Optimizing the Particle Size of Shale and Laterite Used as Constructed Wetland Substrates for Wastewater Treatment

Constructed Wetlands (CWs) are currently one of the most promising techniques for wastewater treatment, having demonstrated their effectiveness. However, the choice of substrate particle size is critical to the smooth operation of the process, as hydrodynamic constraints require a coarse particle size, whereas wastewater treatment recommends a fine particle size. This study investigates the suitability of laterite and shale as substrates of different sizes (1 - 3, 3 - 5 and 5 - 8 mm) in CWs for domestic wastewater treatment. The study was carried out in an experimental pilot plant consisting of 12 parallelepiped beds (C × C = 0.4 × 0.4 m2; H = 0.6 m) filled from bottom to top with 0.1 m of gravel and 0.4 m of shale or laterite of different grain sizes with two replications. During the six months of operation, plant biomass and stem diameter of Pennisetum purpureum used as vegetation in the CWs were determined. Raw and treated water were also sampled and analyzed for pollutants, including chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total Kjedahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), and total suspended solids (TSS), using International Organization for Standardization (ISO) analytical methods. P. purpureum developed much better in the CW beds lined with shale; plant biomass ranged from 13.8 to 14.7 kg/m2 and from 11.2 to 12.5 kg/m2 in the beds lined with shale and laterite, respectively, as did stump diameter, which ranged from 15.5 to 16.1 cm and from 11.10 to 12.7 cm, respectively. However, the highest values for biomass and stump diameter for each material were obtained in the beds lined with 1 - 3 mm geomaterials. Pollutant removal efficiencies were highest in the CWs lined with laterite and shale of 1 - 3 mm grain size (76.9% - 83% COD, 78% - 84.7% BOD5, 55.5% - 72.2% TKN, 58.4% - 72.4% TP, 78.1% - 80.2% TSS), with the highest values recorded in the shale-lined beds. However, the 3 - 5 mm grain size of both materials provided quality filtrates (140 - 174 mg/L COD, 78.5 - 94.8 mg/L BOD5, 4.6 - 5.7 mg/L TP) in line with local wastewater discharge levels. This size of geomaterials appears to be suitable for optimization purposes, although further work with these materials, such as increasing the depth of the wetland, is required to improve the level of NTK and TSS discharge.