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- Effect of vegetation on the performance of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands with lightweight expanded clay aggregatesPublication . Mesquita, Maria da Conceição; Albuquerque, Antonio; Amaral, Leonor; Nogueira, ReginaThis research evaluates the effect of both organic and ammonia loading rates and the presence of plants on the removal of chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands, 2 years after the start-up. Two sets of experiments were carried out in two mesocosms at different organic and ammonia loading rates (the loads were doubled); one without plants (control bed), the other colonized with Phragmites australis. Regardless of the organic loading rate, the organic mass removal rate was improved in the presence of plants (93.4 % higher for the lower loading rate, and 56 % higher for the higher loading rate). Similar results were observed for the ammonia mass removal rate (117 % higher for the lower loading rate, and 61.3 % higher for the higher loading rate). A significant linear relationship was observed between the organic loading rate and the respective removal rates in both beds for loads between 10 and 13 g m(-2) day(-1). The presence of plants markedly increase removal of organic matter and ammonia, as a result of the role of roots and rhizomes in providing oxygen for aerobic removal pathways, a higher surface area for the adhesion and development of biofilm and nitrogen uptake by roots.
- Effect of aeration on steady-state conditions in non- and partially aerated low-loaded biofilterPublication . Albuquerque, Antonio; Gonzalez-Martinez, A.; Osorio, FranciscoExcessive growth of biomass and retention of solids associated with air bubbles lead to bed clogging, which affects the biofilters' performance. Two experiments were carried out in a submerged biofilter at the flow velocity of 0.5 m h(-1), for an organic loading rate of 51 g C m(-3) h(-1) and a nitrogen loading rate of 13 g NH4-N m(-3) h(-1), one with the biofilter not aerated, the other with the biofilter partially aerated. The results showed that the higher head losses occurred in the upper section of the biofilter, where there was a greater biomass development and a higher removal of organic carbon, ammonia and solids, with the maximum allowed head loss being reached in 16 and 8 days. In any case, the steady-state conditions were achieved after 2 days and were interrupted on the tenth day of experiment E1 and on the fifth day of experiment E2. This allowed defining different operating cycles that enabled an average organic removal rate of 12.7 g C m(-3) h(-1) (27 %) and an average ammonia removal rate of 1.1 g NH4-N m(-3) h(-1) (9 %) without aeration, and of 35.8 g C m(-3) h(-1) (76 %) and 6.3 g NH4-N m(-3) h(-1) (51 %) with aeration. Regardless of the aeration conditions, more than 90 % of TOC and NH4-N removal occurred in the upper section. After the backwashing cycle, the biofilter returned to steady-state conditions in 6 h (without aeration) and 7 h (with aeration).
- Nitrogen removal from landfill leachate in constructed wetlands with reed and willow: Redox potential in the root zonePublication . Bialowiec, Andrzej; Albuquerque, Antonio; Davies, Laura; Randerson, PeterThis study investigated the effects of reed and willow on bioremediation of landfill leachate in comparison with an unplanted control by measuring redox potential levels in the rhizosphere of microcosm systems in a greenhouse. Plants had a significant influence on redox potential relative to the plant-less system. Redox potential in the reed rhizosphere was anoxic (mean -102 +/- 85 mV), but it was the least negative, being significantly higher than in the willow (mean -286 +/- 118 mV), which had the lowest Eh. Redox potential fluctuated significantly in the willow rhizosphere during daylight hours, with large decreases in the morning. Levels of NH4+ decreased significantly in the first day of the experiment and remained at similar low levels in all three variants for the next four weeks of the experiment. Following this removal of ammonia significant peaks in NO2- occurred in the control and reed tanks on the 1st day, and again on 14th day in the control tank up to 13 mg/dm(3). In the willow tank there was also one significant peak of NO2- in the first week, but only up to 0.5 mg/dm(3). Significant accumulation, within 21 days of NO3- in all variants was observed, but in tanks with reed and willow the concentration of NO3- remained significantly lower (<4 mg/dm(3)) than in the unplanted tank (similar to 35 mg/dm(3)). Final levels of total-nitrogen, nitrate and chemical oxygen demand were considerably lower in the reed and willow tank than in the unplanted tank.
