REMOVAL OF PHOSPHOROUS FROM WASTEWATER IN BRACHIARIA-BASED CONSTRUCTED WETLAND

Abstract

Man is an integral part of the environment, and there is no denying to the fact that his activities are hampering the environment. The major cause of concern due to these activities is related to pollution. Due to increasing population densities and impact from human activities, pollution remains an essential issue for water quality protection and conservation of biodiversity in urban areas. The objective of the study is to provide a comprehensive solution for the improvement of water quality, wastewater purification, enhancement of biodiversity and providing a cost effective method for wastewater disposal and treatment. As we know water quality is an essential parameter, and usually the level of pollution in an effluent exceeds the standards. Many a times, however, a region does not have a purification system or lacks the capacity or technology to treat all the effluent due to the high cost of treatment system. This sometimes results in municipal and industrial sewage to be directly discharged into aquatic environment such as rivers, streams, lakes etc. with no treatment. The conventional wastewater treatment system usually involves various physicochemical treatment methods which involves high operating cost, greater maintenance and requires skilled labour for proper operation and functioning. Such system hampers the surrounding environment during the treatment process and land allocation to such units affects the bio-diversity of the area, hampering the aesthetics. An alternative to such conventional system is Constructed Wetlands (CW) which not only is cost efficient and easier to operate without skilled labour and maintenance, but also improves the aesthetics and biodiversity of the region concerned.