Wetlands as Water Treatment Systems

1. Wetlands as Water Treatment Systems By: Ryan Klosowski

2. Outline of Points • Background of Wetlands • Why Wetlands are needed/Problems • How Wetlands are solutions? • Case Study Showing Wetlands as a Solution • Conclusions • My conclusion

3. Objective. • The purpose of this presentation is to explain what a wetland is and to show how wetlands could be used as water treatment systems for nutrients and toxins.

4. What is a Wetland? • “An area where water is present at or near surface for a whole year or different times during the growing season” (US EPA) • Hydric soils • Hydrophitic vegetation http://www.al.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/photo/wet/veg/wetlands3.jpg

5. Types of Wetlands • Marshes- soft-stemmed plants • Swamps-woody plants • Bogs-freshwater/ often glacial lakes/sponge peat deposits/ moss and evergreens • Fens-freshwater, grasses, shrubs, wildflowers

6. http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/wetlands/inland.htm http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/habitats/images/midsize/alderslab.jpg http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/images/bogvl.jpg http://www.co.kendall.il.us/forest_preserve/images/sf3.jpg

7. Number of Wetlands • 6% of the earth’s land surface (Wetlands International) • .01% of all water (Wetlands International) http://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/hydrology/wetlands/wet_usa2.jpeg

8. http://www.wetlands.org/Portals/0/wetland%20inventory/wetlands_map2.jpghttp://www.wetlands.org/Portals/0/wetland%20inventory/wetlands_map2.jpg

9. Why Wetlands Are Needed/Problems • Runoff from agricultural fields, sewer sludge causing algal blooms, and leading to problems down stream • Pesticides and chemicals into water causing sickness and disease/contamination • Leaching from landfills into groundwater • Loss of Wetlands leading to more run off

10. How Wetlands Are Solutions? • Aquatic plants in wetlands and some microbes can take up the nitrogen and excess nutrients from run off • Sediment that contains some of the heavy metals can settle out towards the bottom of the wetland out of the water. • Volitization can occur causing dissolved solid toxins to be turned into gases which leave the system • Decomposition by some microbes

11. Case Study • Tawain/Kaoping River • Wetland constructed in 2004 • Non-point pollution from sewage plant, agricultural fields, and industrial wastes into the river. • Make more green areas, protect biodiversity http://cgcanal.cca.gov.tw/eng/images/dalian-a-1_clip_image014.jpg

12. Kaoping River 3,625 km. http://eem.pcc.gov.tw/eemadm/files/images/Experiimage002234.img_assist_custom.jpg http://www.chinamaps.org/images/china-map/province-maps/thumb/taiwan.jpg

13. Study • A paper mill • B agricultural runoff • 7 basins • A6 and B7 conservation • A2-A5 and B2-B6 treatment • A1 and B1 inlets (Wu et el, 2010)

14. Experiment • Took water samples quarterly from inlets A1 and B1 and outlets of A1, A2, A3, A6, B1, B3, B4, and B7 grab method • Flow rates at each point • Refrigerated until used. • Checked for suspended sediment, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus , conductivity , pH. Chlorophyll A and total chloroforms • Ion Chromatography, Orion DO meter for oxygen, portable conductivity, and spectrometer (Wu et el, 2010)

15. Results (Wu et el, 2010)

16. Results • A. 13,454 m 3/day, 0.08 m/day, and 5.5 days • HLR, and HRT for System B (hydraulic retention rate, hydraulic retention time were • B. 5,309 m /day, 0.04 m/day, and 13.3 /day, • 48% BOD and TC from A • 96% from B • TN= 52 and 61% • TP=40% (Wu et el, 2010)

17. Conclusions • Lower BOD and Eh because of biodegradation • Higher Dissolved Oxygen toward surface due to algae. • Low oxygen in lower water because of nitrification and denitrification and lower nitrate and ammonia. • Removed nitrogen the most • BOD (biological oxygen demand) higher correlation with RR and effluent concentrations; higher BO loading, more removal and higher effluent.

18. Conclusions • No significant difference for PLR (pollutant loading rate) and RR of TN, as well a TP • This might be because of plant removal of nutrients. Increase of nutrients if plants not harvested or sediment removal • First order decay model k values of TN (Total Nitrogen) =.15 and .09; TP(Total Phosphorus)=.1 and .09p; BOD=.21 and .08 • Water not meet requirements to be reused for irrigation • 2 things to Increase Pollutant removal: • Harvest plants frequently to keep plants with high metabolic rates for removal • Decrease amount of nutrients before getting into the wetland.

19. My Conclusions • Wetlands are efficient of removing nutrients and toxins from, runoff and sewage sludge. • More wetlands need constructed to be able to catch more runoff • Less runoff into rivers could also be an important solution • Wetlands not also important for pollutant removal but also biodiversity and wildlife preservation. • Worked in Taiwan, can work here in the US

20. What was Discussed? • Background of Wetlands • Why Wetlands are needed/Problems • How Wetlands are solutions? • Case Study Showing Wetlands as a Solution • Conclusions • My conclusion

21. References • Wu, C. Y., Kao, C. M., Lin, C. E., Chen, C. W., & Lai, Y. C. (2010). Using a constructed wetland for non-point source pollution control and river water quality purification: a case study in Taiwan. Water Science & Technology, 61(10), 2549-2555. • US EPA. 2001. Functions and Values of Wetlands. US Environmental Protection Agency. Online. 12 November 2011. < http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/outreach/upload/fun_val.pdf/>. • Washington State Department of Ecology. 2011. Functions and Values of Wetlands. Washington State Ecology Department. 11 November 2011. <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/wetlands/functions.html>. • Wetlands International. 2011. What Are Wetlands? Wetlands for Water and Life. 9 November 2011. http://www.wetlands.org/Aboutus/Whatarewetlands/tabid/202/Default.aspx>. • Gold, J Mike. 2011. Celebrate the Wetlands. Mike J. Gold’s Blog. 13 November 2011. <http://blog.mikejgold.com/celebrate-the-wetlands>.

22. Questions?