025
Vertical flow constructed wetland for textile effluent treatment
L C Davies1, A Vacas, J M Novais
1Centre of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
Summary
Vertical flow constructed wetlands effectively treat textile dye effluent, achieving 70% Acid Orange removal. This study optimized pulse feeding and flooding levels for efficient dye wastewater treatment.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Wastewater Treatment Technologies
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Textile industry effluent poses environmental challenges due to dyes like Acid Orange (AO7).
- Constructed wetlands offer a sustainable approach to wastewater treatment.
- Vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) are effective for treating complex industrial wastewater.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficiency of a pulse feed vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW) for treating accidental Acid Orange (AO7) discharge.
- To determine the influence of flooding level (FL) and pulse feed (PF) duration on AO7 removal efficiencies.
- To model VFCW performance for optimizing treatment processes.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation of VFCW performance under varying FL and PF conditions.
- Analysis of AO7 removal efficiencies at specific inlet concentrations and hydraulic loads.
- Mathematical modeling of VFCW using ideal reactor analogies to understand hydrological and kinetic processes.
Main Results:
- An average AO7 removal efficiency of 70% was achieved with an inlet concentration of 700 mg/L, 15-minute pulse feed cycles, a hydraulic load of 13 L/m²/cycle, and 21% FL.
- The VFCW system was successfully modeled as a series of ideal reactors with dead volume.
- Model simulations indicated that three VFCWs in series could treat a high organic mass load (76 gAO7/m²/day) within 9 hours, meeting discharge regulations.
Conclusions:
- Pulse feed VFCWs are highly effective in buffering, diluting, and treating accidental textile dye discharges.
- Optimized FL and PF parameters significantly enhance AO7 removal efficiency in VFCWs.
- VFCW systems, when appropriately designed and operated, offer a viable and efficient solution for textile wastewater treatment, with degradation kinetics following a first-order model.
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