Ecology

Study Findings on Environmental Research Are Outlined in Reports from University of Leon

  2012 JUL 20 (VerticalNews) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Chemicals & Chemistry -- Investigators publish new report on Environmental Research. According to news reporting originating in Leon, Spain, by VerticalNews journalists, researchers stated "Seven mesocosm-scale (1m(2)) constructed wetlands (CWs) of different configurations were operated outdoors for thirty-nine months under the same conditions to assess their ability to remove organic matter and nutrients from urban wastewaters. CWs differed in some design parameters, namely the presence of plants, the species chosen (i.e., Typha angustifolia or Phragmites australis), the flow configuration (i.e., surface flow or subsurface flow) and the presence/absence of a gravel bed."

  The news reporters obtained a quote from the research by the authors from the University of Leon, "It was observed that, in general, removal efficiencies decreased with the aging of the system and that seasonality had a great influence on CWs. A comparison was made in order to figure out which kind of CW was more efficient for the removal of every pollutant in the long term. Planted systems were clearly better than unplanted systems even in winter. Efficiency differences among CWs were not extremely great, especially after a few years. However, some types of CWs were more adequate for the removal of certain pollutants. The effect of the aging on the main parameters involved in pollutant removal in CWs (temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen concentration and redox potential) was assessed."

  According to the news reporters, the researchers concluded: "The efficiency of CWs should not be evaluated based on short monitoring periods (1-2years) after the start-up of the systems, but on longer periods."

  For more information on this research see: Comparison of interannual removal variation of various constructed wetland types. The Science of the Total Environment, 2012;430():174-83.

  Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting M. Hijosa-Valsero, Dept. of Biodiversity and Environmental Management, Faculty of Biologic and Environmental Sciences, University of Leon, Campus de Vegazana s, n, E-24071 Leon, Spain.

  Keywords for this news article include: Leon, Spain, Europe, Environmental Research.

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