Longitudinal removal of bisphenol-A and nonylphenols from pretreated domestic wastewater by tropical horizontal sub-surface constructed wetlands

Bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenols (NPs), with a high potential to cause endocrine disruption, have been identified at levels of nanograms per liter and even micrograms per liter in effluents from wastewater treatment plants. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a cost-effective wastewater treatment alternative due to the low operational cost, reduced energy consumption, and lower sludge production, and have shown promising performance for treating these compounds. A CW pilot study was undertaken todetermine its potential to remove BPA and NP from municipal wastewater. Three CWs were used: the first CW was planted with Heliconia sp., a second CW was planted with Phragmites sp., and the third CW was an unplanted control. The removal efficiency of the Heliconia-CW was 73 ± 19% for BPA and 63 ± 20% for NP, which was more efficient than the Phragmites-CW (BPA 70 ± 28% and NP 52 ± 23%) and the unplanted-CW (BPA 62 ± 33% and NP 25 ± 37%). The higher capacity of the Heliconia-CW for BPA and NP removal suggests that a native plant from the tropics can contribute to a better performance of CW for removing these compounds