Removal of phosphate from simulated domestic wastewater using sorbents under constructed wetland

As an affordable method of removing phosphorus from wastewater, a vertical flow wetland was constructed in pots using a kaolinitic rich Rhodic Kandiustalf as a basal soil and rice variety, KRC Baika, as the wetland plant to remove P from a 300 mg P/L laboratory prepared wastewater. Charcoal, corncob and bagasse were added as sorbents to improve the wetland’s phosphorus removal ability. The effluents were analysed weekly for phosphorus and pH. The capacity of the wetland in phosphorus removal was on the average improved by about 6%, 25% and 27%, respectively, when charcoal, bagasse and corncob were added. The P removal abilities of the components of the wetland were in the order of rice plant > substrate-sorbent > basal soil. The bagasse amended wetland is the preferred choice as in addition to significantly reducing the concentration of P in simulated wastewater, effluents pH after treatment were within acceptable standards for discharge into natural water bodies.