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LABORATORY SIMULATION OF PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL IN CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS WITH AN ALUMINIUM-BASED COAGULANT
Abstract
Constructed wetlands provide a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable approach to wastewater treatment; however, their efficiency in phosphorus removal often remains insufficient to meet current discharge standards. Chemical precipitation using aluminium-based coagulants has been proposed as a promising solution. In this study, laboratory-scale columns were constructed to simulate French and Austrian types of constructed wetlands and operated in two experimental phases. During the first phase, wastewater was treated without chemical addition, whereas in the second phase the coagulant PAX-18 was applied. Samples were collected at both the influent and effluent of each system and analysed for total phosphorus. Influent wastewater had an average total phosphorus concentration of 10.96 mg.L-1. Without PAX-18 addition, phosphorus removal was limited, with effluent concentrations of approximately 5.63 mg.L-1 in the French system and 5.13 mg.L-1 in the Austrian system. After coagulant dosing, average effluent concentrations decreased to 1.01 mg.L-1 in the French system and 1.33 mg.L-1 in the Austrian system, corresponding to an increase in phosphorus removal efficiency from roughly 48.6 % to 90.8 % in the French system and from 53.2 % to 87.9 % in the Austrian system. These results confirm that aluminium-based coagulant dosing can substantially enhance phosphorus removal in constructed wetlands, thereby increasing their potential to comply with stricter discharge standards.
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