A Study on Removal of SDS from Synthetic Wastewater Using Vertical Flow Constructed Wetland

Abstract

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) estimates that by 2025, one-third of all Indians will experience water scarcity, making it a critical issue to take into account. Laundry practices that discharge wastewater into waterbodies harm the ecosystem and the environment. Laundry effluent must be treated since an increase in surfactant content in the water body is likely to have an impact on aquatic life. Constructed wetland (CW) is favored above other treatments because it is sustainable, eco-friendly, cost-effective, and simple to use. Two planted and two unplanted vertical flow wetlands are designed in this study. Garden soil, sand, and three different types of gravel are all stacked on top of each other with Typha in planted CW. The study was performed at different concentrations of Sodium dodecyl sulfate - 0 mg/L, 50 mg/L, and 100 mg/L. The highest removal efficiency of SDS was found to be 98.2 %( planted) and 98.5% (unplanted) at 50 mg/L and 93.8% (planted) and 96.7% (unplanted) at 100 mg/L. For other parameters, COD (chemical oxygen demand) and phosphate average removal efficiencies are 83.8% (planted), 84.6% (unplanted) and 93.7% (planted), 94.5% (unplanted) respectively, whereas ammonia removal is ineffective at 100 mg/L. This will give reusable laundry wastewater for different purposes like gardening, and other non-potable purposes as well as reduce the fresh water demand in everyday life.