- Influence of stormwater infiltration on the treatment capacity of a LECA-based horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlandPublication . Amado, Lígia; Albuquerque, Antonio; Espírito Santo, AntónioThis research work evaluates the impact of stormwater infiltration on the removal of organics, solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in a LECA-based horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland. Stormwater runoff for the period between January 2008 and June 2010 (30 months) was estimated for the drainage basin of the Vila Fernando wastewater treatment plant (constructed wetland system) and it was observed proportionality between the increase in surface runoff and the infiltration flow rate that reached the plant. The average stormwater infiltration rate that reached the plant was 67.4 m(3) d(-1) (77% of the influent flow rate into the plant). The 30 month monitoring campaign set up at one of the reed beds showed that stormwater infiltration led to a high variation of the hydraulic loading rate (HLR) throughout the bed, which affected its performance in the removal of organic matter, suspended solids and nitrogen. For a HLR below 20 cm d-1 the removal efficiencies for BOD5, COD and TSS doubled. The removal of nitrogen was too low and was associated with the weak development of nitrifying biofilm and the poor growth of reeds. However, it was observed a good relationship between the applied and removed loads for most of the parameters, which seems to indicate that the organic, solid, nitrogen and phosphorus loading rates influenced the respective removal rates. The use of a bed material with high specific surface area, such as LECA, can only improve the treatment capacity of horizontal subsurface flow systems if the organic and solid loading rates, as well as the HLR, can be effectively controlled.
- Contribuição para o estudo da remoção de residuais de carbono em filtros biológicos de leito imerso e fluxo descendentePublication . Albuquerque, Antonio; Santana, Fernando José PiresOs sistemas de tratamento biológicos convencionais não removem a totalidade dos constituintes presentes nas águas residuais domésticas, sendo frequente a presença nos seus efluentes de residuais (e.g. matéria orgânica solúvel, biodegradável ou refractária, produtos resultantes da actividade microbiológica e compostos inorgânicos solúveis) que podem causar impactes ambientais significativos nas massas hídricas e no solo, nomeadamente nos seus potenciais usos. Quando o meio receptor é sensível à descarga destes constituintes remanescentes ou, a jusante é utilizado para determinados usos, é necessário efectuar a sua remoção, podendo ser utilizados sistemas de tratamento avançados ou de afinação como é o caso dos filtros biológicos de leito imerso. Apesar de existirem vários estudos sobre a aplicabilidade destes sistemas na eliminação de nutrientes, a sua utilização para a remoção de residuais de carbono não tem sido, contudo, avaliada. Nestes termos, o objectivo principal deste trabalho centrou-se no estudo da biodegradação de residuais de carbono, comuns em efluentes de tratamento secundário de águas residuais urbanas e água bruta de origem superficial, através da utilização de um filtro biológico de leito imerso, tendo, complementarmente, sido estudada a remoção de azoto (amónio e formas oxidadas de azoto). Realizaram-se ensaios complementares para o estudo das condições hidrodinâmicas no filtro e ensaios para avaliar as condições básicas de operação, tendo em atenção a estabilidade do processo e a evolução da perda de carga no leito ao longo do tempo. Nos ensaios de biodegradação foram utilizados substratos simples (acetato) e complexos (água residual doméstica e água de origem superficial), tendo-se testado diferentes condições de carga (carga orgânica aplicada e razão C/NH4+-N) e de operação (arejamento, ciclo de lavagem e número de passagens pelo leito). Os resultados permitiram concluir, para a gama de cargas orgânicas (5,2 g C m-3 h-1 a 77,3 g C m-3 h-1) e de azoto amoniacal (0,2 g NH4+-N m-3 h-1 e 38,7 g NH4+-N m-3 h-1) aplicadas, que o filtro utilizado permitia obter remoção carbonada, nitrificação e desnitrificação, a taxas de eliminação