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Vera-Puerto I, Marca N, Contreras C, Zuñiga F, López J, Sangüesa C, Correa C, Arias CA, Valenzuela M. Performance of vertical and horizontal treatment wetlands planted with ornamental plants in Central Chile: comparative analysis of initial operation stage for effluent reuse in agriculture. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-34575-1. [PMID: 39093390 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34575-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
This study comparatively evaluated effluent reuse from two TWs-a horizontal subsurface flow (HF) and a vertical subsurface flow (VF)-used for rural wastewater treatment in Central Chile during the initial operation stage. The two TWs were planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica and were operated for 10 months at a pilot scale. The water quality of the influent and effluents was measured and compared with reuse regulations. The results showed similarities in the behavior of the effluents from the two TWs, presenting differences only in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and different forms of nitrogen, suggesting the necessity of complementary treatment stages or modifications to the operation. The effluents from the HF better fulfilled the reuse standards for irrigation, as the VF faced problems associated with its size. However, a complementary disinfection system is necessary to improve pathogen removal in the effluents coming from the two TWs, especially to be reused as irrigation water for crops. Finally, this work showed the potential for applying subsurface TWs for wastewater treatment in rural areas and reusing their effluents as irrigation water, practice that can contribute to reducing the pressure on water resources in Chile, and that can be used as an example for other countries facing similar problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Vera-Puerto
- Centro de Innovación en Ingeniería Aplicada (CIIA), Departamento de Obras Civiles, Facultad de Ciencias de La Ingeniería, Universidad Católica del Maule, Av. San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile.
| | - Nataly Marca
- Escuela de Ingeniería Civil, Universidad Tecnológica de los Andes, Av. Perú 700, Abancay, Perú
| | - Claudio Contreras
- Centro de Innovación en Ingeniería Aplicada (CIIA), Departamento de Obras Civiles, Facultad de Ciencias de La Ingeniería, Universidad Católica del Maule, Av. San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile
| | - Franklin Zuñiga
- Centro de Innovación en Ingeniería Aplicada (CIIA), Departamento de Obras Civiles, Facultad de Ciencias de La Ingeniería, Universidad Católica del Maule, Av. San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile
| | - Jose López
- Centro de Innovación en Ingeniería Aplicada (CIIA), Departamento de Obras Civiles, Facultad de Ciencias de La Ingeniería, Universidad Católica del Maule, Av. San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile
| | - Claudia Sangüesa
- Centro Tecnológico de Hidrología Ambiental (CTHA), Universidad de Talca, Casilla 747, Avenida Lircay S/N, Talca, Chile
| | - Christian Correa
- Centro de Innovación en Ingeniería Aplicada (CIIA), Departamento de Obras Civiles, Facultad de Ciencias de La Ingeniería, Universidad Católica del Maule, Av. San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile
- Consultora E Ingeniería Ciudad Verde Ltda, Camino a Puertas Negras S/N, Talca, Chile
| | - Carlos A Arias
- Department of Biology - Aquatic Biology, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé 1, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- WATEC Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Mariela Valenzuela
- Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente, Oficina Regional del Maule, Edificio Plaza Centro, Calle Uno Norte 801, piso 11, Talca, Chile
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Vera-Puerto I, Valdés H, Correa C, Olave J, Pérez V, Arias CA. Variation of the feeding/resting period in modified vertical treatment wetlands (depth, zeolite as medium) employed for treating rural domestic wastewater in tourist areas. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2023; 88:1394-1403. [PMID: 37768743 PMCID: wst_2023_283 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
