Constructed wetlands for boron removal: A review

Boron (B) contamination in the environment still increases because of various natural sources and anthropogenic activities. Therefore, the problem of removing B from water becomes a worldwide concern due to its toxicity and chronic effects on plants, animals and human health. This situation has generated increasing interest in the use of several wastewater treatment technologies in order to remove B from contaminated water. Constructed wetlands (CWs) present friendly alternative methods to treat wastewater around the world, and are used for removing various contaminants including metals and metalloids. This paper reviews current knowledge regarding the removal process of B, discusses application of B removal, and identifies critical knowledge study fields of future and gaps. Despite the fact that the sediment is a major sink for the removal of B, plants can play a significant role under favorable environmental conditions. The most important environmental factors that affect B removal in CWs are climatic conditions (e.g. transpiration rates), pH, temperature, solutions composition and competing species, hydraulic retention time and supporting media. Further research is needed on the major removal mechanism of B in CWs, namely the applicability of surface flow system, hybrid systems and vertical flow systems to remove B from wastewaters, the role of microorganism in order to enhance B removal efficiency. © 2014 Elsevier B.V

Constructed wetlands as green tools for management of boron mine wastewater

WOS: 000325787600001PubMed: 24912241Constructed wetlands are of increasing interest worldwide given that they represent an eco-technological solution to many environmental problems such as wastewater treatment. Turkey possesses approximately 70% of the world's total boron (B) reserves, and B contamination occurs in both natural and cultivated sites throughout Turkey, particularly in the north-west of the country. This study analyzes B removal and plant uptake of B in pilot plots of subsurface horizontal-flow constructed wetlands. Constructed wetlands were vegetated with Typha latifolia (referred to as CW1) and Phragmites australis (referred to as CW2) to treat wastewater from a borax reserve in Turkey-the largest of its type in the world and were assessed under field conditions. The B concentrations of water inflows to the systems were determined to be 10.2, 28.2, 84.6, 232.3, 716.4, and 2019.1mg l(-1). The T. latifolia in the CW(1)treatment group absorbed a total of 1300mg kg(-1) B, whereas P. australis absorbed 839mg kg(-1). As a result, CW(1)had an average removal efficiency of 40.7%, while that of CW(2)was 27.2%. Our results suggest that constructed wetlands are an effective, economic and eco-friendly solution to treating B mine wastewater and controlling the adverse environmental effects of B mining

Phyto-management of boron mine effluent using native macrophytes in mono-culture and poly-culture constructed wetlands

WOS: 000381636400009Due to the high solubility of boron (B) compounds in mine effluent and its potential to cause teratogenic effects in the ecological components, the boron mine effluent pollution issues have aroused more and more global attentions, especially drinking waters source where flow through boron-enriched areas. In this study, mono-culture and poly-culture constructed wetlands (CWs) planted with native macrophytes, Typha angustifolia, Juncus gerardii, and Phragmites australis, were tested to phyto-management option of boron mine effluent under the natural climatic conditions in largest boron mine reserve area over the world. According to present results, higher bioconcentration factor (BCF) values were found as 2.095 and 2.828 for Typha angustifolia and J. gerardii growing in CWs during the experiment period. Therefore, T. angustifolia and J. gerardii seem to be the suitable species for phytoremediation of boron mine effluent. Among the native macrophytes, we found that J. gerardii in the mono-culture CW uptake higher than 1000 mg kg(-1) B from mine effluent during the study period. In this respect, J. could be a reasonable bio-filter option to control boron pollution directly from mining effluent outlets in boron mine reserve areas all over the world. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey [113Y335]; Scientific Research Funds of Anadolu University, Turkey [1403F098]This work was financially supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (Project Number: 113Y335) and Scientific Research Funds of Anadolu University, Turkey (Project Number: 1403F098). We thank to Dr. Beth Middleton in USGS (United States Geological Survey, National Wetland Research Center), Dr. Jan Vymazal (Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Science, Prague, Czech Republic) and Dr. Yi Chen (Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Science, Prague, Czech Republic) for their comments on of the manuscript and language improvement

Investigation by multiple factor analysis of variation of suicide causes according to gender in people with different ages in the years 2002 and 2012