satisfatórias. Não se observou, contudo, remoção de qualquer dos compostos para cargas inferiores a 5,2 g C m-3 h-1 e 1,5 g NH4+-N m-3 h-1. A remoção mais importante, quer de carbono, quer de azoto amoniacal, foi observada no intervalo de cargas orgânicas médias entre 25,7 g C m-3 h-1 e 77,3 g C m-3 h-1, em particular na parte superior do leito (8,0 cm iniciais) onde ocorreu forte dispersão, o oxigénio dissolvido apresentou as concentrações mais elevadas, foram observadas maiores produções de biomassa e uma camada de biofilme mais densa. A adopção de uma segunda passagem pelo leito contribuiu para o aumento da remoção de ambos os compostos, apenas para cargas orgânicas médias superiores a 25,7 g C m-3 h-1. Os resultados permitiram, ainda, constatar que a remoção de formas oxidadas de azoto, essencialmente constituídas por nitratos, independentemente do tipo de substrato e das condições de carga e de operação utilizadas, ocorreu, principalmente, por desnitrificação. Nestes termos, a utilização de filtros biológicos de leito imerso para a remoção de residuais de carbono, poderá constituir alternativa económica e tecnicamente vantajosa tendo em vista, quer a redução de impactes ambientais de descargas em meios hídricos e no solo, quer a produção de efluentes com potencial de reutilização, podendo, complementarmente, ser obtida a remoção de azoto.
- Biological and technical study of a partial-SHARON reactor at laboratory scale: effect of hydraulic retention timePublication . Gonzalez-Martinez, A.; Calderon, K.; Albuquerque, Antonio; Hontoria, E.; Gonzalez-Lopez, J.; Guisado, I.; Osorio, FranciscoThis study was on the technical and biological characteristics of a partial-SHARON submerged-filter bioreactor of 3 L. The main focus was the influence of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on biofilms. For this purpose, we used molecular tools based on the partial 16S rRNA genes. The results showed that the HRT may affect the nitrification processes of a bioreactor using synthetic wastewater containing 600 mg/L of ammonia. It was found that an HRT of 0.5 day transformed 100 % of the ammonium into nitrite. However, when the HRT was decreased to 0.4 day, there was a significant reduction (35 %) in the quantity of ammonia transformed, which confirmed the complexity of the system operation. Moreover, a PCR-TGGE approach highlighted the differences observed. The results obtained showed that an HRT of 0.5 day reduced bacterial biodiversity in the biofilms, which were mainly formed by Nitrosomonas and Diaphorobacter. In contrast, an HRT of 0.4 day facilitated the formation of heterogeneous biofilms formed by nitrifying bacteria, such as Nitrosomonas sp., Nitrosospira sp., and Nitrosovibrio sp.).
- Spatial Variation of Longitudinal Dispersion in LECA-Based Vegetated BedsPublication . Albuquerque, AntonioThe evaluation of the dispersion in vegetated beds may allow indentifying mechanisms that affect the transport and reaction of solutes, namely organic and nitrogen compounds. A set of non-reactive tracer experiments (slag injection) was performed in a vegetated bed (a mesocosm with a LECA-based substratum and colonized with Phragmites australis) used for the removal of organic and nitrogen pollutant loads. Loads of approximately 300 mg COD/L and 30 mg NH4-N/L and a hydraulic loading rate of 3.5 cm/d were used. The results showed a delay in all the residence time distribution (RTD) curves and a variation in the dimensionless residence time (mu((m,theta))) of the E(theta) curves, which means that the mass centre of the impulse was late relatively to the expected one. A strong dispersion and tracer retention (due to the presence of stagnated areas and internal recirculation) was observed, especially in the first 33 cm of the bed, which seems to have been related to the presence of complex clusters of roots, solid material, biofilm and LECA particles. An analytical solution of the Multiple-Tanks-in-Series (MTS) model well represents the RTD curves obtained in the tracer experiments. The detected dispersion and dead volume ratios (7% to 12%) did not affect the performance of the bed, which presented mean removal efficiencies of 85% and 60.4% for COD and NH4-N, respectively.