Phosphorus removal from secondary effluents through integrated constructed treatment system

The treatment capacity of an integrated constructed treatment system (CTS) was explored which was designed to reduce phosphorus (P) from secondary effluents. The integrated CTS was combined with vertical-flow constructed wetland, floating bed and sand filter. The vertical wetland was filled from the bottom to the top with gravels, steel slag and peat. Vetiver zizanioides (L.) Nash was selected to grow in the vertical constructed wetland while Coix lacrymajobi L. was grown in floating bed. The results suggested that integrated CTS displayed excellent removal efficiency for chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved phosphorus (DP), and total phosphorus (TP). The average COD removal efficiency of the integrated CTS was 90.45% after 40 days of operation, the average DP and TP removal efficiencies of the integrated CTS were 97.43% and 96.40%, respectively. The integrated CTS has good potential in removing COD as well as P from secondary effluents.

► The integrated CWS consists of CW, floating bed and filter. ► The integrated CWS was firstly studied for phosphorus removal from secondary effluents. ► It has a good potential in removing phosphorus from secondary effluents.