AMAÇ: Bu çalışmada, 2002 ve 2012 yıllarında farklı yaş gruplarındaki bireylerde intihar nedenlerinin cinsiyete göre değişiminin incelenmesi amaçlandı. GEREÇ VE YÖNTEMLER: 2002 ve 2012 yıllarında 3802 bireye ait veri seti, yaş (<15, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, ≥55), cinsiyet, intihar nedeni (hastalık, aile geçimsizliği, geçim zorluğu, hissi ilişki-istediği ile evlenememe, öğrenim başarısızlığı ve diğer nedenler) değişkenleri incelenmek üzere her iki yılın 6 intihar nedeni satırda ve cinsiyete göre yaş grupları sütunda olan çoklu kontenjans tablosu şeklinde oluşturuldu. Veriler, kontenjans tablolarında çoklu faktör analizi (KTÇFA) yöntemi ile incelendi. BULGULAR: Toplam inertianın %58,82’sinin 1. boyut; %15,30’unun ise ikinci boyut tarafından açıklandığı ve 1. özdeğerin 1,838 olduğu bulundu. Cinsiyete göre geçim zorluğu ve diğer intihar nedenlerinin farklılık gösterdiği bulundu. Geçim zorluğundan dolayı intihar eden yaşlı erkeklerin kadınlara göre daha fazla olduğu belirlendi. 29 yaş altı erkeklerde ve 24 yaş altı kadınlarda, 2002 yılında aile geçimsizliği, diğer nedenler, hissi ilişki-istediği ile evlenememe ve öğrenim nedenlerinden dolayı intiharlar gözlenirken; 2012 yılında hissi ilişki-istediği ile evlenememe ve öğrenimden dolayı intihar vakalarının gözlendiği tespit edildi. 25 yaş üzeri kadınlarda ve 30 yaş üzeri erkeklerde, 2002 yılında geçim zorluğu ve hastalıktan dolayı intiharlar gözlenirken; 2012 yılında bu nedenlere ek olarak aile geçimsizliği ve diğer nedenlerden dolayı intiharların gözlendiği belirlendi. SONUÇ: Yıllara göre intihar nedeni ve yaş değişkenleri erkek ve kadınlar arasında farklı bulundu. Diğer intihar nedenleri hem yıllara göre hem de cinsiyete göre farklılık gösterdiğinden, “diğer” kategorisinin içeriğinin genişletilmesi gerektiği belirlendi.OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the variation in the causes of suicide according to gender of people of different ages years in the years 2002 and 2012.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data set of 3802 individuals in the years 2002 and 2012 was created in form of multiple contingency tables which 6 causes of suicide of two years in the row and age groups according to gender in the column to be examined variables age (<15, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, ≥55), gender and causes of suicide (illness, family problems, poverty, emotional problems, educational failure and other causes) and analyzed by multiple factorial analysis for contingency tables. RESULTS: Dimension 1 and dimension 2 accounted for 58.82% and 15.30%, respectively, of the total inertia. Eigenvalue 1 was 1.838. It was determined that the frequency of suicide due to poverty and other causes was higher in older males than in females. In women under 24 years of age and men under 29 years of age, it was observed that the suicides were because of family and emotional problems, educational failure, and other causes in 2002 and emotional problems and educational failure in 2012. In women over 25 years of age and men over 30 years of age, it was observed that the suicides were because of poverty and illness in 2002 and poverty, illness, family problems, and other causes in 2012. CONCLUSION: It was determined that the causes of suicides and age according to years demonstrated a diffrence between males and females.Because of the fact that theother causes were different between both gender and years, the category of "other causes" should expand its contect

Cost-effectiveness of boron (B) removal from irrigation water: an economic water treatment model (EWTM) for farmers to prevent boron toxicity

Türker, Onur Can ( Aksaray, Yazar )Protection of water sources which are used for irrigation has raised great interest in the last years among the environmental strategists due to potential water scarcity worldwide. Excessive boron (B) in irrigation water poses crucial environmental problems in the agricultural zones and it leads to toxicity symptoms in crops, as well as human beings. In the present research, economic water treatment models consist of dried common wetland plants (Lemna gibba, Phragmites australis, and Typha latifolia) and Lemna gibba accumulation was tested and assessed to create a simple, cost-effective, and eco-friendly method for B removal from irrigation water. Significant amount of B was removed from irrigation water samples by EWTMs and B concentrations decreased below < 1 mg L−1 when the components were exposed to 4 and 8 mg L−1 initial B concentrations. Moreover, the results from batch adsorption study demonstrated that dried L. gibba had a higher B loading capacity compare to other dried plants, and B sorption capacity of dried L. gibba was found as 2.23 mg/g. The optimum pH value for sorption modules was found as neutral pH (pH = 7) in the batch adsorption experiment. Boron sorption from irrigation water samples fitted the Langmuir model, mostly B removed from irrigation water during the first 2 h of contact time. Techno-economic analysis indicated that EWTM is a promising method that appears to be both economically and ecologically feasible, and it can also provide a sustainable and practical strategy for farmers to prevent B toxicity in their agricultural zones...

