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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetland Design for Wastewater Treatment
Published on: May 2, 2025
Evaluation of small-scale constructed wetland for water quality and Hg transformation
Prithviraj V Chavan1, Keith E Dennett, Eric A Marchand
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA. chavanp@unr.nevada.edu
Abstract:
Elevated concentrations of nutrients and mercury (Hg) make Steamboat Creek (SBC) the most polluted tributary of the Truckee River. Since wetlands are considered cost-effective, reliable, and potential sites for methylmercury (MeHg) production, a small-scale wetland system was constructed and monitored for several years in order to quantify both nutrient removal and transformation of mercury. Results indicated seasonal variations in nutrient removal with 40-75% of total nitrogen and 30-60% of total phosphorus being removed with highest removals during summer and lowest removals during winter. The wetland system behaved as a sink for MeHg during the winter months and as a source for MeHg during summer months.
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