This work aimed to evaluate the performance of modified vertical flow treatment wetlands (VF-TWs) in terms of depth and medium to assess the effect of the feeding/resting periods and footprint (FP). The modifications were proposed for treating domestic wastewater in rural areas with flow variations such as tourist sites. The experimental setup included six laboratory-scale VF-TWs: (a) normal (VF-N), bed depth 1.0 m, filled with sand and (b) modified (VF-M), bed depth 0.5 m, filled with sand (upper) and zeolite (bottom, saturated). The operation was divided into three phases (3 months each), varying the feeding/resting period and FP: phase I, 5 d/10 d, 2.6 m2/person-equivalent (PE); phase II, 3.5 d/3.5 d, 1.7 m2/PE; and phase III, only feeding no resting, 0.85 m2/PE. Influent and effluent grab samples were taken every 2 weeks. The results showed effective removal (above 60%) of total solids, organic matter, and pathogens for both VF-N and VF-M. Regarding nutrients, VF-M showed a phosphate removal below 60%, but no consistent removal (15-60%) of total nitrogen. Thus, the results suggest that proposed modifications can be an option to be established in tourist sites, but further work should be conducted to improve and optimize total nitrogen removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Vera-Puerto
- Departamento de Obras Civiles, Universidad Católica del Maule, Avenida San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile E-mail: ;
| | - Hugo Valdés
- Departamento de Computación e Industrias, Universidad Católica del Maule, Avenida San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile
| | - Christian Correa
- Departamento de Obras Civiles, Universidad Católica del Maule, Avenida San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile; Consultora e Ingeniería Ciudad Verde Ltda, Camino a Puertas Negras S/N, Talca, Chile
| | - Jorge Olave
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Recursos Hídricos, Universidad Arturo Prat, Vivar 461-489, Iquique, Chile
| | - Valeria Pérez
- Departamento de Obras Civiles, Universidad Católica del Maule, Avenida San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile; Departamento de Infraestructura, Universidad Católica del Maule, Avenida San Miguel 3605, Talca, Chile
| | - Carlos A Arias
- Department of Biology - Aquatic Biology, Aarhus University, Nordre Ringgade 1, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark; WATEC Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600 Silkeborg, Aarhus C, Denmark
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Plaza-Garrido A, Ampuero M, Gaggero A, Villamar-Ayala CA. Norovirus, Hepatitis A and SARS-CoV-2 surveillance within Chilean rural wastewater treatment plants based on different biological treatment typologies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 863:160685. [PMID: 36476771 PMCID: PMC9721186 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater from WWTPs became an interesting source of epidemiological surveillance. However, there is uncertainty about the influence of treatment type on virus removal. The aim of this study was to assess viral surveillance within wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) based on different biological treatments. Seasonal monitoring (autumn-winter and spring-summer) was conducted in 10 Chilean rural WWTPs, which were based on activated sludge, aerated lagoons, bio-discs, constructed wetlands, vermifilters and mixed systems. Viruses were measured (influent/effluent) by the RT-qPCR technique, using a commercial kit for SARS-CoV-2, NoV GI, NoV GII, and HAV. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral variants by genotyping was performed using SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Assays (ThermoFisher Scientific, USA). JC polyomavirus detection (control), as well as a qPCR technique. Results showed that SARS-CoV-2, NoV GI and GII were detected in influents at values between <5 and 462, 0 to 28, and 0 to 75 GC/mL, respectively. HAV was not detected among the studied WWTPs. The monitored WWTPs removed these viruses at percentages between 0 and 100 %. WWTPs based on activated sludge with bio-discs demonstrated to be the most efficient at removing SARS-CoV-2 (up to 98 %) and NoV GI and GII (100 %). Meanwhile, bio-discs technologies were the least efficient for viral removal, due to biofilm detachment, which could also adsorb viral aggregates. A correlation analysis established that solids, pH, and temperature are the most influential parameters in viral removal. Wastewater-based surveillance at WWTP allowed for the detection of Omicron before the Chilean health authorities notified its presence in the population. In addition, surveillance of viruses and other microorganisms could help assess the potential public health risk of wastewater recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Plaza-Garrido
- Departamento de Ingeniería en Obras Civiles, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Santiago de Chile (USACH), Av. Victor Jara 3659, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile
| | - Manuel Ampuero
- Programa de Virología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380453, Chile
| | - Aldo Gaggero
- Programa de Virología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380453, Chile.
| | - Cristina Alejandra Villamar-Ayala
- Departamento de Ingeniería en Obras Civiles, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Santiago de Chile (USACH), Av. Victor Jara 3659, Estación Central, Santiago, Chile.
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