Effects of polyculture on nutrient removal from residential raw sewage using field-scale artificial floating islands

Nutrient pollution poses a significant challenge to global water bodies, particularly from non-point sources due to their diffuse nature. This study investigated the effectiveness of Artificial Floating Islands (AFIs) as a phytoremediation technology to address this issue. We constructed and monitored a field-scale AFI system in the equalization basin of a wastewater treatment plant for preliminary treatment of residential raw sewage. Focusing on a polyculture of two native aquatic plants - Carex comosa (bristly sedge) and Eleocharis obtusa (blunt spike-rush) - we assessed how polyculture influenced nutrient assimilation and evaluated the overall performance of polyculture AFI systems under natural conditions. Our results showed that polyculture simultaneously affected plants' capacity of nutrient assimilation and biomass production. The potential competition within the polyculture systems promoted the growth of C. comosa while suppressing E. obtusa. The enhanced nutrient assimilation in C. comosa plant tissues was mainly attributed to its increased biomass production. Additionally, we observed a negative correlation between pH and the storage of total oxidized nitrogen (NO₂^- + NO₃^-), ammonium (NH₄⁺), and orthophosphate (PO₄^3-), with the highest nutrient storage occurring at a near-neutral pH of 7.5. Environmental factors such as pH and water temperature interacted with the effects of polyculture on nutrient assimilation, with C. comosa in polyculture systems showing the highest sensitivity to these factors. Throughout the study, polyculture AFIs exhibited the highest nutrient assimilation, with peak values of 2968 mg/m² for NH₄⁺, 1767 mg/m² for PO₄^3-, and 12 mg/m² for NO₂^- + NO₃^-, outperforming the two monoculture AFIs. Notably, nutrient assimilation in polyculture AFI systems did not average the performance of monoculture systems but demonstrated higher values and greater robustness under varying environmental conditions. These findings highlight the potential of using polyculture to extend the operational lifespan, enhance performance, and reduce the constructional costs of field-scale AFI systems for managing nutrient pollution.