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As an effective technology for wastewater treatment, bio-filter has been widely used. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of systematic report on purification efficiency and influencing factors of combined bio-filters. To this end, a novel combined system that consisted of aerated vertical-flow filter (AVF) followed by baffled horizontal-flow filter (BHF) was designed. After setting a series of hydraulic loading rates (131, 94 and 60 mm·d -1 ) and diversion ratios (8:2、6:4、4:6), we comprehensively assessed the impact of running condition adjustment on treatment performance by multiple statistical analyses. The results showed that, the average removal rates of organic matter, ammonia nitrogen and dissolved nitrogen in AVF were all above 80%, while the average removal rates of ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen and dissolved nitrogen in BHF were all below 40%. Different running conditions had a significant ( P <0.05) impact on treatment performance. Meanwhile, there were significant differences in purification efficiency between the two different kinds of filters. Oxidative degradation was one of the main ways to remove organic matter in the two kinds of filters. There were obvious nitrification and denitrification processes within the two kinds of filters. Nitrification followed by denitrification was the main way to remove total nitrogen since ammonium occupied the most portion of total nitrogen in the synthetic wastewater. Meanwhile, the intensity of nitrification and denitrification in AVF was obviously higher than that in BHF. Phosphorus removal was mainly controlled by hydraulic loading rate, temperature, dissolved oxygen, organic matter, etc. This might indicate that microbial absorption was one of the main ways to remove phosphorus for the two filters. Compared to the sole AVF, the removal of total organic matter and total phosphorus in the combined system was increased by 4.4% and 23.2%, respectively, but the removal of total nitrogen was reduced by 12.1%. Reducing the diversion ratio was helpful to improve the denitrification intensity in BHF. However, due to the introduction of excessive ammonia from the raw wastewater, as well as the limited nitrification capacity in BHF, the removal rate of total nitrogen for the combined system was decreased. Therefore, according to the composition of treated raw wastewater, the control of appropriate diversion ratio, residence time and redox conditions inside the filter bed was the key to enhance the overall performance of the combined system.

As one kind of vertical-flow constructed wetlands substrates, anthracite was selected in this experiment. LDHs (layered double hydroxides) were synthesized in alkaline conditions by co-precipitation of different kinds of metal compounds, such as CaCl2, ZnCl2, MgCl2, FeCl3, AlCl3, CoCl3. The synthesized LDHs were in-situ coated onto the surface of anthracite substrate to achieve the aim of modification. Simulated test columns were constructed to study the nitrogen removal efficiency of the urban sewage using the original anthracite substrates and 9 kinds of modified anthracite substrates. The results showed that: LDHs synthesized by all the 9 different kinds of methods could effectively modify the anthracite substrate by in-situ coating. With Mg2+ involved in the synthesis of modified substrates, good TN and ammonia nitrogen removal efficiencies were observed. The modified anthracite substrates coated with MgCo-LDHs had the optimal performance with average TN and ammonia nitrogen removal efficiencies of higher than 80% and 85%, respectively. The ammonia nitrogen removal efficiencies by the modified anthracite substrates coated by LDHs reacted with Mg2+ and Fe3+ were also high. The ammonia nitrogen removal efficiencies by modified anthracite substrates coated with CaFe-LDHs and MgFe-LDHs were higher than 85%.

Bio-ceramic, anthracite, zeolite, steel slag and vermiculite were used as substrate according to different kinds of gradation to treat wastewater in vertical-flow constructed wetlands simulation systems. The results show that the removal ability of COD by graded substrates according to particle size are better than single substrates, and average removal efficiency by graded bio-ceramic is up to 72.91%. The removal rate of TN by graded zeolite, which reaches 91.23%, is higher than single zeolite. No significant difference (p < 0.05) is detected with regard to organic matter and nitrogen removal between single and combined use of bio-ceramic and zeolite. The pH values in effluents of all columns filled with steel slag and anthracite are within normal limits, but phosphorus removal of all columns filled with steel slag and anthracite are lower than that filled with single substrates, except for the column filled with anthracite, vermiculite and steel slag from up to down. No difference between planted and unplanted systems can be observed. The present results probably provide a basis for vertical-flow constructed wetland design, among which based on the characteristic of wastewater proper selection of high-efficiency graded substrates, e.g., graded bio-ceramic, graded zeolite, graded anthracite, combined use of bio-ceramic, zeolite and anthracite, is a guarantee of better performance at a high hydraulic loading rate.