Effect of intermittent induced aeration on nitrogen removal and denitrifying-bacterial community structure in Cork and gravel vertical flow pilot-scale treatment wetlands

• Autores: Aguilara, Lorena; Gallegos, Ángel; Pérez, Leonardo Martín; Arias, Carlos A.; Rubio, Raquel; Haulani, Leila; Garciá Raurich, Josep; Pallarés, Marc; de Pablo, Joan; Morató, Jordi
• Año de publicación: 2021
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Fuente: Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A. 2021, 56(10)
• Materia: HUMEDALES; CONTAMINACION DEL AGUA; NITROGENO
• Institución: Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina

Fil: Aguilara, Lorena. Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya; España
Fil: Aguilara, Lorena. UNESCO Chair on Sustainability; Francia
Fil: Gallegos, Ángel. UNESCO Chair on Sustainability; Francia
Fil: Gallegos, Ángel. Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya; España
Fil: Pérez, Leonardo Martín. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina. Facultad de Química e Ingeniería del Rosario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Ambiental, Química y Biotecnología Aplicada; Argentina
Fil: Pérez, Leonardo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentinas
Fil: Pérez, Leonardo Martín. Politécnica ecnica de Catalunya; España
Fil: Pérez, Leonardo Martín. NESCO Chair on Sustainability; Francia
Fil: Arias, Carlos A. University of Aarhus. Department of Biological Sciences; Dinamarca
Fil: Arias, Carlos A. Aarhus University. Centre for Water Technology; Dinamarca
Fil: Rubio, Raquel. Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya; España
Fil: Rubio, Raquel. UNESCO Chair on Sustainability; Francia
Fil: Haulani, Leila. Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya; España
Fil: Haulani, Leila. UNESCO Chair on Sustainability; Francia
Fil: Garciá Raurich, Josep. Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya. Centro de Investigación en Seguridad y Control Alimentario; España
Fil: Pallarés, Marc. Grupo de Desarrollo Empresarial; España
Fil: de Pablo, Joan. Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya. Resource Recovery and Environmental Management; España
Fil: Morató, Jordi. Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya; España
Fil: Morató, Jordi. UNESCO Chair on Sustainability; Francia
Abstract: In this work, we have evaluated the impact of intermittent induced aeration in total nitrogen (TN), ammonia (NH4-N) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) removal in four pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) (two aerated two non-aerated) using cork by-product or gravel as the filter material and planted with Phragmites australis. Both aerated and non-aerated systems achieved high COD and BOD5 elimination rates ( 90%) at the end of the 5-month test period. However, the aerated systems presented maximal COD and BOD5 removal from the third month of operation onwards since air supply favored the oxidative bioprocesses occurring within the wetlands. Cork and gravel aerated VFCW also proved to be more efficient (p<0.05) in NO3-N removal than the non-aerated systems and this upgraded performance was correlated with a significant higher relative abundance of the nirS gene. The aerated systems also showed a slightly improved NH4-N removal. Noticeably, cork VFCW showed higher TN removal mean values ( 35%) than gravel wetlands (27-28%) regardless aeration. Moreover, cork VFCW showed higher relative abundance of the nosZ gene. Our results demonstrated a better nitrogen elimination for the aerated cork pilotscale VFCW, and this behavior was correlated with a higher abundance of both nirS and nosZ, two of the key functional genes involved in nitrogen metabolism.