Effect of vegetation type on treatment performance and bioelectric production of constructed wetland modules combined with microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) treating synthetic wastewater

WOS: 000427592100058PubMed: 29327193An operation of microcosm-constructed wetland modules combined with microbial fuel cell device (CW-MFC) was assessed for wastewater treatment and bioelectric generation. One of the crucial aims of the present experiment is also to determine effect of vegetation on wastewater treatment process and bioelectric production in wetland matrix with microbial fuel cell. Accordingly, CW-MFC modules with vegetation had higher treatment efficiency compared to unplanted wetland module, and average COD, NH4 (+), and TP removal efficiency in vegetated wetland modules were ranged from 85 to 88%, 95 to 97%, and 95 to 97%, respectively. However, the highest NO3 (-) removal (63%) was achieved by unplanted control module during the experiment period. The maximum average output voltage, power density, and Coulombic efficiency were obtained in wetland module vegetated with Typha angustifolia for 1.01 +/- 0.14 V, 7.47 +/- 13.7 mWatt/m(2), and 8.28 +/- 10.4%, respectively. The results suggest that the presence of Typha angustifolia vegetation in the CW-MFC matrix provides the benefits for treatment efficiency and bioelectric production; thus, it increases microbial activities which are responsible for biodegradation of organic compounds and catalyzed to electron flow from anode to cathode. Consequently, we suggest that engineers can use vegetated wetland matrix with Typha angustifolia in CW-MFC module in order to maximize treatment efficiency and bioelectric production

Boron (B) removal and bioelectricity captured from irrigation water using engineered duckweed-microbial fuel cell: effect of plant species and vegetation structure

*Türker, Onur Can ( Aksaray, Yazar )Boron (B) in the irrigation water can be hazardous to human beings and other aquatic or terrestrial organisms when B concentration exceeds a certain level. More importantly, B removal from irrigation water is relatively difficult using conventional processes. In the present experiment, an innovative treatment model based on monoculture and polyculture duckweed wastewater treatment modules was tested for B-rich irrigation water purification and bioelectricity harvesting. Different modules were designed using Lemna gibba L., Lemna minor L., and their combination in order to determine the most optimal duckweed species and vegetation structure for B removal process and bioelectricity generation in a module. In this respect, the module with a monoculture of Lemna gibba achieved the highest net B removal efficiency (71%) when it was exposed to 4 mg/L B (initial concentration). However, B removal efficiencies from all modules decreased when the initial B concentrations reached up to 4 mg/L in the irrigation water. The highest bioelectricity production was measured as 1.04 V with 17783 mWatt/m2 power density at a current density of 44.06 mA/m2 for module with Lemna gibba in monoculture through sacrificial magnesium anode. Specifically, both monocultures and polyculture removed considerable amounts of organic matter from irrigation water. However, biomass production and total chlorophyll (a + b) concentrations of duckweeds significantly decreased when they were exposed to 32 mg/L B in the irrigation water samples. Consequently, our modules present a holistic perspective to the prevention B toxicity problems in agricultural zones, and are a sustainable strategy for farmers or agricultural experts to produce bioelectricity by a cost-effective and eco-technological method...

Engineered wetland reactors with different media types to treat drinking water contaminated by boron (B)

WOS: 000414817700076Boron (B) removal is a difficult process, and techniques based on conventional methodology mostly remove little or no B from drinking water. Therefore, an attractive, low cost, and environmental friendly treatment method should be tested in order to recover B from drinking water, especially when instillation, operation, and maintenance costs limit treatment applications. Engineered wetland (EW) treatment technologies are effective, economical, and eco-friendly treatment options for wastewater treatment in semi-arid and arid areas in the world. This study presents four new up-flow engineered wetland (UEW) reactors tested with different media types for B removal from drinking water in 120 days treatment period. The results show that significant amount of B is removed from drinking water with UEW, suggesting that using an up-flow mode in EW treatment technology for B removal seems to be an option more effective than those of the other EW system modes. Using Typha latifolia, the present experiment chooses four different filling materials, namely peat, zeolite, volcanic cinder, and sand as media to design wetland reactors. We found that media type affects the removal capacities of wetland reactors and thus B removal efficiency of four reactors are ordered as peat reactor (91%)>volcanic cinder reactor (84%)>sand reactor (83%)>zeolite reactor (57%). Furthermore, results from the present experiment emphasize that the media type also affects the physicochemical parameter, plant uptake, and soil enzyme activities. Consequently, it can be suggested that a well-designed wetland treatment reactor with an up-flow mode and peat media is an effective tool for drinking water treatment in order to obtain higher B removal efficiency. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved