Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Vertical flow wetlands and hybrid systems for the treatment of landfill leachate

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Landfill leachates contain a variety of toxic compounds, which makes them one of the most difficult types of wastewater to be treated. An alternative “green” technology for leachate treatment is the use of constructed wetlands (CWs). The aims of this study were to select macrophytes and substrates to be used in vertical flow wetlands (VFWs) and to evaluate the performance of hybrid systems composed by a VFW and a horizontal subsurface flow (HSSW) or a free water surface flow (FWSW) wetlands for the treatment of a high ammonium concentration landfill leachate. In microcosms scale experiments, Typha domingensis, Scirpus californicus, and Iris pseudacorus were studied to assess their tolerance to raw and diluted leachate. Substrate selection for VFWs was evaluated using different layers of light expanded clay aggregate (LECA), coarse sand, fine sand, and gravel. Contaminant removals were higher in planted than in unplanted wetlands. Plants did not tolerate the raw effluent but showed a positive effect on plant growth when exposed to the diluted leachate. T. domingensis and I. pseudacorus showed higher contaminant removal ability and tolerance to landfill leachate than S. californicus. VFW with LECA + coarse sand showed the best performance in removal efficiencies. Hybrid system composed by VFW-FWSW planted with T. domingensis presented the best performance for the treatment of landfill leachate with high concentrations of ammonium.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • A D, Oka M, Fujii Y, Soda S, Ishigaki T, Machimura T, Ike M (2017) Removal of heavy metals from synthetic landfill leachate in lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands. Sci Total Environ 584–585:742–750

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adyel TM, Oldham CE, Hipsey MR (2017) Storm event-scale nutrient attenuation in constructed wetlands experiencing a Mediterranean climate: A comparison of a surface flow and hybrid surface-subsurface flow system. Sci Total Environ 598:1001–1014

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Akinbile CO, Yussof MS, Zuki Ahmad AZ (2012) Landfill leachate treatment using sub-surface flow constructed wetlands by Cyperus haspan. Waste Manag 32:1387–1393

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • APHA (2012) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. Amer. Publ. Health Assoc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Brix H (1997) Do macrophytes play a role in constructed treatment wetlands? Water Sci Technol 35(5):11–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulc T (2006) Long term performance of a constructed wetland for landfill leachate treatment. Ecol Eng 26:365–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butterworth E, Dotro G, Jones M, Richards A, Onunkwo P, Narroway Y, Jefferson B (2013) Effect of artificial aeration on tertiary nitrification in a full-scale subsurface horizontal flow constructed wetland. Ecol Eng 54:236–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camaño Silvestrini NE, Maine MA, Hadad HR, Nocetti E, Campagnoli MA (2019) Effect of feeding strategy on the performance of a pilot scale vertical flow wetland for the treatment of landfill leachate. Sci Total Environ 648:542–549

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke E, Baldwin A (2002) Response of wetlands plants to ammonia and water level. Ecol Eng 18:257–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connolly R, Zhao Y, Sun G, Allen S (2004) Removal of ammoniacal-nitrogen from an artificial landfill leachate in downflow reed beds. Process Biochem 39(12):1971–1976

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper P (1999) A review of the design and performance of vertical-flow and hybrid reed bed treatment systems. Water Sci Technol 40(3):1–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo L, Lv T, He K, Wu S, Dong X, Dong R (2017) Removal of organic matter, nitrogen and faecal indicators from diluted anaerobically digested slurry using tidal flow constructed wetlands. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:5486–5496

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec RH, Wallace SD (2009) Treatment wetlands, second edition. Boca Raton. CRC Press, Florida

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec RH, Zmarthie LA (2010) Wetland treatment of leachate from a closed landfill. Ecol Eng 36:946–957

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kizito S, Lv T, Wu S, Ajmal Z, Luo H, Dong R (2017) Treatment of anaerobic digested effluent in biochar-packed vertical flow constructed wetland columns: role of media and tidal operation. Sci Total Environ 592:197–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kjeldsen P, Barlaz MA, Rooker AP, Baum A, Ledin A, Christensen T (2002) Present and long-term composition of MSW landfill leachate: a review. Environ Sci Technol 32:297–336

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lavrova S (2016) Treatment of landfill leachate in two stage vertical-flow wetland system with/without addition of carbon source. J Chem Technol Metall 51(2):223–228

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee CG, Fletcher TD, Sun G (2009) Nitrogen removal in constructed wetland systems. Eng Life Sci 9(1):11–22

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu M, Wu S, Chen L, Dong R (2014) How substrate influences nitrogen transformations in tidal flow constructed wetlands treating high ammonium wastewater? Ecol Eng 73:478–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maine MA, Suñé N, Hadad HR, Sanchez G, Bonetto C (2009) Influence of vegetation on the removal of heavy metals and nutrients in a constructed wetland. J Environ Manag 90(1):355–363

