Performance of constructed wetland systems treating anerobic effluents.

The purpose of this present paper is to verify the performance of three wetland systems operated with effluents from a UASB reactor, with respect nutrient removal (nitrogen and phosphorus), pathogenic organisms and remaining carbonaceous material, monitored over a three-year period. The experiment was carried out and monitored at PROSAB (Programa de Saneamento Básico) in Campina Grande, Paraíba. The removal efficiency of the carbonaceous material expressed in DQO ranged from 70 to 86%, but concerning the total suspended solids, the efficiency ranged from 50 to 71%. The removal efficiency in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus of both vegetated systems was about 65.5 to 86%, respectively, during the first year of operation. Under the operational conditions of the experiment, the removal of phosphorus in a wetland system containing washed sand as the substratum decreased, as its operation period increased. The vegetated wetland has been the most efficient in removing faecal coliforms (roughly 4 log units) as compared to the non-vegetated one (about 3 log units), when both were operated with the same hydraulic load (2.3 cm. per day). Thus, the effluent produced over the three-year period ranged from 800 to 1,800 UFC/100 mL in the analyzed samples.