Residues with promissory Phosphorus adsorption capacity as substrates in pilot scale Constructed Wetlands for the tertiary wastewater treatment: contributions to the circular economy

• Grant number: 24/04104-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Maria do Carmo Calijuri
• Grantee: Marcio Yukihiro Kohatsu
• Supervisor: Alexandros Stefanakis
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Technical University Of Crete, Greece
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/06374-6 - Tertiary treatment of domestic sewage by constructed wetlands on a pilot scale: development and application of substrate for phosphorus removal and recovery, BP.DR

Abstract

The eutrophication intensified by anthropogenic actions is a main environment issue nowadays. This process could lead to consequences in the aquatic ecosystem as loss of biodiversity, reduced dissolved oxygen levels, cyanobacteria bloom and decreased the water quality. The consequences impact directly in provision and availability of water for human consumption. The phosphorus has been cited to the major nutrient to reduce and control eutrophication. The ineffectively treated or untreated wastewater represents more than half P release in the environment. Some actions needed to be taken to control the P levels. The constructed wetlands (CW) are nature-based solution that could contribute to remove P from wastewater. However, the main limiting feature is the high hydraulic retention time (HRT) and consequent low hydraulic loading rate (HLR) of the system (up to 50 days). Therefore, the use of a substrate that could adsorb P effectively (containing Al, Ca and Fe), could reduce substantially the HRT and enhances the HLR. The grits are residues from cellulose process, which are rich in Ca. The construction and demolition (C & D) waste are composed of brick, concrete, metals and other materials, which represents calcium carbonate, aluminium and iron. The main destination of these residues is the landfills. The reuse of them as a substrate in CW could contribute to the circular economy. Considering this context, the present project aims to evaluate the use of residual industries in the CW as a substrate, to remove P from wastewater. Moreover, it will be used zeolite, which has been proved to adsorb high P levels, as a substrate as well, to compare the efficiency of the materials to be analysed.