Constructed wetlands: A future alternative wastewater treatment technology

Wastewater treatment will always pose problems if there are no new alternative technologies in place to replace the currently available technologies. More recently, it has been estimated that developing countries will run out of water by 2050. This is a course for concern not only to the communities but also a challenge to the scientist to find new ways of wastewater recycling. Water losses can be avoided through implementation of easy and inexpensive technologies for wastewater treatment. Environmental concerns over insufficiently performing septic systems and high expenses in the construction of sewer systems as well as their operations with centralized water purification systems have spurred investigation into the appropriateness of the use of wetland technology for wastewater treatment. Constructed wetland efficiency and potential application in wastewater treatment has been reported decades ago. However, the logistics and research for their commercial applications in wastewater treatment has not been documented in details. Research has shown that wetland systems can achieve high treatment efficiencies with regards to both organic and inorganic nutrients as well as pathogen removal if properly managed and efficiently utilized. This can have a profound effect in the management and conservation of our scarce and yet depleting water resources.Keywords: Constructed wetlands, rhizofiltration, microbial biofilms, wastewater treatment, treatment mechanismAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(29), pp. 4542-455

Rapid detection of drug-resistant Escherichia coli by Vitek 2 compact system

Sewage treatment facilities aim to reduce biological contaminants such as pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses in wastewaters before discharging them to the receiving water bodies. However, several studies have shown the persistence of these contaminants throughout the sewage treatment process. In this study, the Vitek 2 compact system was used to detect the presence of Escherichia coli in three sewage treatment facilities located in the Pietermaritzburg urban area (South Africa), and its susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. E. coli has been recognized as an important Gram-negative rod-shaped human pathogen. The effluent and influent samples were analysed to determine the fate of E. coli and its susceptibility to 17 antimicrobial agents. The system identified the presence of drug-resistant E. coli in all of the tested samples, with the highest susceptibility being to ampicillin (33%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (27%). The Vitek 2 compact system is a quick and powerful tool to identify antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in effluents and monitoring by this systemcan be used to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases