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As the world's most abundant source of terrestrial carbon, peatlands provide numerous ecosystem services, including habitat biodiversity and freshwater quality. Land and water management practices in relation to peatlands, for either exploitation or rehabilitation, are complicated by several factors: spatial diversity in geochemistry; laborious survey methods that may be subject to confounding factors; regional and irregular climate variations; a lack of generalizability regarding appropriate strategies; and, in some countries, by non-implementation of water quality assessment policies for pollution control and land use. Such factors raise uncertainty in the effectiveness of restoration and rehabilitation strategies, while modern peatland management looks to develop land use schemes that offer minimal risk to the environment. The aims of this paper were to (1) investigate the disparate factors influencing peatland management which confound appropriate interventions for enhanced water quality (2) examine how non-implementation of national policies for water pollution control may result in adverse environmental impacts, and (3) propose an innovative peatland management methodology for a detailed and robust land analysis with water quality being the primary consideration. The paper suggests that optical, radar, and radiometric remote sensing methods may be used to identify management zones within a peatland, that may require variable management strategies during restoration. Satellite remote sensing and Earth observation methodologies are well documented; hence, the prospect and properties of a less documented airborne electromagnetic approach may present an opportunity for improved management of peatlands. [Display omitted] • Peatland management impacts are confounded by variable functions of ecosystems. • Geochemical variability makes adaptation of universal management practice difficult. • Peatland conservation policy may be inhibited by lack of government support/resources. • The Ramsar convention ensures decision making based on ecosystem effects. • Radiometric data (RD) can identify optimal areas for restoration works in peatlands. • Use of RD for identifying peatland geochemical behavior is questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical coagulation has gained recognition as an effective technique to enhance the removal efficiency of pollutants in wastewater prior to their entry into a constructed wetland (CW) system. However, its potential impact on the chemical and microbial properties of soil and plant systems within CWs requires further research. This study investigated the impact of using ferric chloride (FeCl 3) as a pre-treatment stage for dairy wastewater (DWW) on the chemical and microbial properties of water-soil-plant systems of replicated pilot-scale CWs, comparing them to CWs treating untreated DWW. CWs treating amended DWW had better performance than CWs treating raw DWW for all water quality parameters (COD, TSS, TP, and TN), ensuring compliance with the EU wastewater discharge directives. Soil properties remained mostly unaffected except for pH, calcium and phosphorus (P), which were lower in CWs treating amended DWW. As a result of lower nitrogen (N) and P loads, the plants in CWs receiving FeCl 3 -amended DWW had lower N and P contents than the plants of raw DWW CWs. However, the lower loads of P into amended DWW CWs did not limit the growth of Phragmites australis, which were able to accumulate trace elements higher than CWs receiving raw DWW. Alpha and Beta-diversity analysis revealed minor differences in community richness and composition between both treatments, with only 3.7% (34 genera) showed significant disparities. Overall, the application of chemical coagulation produced superior effluent quality without affecting the properties of soil and plant of CWs or altering the functioning of the microbial community. [Display omitted] • Wastewater pre-treatment using FeCl 3 improved the performance of CWs. • FeCl 3 pre-treatment had no negative effects on soil and plant properties. • FeCl 3 pre-treatment did not alter microbial community diversity and composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intermittent sand filter (ISF) is a simple and cost-effective treatment method that may be adopted on farms to treat dairy wastewater (DWW). However, the use of ISFs has been limited due to the large area required for treatment, and the risk of filter clogging and phosphorus (P) breakthrough, which decrease the operational lifetime. To overcome these limitations, this study uses a novel, pilot-scale coagulation-sedimentation process prior to loading ISFs with DWW. The performance and operational lifetime of this new hybrid coagulation-ISF system was compared to a conventional ISF system in a replicated outdoor pilot-scale experiment over a 43-wk study duration (covering an entire milking season on a farm in Ireland). The hybrid system was able to operate effectively at a higher hydraulic loading rate than a conventional ISF system. The effluent quality from the conventional ISF deteriorated over the timeframe of the study until clogging occurred, while the hybrid system continued to perform effectively without any evidence of clogging or P breakthrough. The hybrid system obtained removal efficiencies ≥99% for all measured water quality parameters (chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total P, ammonium and turbidity), and complied with EU directives concerning urban wastewater treatment. Overall, the hybrid coagulation-ISF is a promising technology that requires a small area (75% reduction in footprint in comparison to a conventional ISF) and minimal operator input, and produces high effluent quality. [Display omitted] • Performance of novel hybrid coagulation-ISF was compared to conventional ISF. • The coagulation-ISF system required only 25% of the conventional ISF size. • The coagulation-ISF system did not experience any clogging or P breakthrough. • The conventional ISF encountered both clogging and P breakthrough. • The coagulation-ISF produced better effluent quality than conventional ISF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]