Title: Treatment of domestic wastewater using composite ecological system in Chinese rural area

Authors: Qishe Yan; Yanyan Wang; Luyun Zhang; Biqing Zhu; Ruiqin Zhang

Addresses: College of Chemistry and Molecule Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China ' College of Chemistry and Molecule Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China ' College of Chemistry and Molecule Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China ' College of Chemistry and Molecule Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China ' College of Chemistry and Molecule Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

Abstract: In this study, a newly developed contaminant removal system for domestic wastewater in rural area was used at the first time in Henan province, China. This composite ecological system (CES) consists of septic tank (ST), improved soil filter (ISF) and surface flow wetland (SFW). The performances of the system was to investigate the removal of biological oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total suspend solid (TSS) and total coliform, and to evaluate its technical and economical suitability. The wastewater treatment capacity of the constructing system is 200 m3 d−1. The results show that the average removal values of the combined system which has been observed in a 14-month period are as follows: BOD = 90%, TN = 83%, TP = 98% and TSS = 93%. The intermittent result of the removal total bacterial count and total coliform are 2.1 to 2.6 log unit and the dissolved oxygen increases from 0.8 to 3.5 mg l−1. The facts indicate that the system is a cost-effective and technically feasible process for rural area domestic sewage treatment.

Keywords: domestic wastewater; wastewater treatment; composite ecological systems; improved soil filters; ISF; surface flow wetlands; SFW; China; rural areas; contaminant removal; septic tanks; biological oxygen demand; BOD; total nitrogen; total phosphorus; total suspend solid; TSS; total coliform; domestic sewage; cost effectiveness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2014.064576

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2014 Vol.17 No.5, pp.365 - 376

Accepted: 22 Oct 2013
Published online: 11 Oct 2014 *

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