reed bed treatments, constructed wetlands ecosystems

reed bed treatments, constructed wetlands ecosystems, waterwaste treatments, water pollution and contamination, dewatering, uk

Oceans-ESU - Water

For more info e-mail: info@oceans-esu.com.

The Role of Plants

The plants have three main functions:

They provide the means for secondary restructuring of the soil system. The very extensive root and rhizome system creates channels for the water to pass through and also keeps the soil open through the constant growth and die back of the root system.
The roots of the aquatic plant introduce oxygen down into the body of soil, providing an environment where aerobic bacteria can thrive. These are needed for the effective breakdown of many types of compounds, such as the oxidation of ammonia to nitrate - the first step in the biological breakdown of this compound.
The plants are capable of taking up a certain amount of nutrient from the wastewater themselves.

Naturally Engineered Wetland Systems

Reed bed treatment systems essentially comprise self-contained artificially engineered wetland ecosystems. They utilize particular combinations of plants, soils, bacteria, substrates, and hydraulic flow systems to optimise the physical, chemical, and microbiological processes naturally present in the root zone.

Treatment is possible due to the special characteristics of wetland plants, such as reeds, which transfer substantial amounts of atmospheric oxygen through their root systems. This role of the plants encourages an extraordinary quantity of species diversity of microorganisms to flourish in the soil around the plant roots.

The Natural Breakdown of Contaminants

The breakdown of contaminants is achieved by the controlled seepage of the water borne pollutants through the root zone of the wetland plants. Organic pollutants are broken down as a food source by microorganisms and the plants, while other contaminants, such as metals and PCBs, are fixed in the humic acid (and via cation exchange bonds) in the soil or mineral substrates in which the plants are rooted.

Powerful Reactions in the Root Zone

The complexity of microbial forms and powerful reactions within the root zone of the oil based reed bed result in an extraordinary water cleaning capability. This capability is often far less constrained than in many chemical or physical treatment systems.

Return to Water Index