Nutrients removal by Typha latifolia and Cynodon spp. grown in constructed wetlands

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the extraction capacity of two species when grown in constructed wetlands with subsurface horizontal flow (SACs) for the treatment of swine wastewater (ARS). To this end, were built 8 SACs of 2.0 m x 0.5 m x 0.6 m, fiber glass, filled with 0.55 m of fine gravels. In SAC2; SAC4; SAC6 and SAC8 was cultivated cattail (Typha latifolia) and in SAC3; SAC5; SAC7 and SAC9 was cultivated tifton-85 bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.). The SAC2 and SAC3, SAC4 and SAC5, SAC6 and SAC7 and SAC8 and SAC9 received 163, 327, 461 and 561 kg ha-1 day-1 of BOD, respectively. During the 120 days of the SACs monitoring, it was found that the cattail has not adapted to the conditions of exposure. The highest yields were obtained with the application of organic load average of 327 kg ha-1 day-1 of BOD. The tifton-85 was the plant species with the highest capacity to extract nutrients, getting to draw between 443 and 540, 86 and 99, 193 and 241, 0.77 and 2.17, and 1.21 and 3.68 kg ha-1 TKN, P, K, Cu and Zn, respectively, while cattail showed greater capacity to absorb sodium.