TITLE:
Growth Characteristics of Fuirena umbellata in a Surface Flow Constructed Wetland and Its Influence in Nutrients and Faecal Bacteria Removal from Domestic Wastewater in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Martin Lekeufack, Théophile Fonkou, Etienne Pamo Tedonkeng
KEYWORDS:
Growth Characteristics, Fuirena umbellata, Nutrients, Faecal Bacteria, Removal, Surface Flow Wetland, Local Macrophyte
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.8 No.2,
February
28,
2017
ABSTRACT: Various configurations of vegetated bed systems with
a variety of macrophytes have been tested experimentally in Cameroon, for the
treatment of domestic wastewater. The aim of this work was to assess the growth
and biomass production of Fuirena umbellata (Cyperaceae) and its potentials in the removal of faecal bacteria and nutrients
from primarily treated domestic effluent. A wetland vegetated with this
macrophyte and a non-vegetated wetland (control) were continuously fed with
primarily treated domestic wastewater at an estimated loading rate of 205
Litres/day in dry and rainy seasons for two consecutive years. Physicochemical
and microbiological parameters of the effluent were monitored at the inflow and
outflows of the wetlands alongside with the growth and productivity attributes
of the young plants during each season. The density of plants ranged in the
wetland from 17 - 185 plants/m2 and from 11 - 146 plants/m2 respectively during the first and the second years. More biomasses were instead
produced in the dry seasons than in the rainy seasons but with no significant
differences observed. As for nutrients removal, higher efficiencies were
observed in the vegetated wetland (45% - 73%) compared to the non-vegetated
control (17% - 66%). Similar trends were observed for the faecal bacteria but
with no significant differences between the seasons. However, the vegetated
beds were significantly more efficient than the non-vegetated control in the
reduction of many physicochemical parameters and faecal bacteria. This varied
with the seasons.