2012-Tropical Application of Floating Treatment We

2012-Tropical Application of Floating Treatment WetlandsARTICLETropicalApplicationofFloatingTreatmentWetlandsS.K.Weragoda&K.B.S.N.Jinadasa&DongQingZhang&RichardM.Gersberg&SoonKeatTan&NorioTanaka&NgWunJernReceived:3October2011/Accepted:16August2012/Publishedonline:29August2012#SocietyofWetlandScientists2012AbstractThetreatmentefficienciesoffloatingtreatmentwetlands(FTWs)containingtwotypesofmacrophytes,TyphaangustifoliaandCannairidiflora,wereinvestigatedinapilotscalestudyinthetropicalclimateofSriLanka.Inbatchexperiments,over80%ofbiologicaloxygendemand(BOD5)andammonium(NH4+-N)removalwasobserved,whilenitrate(NO3−-N)removalwasover40%.TyphaangustifoliashowedslightlyhigherBOD5,NH4+-NandNO3−-NremovalthanCannairidiflora.Becauseofhigherandsteadyrootgrowth,Typhaangustifoliaresultedinabetterperformanceandhasagreaterpotentialtoextractnutrientsfromwastewaterandallowwater-plantinteractionsthanCannairidiflorawhoserootmatisthickandcompact.Similartothebatchsystem,thecontinuousflowsystemsperformedbettera