EVALUATION- OF NATURAL AND CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Abstract

Comprising over 70% of the earth surface, water is undoubtedly the most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. Although we as humans recognize this fact, we disregard it by polluting our rivers, lakes and oceans etc. Due to increasing population load, wastewater generation has increased substantially over the years. Conventional methods of wastewater treatment are not sufficient considering the volumes and associated cost. Wetlands (Natural and constructed) employ the natural treatment mechanisms and have been widely used in the world. Wetlands remove organic, inorganic and toxic impurities from the wastewater that flows across them. Wetlands improve water quality just as wastewater treatment plants do but after investing millions of dollars in construction and operation. In this study, two wetlands, one Natural and another Constructed, have been monitored in order to evaluate their performance in terms of wastewater treatment. The sequence of presentation in this is as follows: Chapter-1: Introduction about Natural and Constructed wetlands and their function for wastewater purification. Chapter-2: Description about present study and the analytical methods. Chapter-3: Performance evaluation of Natural Wetland. Chapter-4: Removal of heavy metals through Natural and Constructed Wetlands. Chapter-5: Conclusions and Limitations.