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Updated: May 22, 2026

Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetland Design for Wastewater Treatment
Published on: May 2, 2025
Batch versus continuous feeding strategies for pharmaceutical removal by subsurface flow constructed wetland
Dong Qing Zhang1, Richard M Gersberg, Junfei Zhu
1DHI-NTU Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, N1.2-B1-02, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798, Singapore. dqzhang@ntu.edu.sg
Abstract:
This study evaluated the effect of continuous and batch feeding on the removal of 8 pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, naproxen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, caffeine, salicylic acid, ketoprofen and clofibric acid) from synthetic wastewater in mesocosm-scale constructed wetlands (CWs). Both loading modes were operated at hydraulic application rates of 5.6 cm day(-1) and 2.8 cm day(-1). Except for carbamazepine, clofibric acid and naproxen, removal in CWs was significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced under the batch versus continuous mode. For all compounds tested except naproxen, values for first-order decay constants (k) for drain and fill operation were higher than that for the continuous mode of operation. Correlation between the distribution coefficient (log D(ow)) and removal efficiencies of pharmaceutical compounds in the CWs, showed that pharmaceutical removal efficiency was significantly (p < 0.1) and inversely correlated with log D(ow) value, but not with log K(ow) value.
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