The research project was initiated to refine the knowledge available on the treatment of rural municipal wastewater by constructed wetlands. Field and laboratory studies were conducted to determine the treatment capacity of a constructed wetland system and to determine a substrate that would be most efficient as a phosphorus adsorption filter. The wetland system consisted of three free-water surface cells, three blast furnace slag filters and a vegetated filter strip, treating municipal wastewater. Bimonthly water samples at the inlet and outlet of each component of the wetland system were analysed for biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate and nitrite, ammonia and ammonium, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total suspended solids, total phosphorus, ortho-phosphate, fecal coliforms and E. coli. Phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations were determined in the sediment, plant tissue and water column of the free-surface wetland cells. The free-surface wetland cells achieved removals as follows: ammonia and ammonium (52%), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (37%), total suspended solids (93%), total phosphorus (90%) and ortho-phosphate (82%). The vegetated filter strip achieved removals as follows: ammonia and ammonium (28%), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (11%), total suspended solids (22%), total phosphorus (5%) and ortho-phosphate (0%). The slag filters reduced total phosphorus by more than 99%. Phosphorus adsorption measurements were conducted on slag, calcite and shale. Slag was found to be the most effective at removing phosphate.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.33724 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Cameron, Kimberley A. |
| Contributors | Madramootoo, C. A. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001872088, proquestno: MQ78841, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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