Nitrogen removal efficiencies in constructed wetlands

Abstract

This thesis summarizes the usage of constructed wetlands in reducing nitrogen loaded anthropogenic waste water, sourcing a collection of results of outside literature. The literature used in this thesis was found from scholarly websites. The purpose of this study was to determine the most efficiently constructed wetland design in terms of its nitrogen content removal, and to provide further insight into the new constructed wetland technology. In this study the term efficiency is based on the nitrogen removal rate determined by each data variable. Wetland type / design and removal mechanism were the attribute data collected and examined, all of which was found in the results of prior literature. The two removal mechanisms used were denitrification / nitrification and plant assimilation. The two-wetland types used in this study were surface flow constructed wetlands and subsurface flow constructed wetlands. A one – way ANOVA was completed to determine the significant difference in nitrogen between the two removal mechanisms, as well as the significant difference between the two wetland designs. It was determined that there is no significant difference in nitrogen removal between the removal types and wetland designs. Insight and comparison with each constructed wetland study were allowed for the results to be accepted. Two scientific rationalizations were discussed to further accept the results found. These rationalizations included the overall performance of nitrogen removal and the secondary variables related to the wetland design. It was concluded that further research is needed to further comprehend this constructed wetland technology.