Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #337940
Title: Constructed wetlands for saline wastewater treatment: A review

Author
item LIANG, YINXIU - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item ZHU, HUI - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item Banuelos, Gary
item YAN, BAIXING - Chinese Academy Of Sciences
item ZHOU, QINGWEI - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences
item YU, XIANGFEI - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences

Submitted to: Ecological Engineering
Publication Type: Literature Review
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2017
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Saline wastewater originating from sources such as agriculture, aquaculture, and many industrial sectors usually contains high levels of salts and other contaminants, which can adversely affect both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, the treatment of saline wastewater (removal of both salts and specific contaminants) has become a necessary strategy in many countries. Conventional methods (e.g., using physicochemical equipment, biological reactors, or a combination thereof) are feasible for treating most saline wastewaters. However, the high cost of these techniques limits their application in many areas, especially in developing countries. For this reason, constructed wetlands (CWs) have been successfully used for treating a wide variety of wastewaters. They are eco-friendly and cost effective as a potential and inexpensive alternative technology for saline wastewater treatment. The current review illustrates the latest knowledge on the use of CWs for treating saline wastewater. Though the function of plants and microorganisms in CWs is sometimes inhibited by salts, acceptable treatment effectiveness can still be achieved by identifying specific halophytes, optimizing wetland structure and operation parameters, and by exploring the application of halophilic microorganisms. Other factors influencing the effectiveness of CWs for saline wastewater treatment include water pH and temperature. Future CW studies are recommended on the removal of different types of target contaminants with large-scale field experiments under real-world conditions.