Evaluation of a Wetlands System built on a rural property in the city Ibirama (SC)

Abstract

Constructed Wetlands (CW) are natural systems designed to remove pollutants in wastewater, reproducing, in a controlled environment, processes that occur in natural wetlands, using a combination of plants, microorganisms, and support environment. This study reports the performance of a constructed wetland system in horizontal flow range, using the macrophyte vetiver (C. zizanioides) as root system, and filter environment gravel #2 for removing organic matter, nutrients, and coliforms. The CW system is an efficient alternative in the treatment and improvement of hydraulic performance, considering the clogging system as a limiting factor in the process efficiency. In this study, the CW system employs the tertiary treatment of effluent from a residential unit in a rural area of the city of Ibirama/SC. This study mainly aimed to understand the CW technique in the removal of organic matter (BOD), total solids, and pathogenic microorganisms in the domestic effluent from a rural property and assess the efficiency of the removal and the reduction of turbidity, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfides. The WC of this study proved its good efficiency by the following parameters: total coliforms (98.09%); Escherichia coli (93.81%); turbidity (71.99%); BOD (93.83%); and sulfides (93.22%). The results obtained indicate variables to be improved for the following parameters: total solids (32.42%); total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) (47.24%); and phosphorus (17.88%). From the results obtained can be verified that the system of the root zone is very promising on the issue of sustainability of rural sanitation and an excellent opportunity for participation of those involved in solving their environmental problems.