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maine MA, Hadad HR, Sánchez GC, Di Luca GA, Mufarrege MM, Caffaratti SE, Pedro MC (2017) Long-term performance of two free-water surface wetlands for metallurgical effluent treatment. Ecol Eng 98:372–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milani M, Toscano A (2013) Evapotranspiration from pilot-scale constructed wetlands planted with Phragmites australis in a Mediterranean environment. J Environ Sci Health Part A: Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng 48(5):568–580

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Molle P, Prost-Boucle S, Lienard A (2008) Potential for total nitrogen removal by combining vertical flow and horizontal flow constructed wetlands: A full-scale experiment study. Ecol Eng 34(1):23–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molle P, Lombard Latune R, Riegel C, Lacombe G, Esser D, Mangeot L (2015) French vertical-flow constructed wetland design: adaptations for tropical climates. Water Sci Technol 71(10):1516–1523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nivala J, Hoos MB, Cross C, Wallace S, Parkin G (2007) Treatment of landfill leachate using an aerated, horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetland. Sci Total Environ 380(1–3):19–27

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ogata Y, Ishigaki T, Ebie Y, Sutthasil N, Witthayaphirom C, Chiemchaisri C (2018) Design considerations of constructed wetlands to reduce landfill leachate contamination in tropical regions. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 20(4):1961–1968

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Politeo M (2013) Performance of hybrid constructed wetland for piggery wastewater treatment. Ecol Eng 51:229–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy GB, Forbes DA, Phillips R, Cyrus JS, Porter J (2013) Demonstration of technology to treat swine waste using geotextile bag, zeolite bed and constructed wetland. Ecol Eng 57:353–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renou S, Givaudan JG, Poulain S, Dirassouyan F, Moulin P (2008) Landfill leachate treatment: review and opportunity. J Hazard Mater 150(3):468–493

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song U, Waldman B, Park JS, Lee K, Park JS, Lee K, Park SJ, Lee EJ (2018) Improving the remediation capacity of a landfill leachate channel by selecting suitable macrophytes. J Hydro Environ Res 20:31–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanner CC (1996) Plants for constructed wetland treatment systems - A comparison of the growth and nutrient uptake of eight emergent species. Ecol Eng 7:59–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J (2005) Horizontal sub-surface flow and hybrid constructed wetlands systems for wastewater treatment. Ecol Eng 25(5):478–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J (2007) Removal of nutrient in various types of constructed wetlands. Sci Total Environ 31(380):48–65

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J (2011) Plants used in constructed wetlands with horizontal subsurface flow: A review. Hydrobiologia 674(1):133–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J (2013) The use of hybrid constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment with special attention to nitrogen removal: A review of a recent development. Water Res 47(14):4795–4811

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J (2018) Constructed wetlands for water quality regulation. In: Finlayson C et al (eds) The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht 1313–1320 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J, Kröpfelová L (2015) Multistage hybrid constructed wetland for enhanced removal of nitrogen. Ecol Eng 84:202–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wojciechowska E (2017) Potential and limits of landfill leachate treatment in a multi-stage subsurface flow constructed wetland – evaluation of organics and nitrogen removal. Bioresour Technol 236:146–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wojciechowska E, Gajewska M, Ostojski A (2016) Reliability of nitrogen removal processes in multistage treatment wetlands receiving high-strength wastewater. Ecol Eng 98:365–371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu S, Lei M, Lu Q, Guo L, Dong R (2016) Treatment of pig manure liquid digestate in horizontal flow constructed wetlands: effect of aeration. Eng Life Sci 16(3):263–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yalcuk A, Ugurlu A (2009) Comparison of horizontal and vertical constructed wetland systems for landfill leachate treatment. Bioresour Technol 18(100):2521–2526

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Funds for this work were provided by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), and Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Quimica Analitica, Instituto de Quimica Aplicada del Litoral (IQAL, UNL-CONICET), Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Santiago del Estero 2829, (3000), Santa Fe, Argentina

    Nahuel Ernesto Camaño Silvestrini, Hernán Ricardo Hadad, María Alejandra Maine, Gabriela Cristina Sánchez, María del Carmen Pedro & Sandra Ester Caffaratti

Authors
  1. Nahuel Ernesto Camaño Silvestrini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hernán Ricardo Hadad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. María Alejandra Maine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gabriela Cristina Sánchez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. María del Carmen Pedro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sandra Ester Caffaratti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nahuel Ernesto Camaño Silvestrini.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Silvestrini, N.E.C., Hadad, H.R., Maine, M.A. et al. Vertical flow wetlands and hybrid systems for the treatment of landfill leachate. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 8019–8027 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04280-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04280-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation