Chapter 6
Constructed Wetlands: A Clean-Green
Technology for Degradation
and Detoxification of Industrial
Wastewaters
Sardar Khan, Javed Nawab, and Muhammad Waqas
Abstract Constructed wetlands (CWs) have played a significant role in the purification and treatment of domestic, mining, agricultural, and industrial wastewater in
the last few decades. CWs are designed and constructed on engineered systems to
develop the natural processes involving wetland soils, flora, and their related microbial accumulations to support wastewater treatment. The CWs, therefore, present
environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and favorable substitute for industrial
wastewater treatment. Several techniques have been used in the removal of contaminants from CWs such as filtration, sedimentation, adsorption, volatilization, phytoaccumulation, and microbial activity. In the past, CWs have played efficient role in
the removal of toxic metals, hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, and dyes from wastewater. However, the efficiency mainly depends on initial concentrations of contaminants, plant types, plant microbes’ interactions, climatic condition and flow rate of
wastewater etc. The overall conclusion of this book chapter will contribute to the
development of phyto-technology for industrial wastewater and other associated
industrial problems.
Keywords Constructed wetlands · Phyto-technology · Wastewaters ·
Contaminants · Toxicity
S. Khan (*)
Department of Environmental Science, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
J. Nawab
Department of Environmental Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan
Department of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, University of Swat,
Mingora, Pakistan
M. Waqas
Department of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, University of Swat,
Mingora, Pakistan
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
R. N. Bharagava, G. Saxena (eds.), Bioremediation of Industrial Waste for
Environmental Safety, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3426-9_6
127
Constructed Wetlands: A Clean-Green
Technology for Degradation
and Detoxification of Industrial
Wastewaters
Sardar Khan, Javed Nawab, and Muhammad Waqas
Abstract Constructed wetlands (CWs) have played a significant role in the purification and treatment of domestic, mining, agricultural, and industrial wastewater in
the last few decades. CWs are designed and constructed on engineered systems to
develop the natural processes involving wetland soils, flora, and their related microbial accumulations to support wastewater treatment. The CWs, therefore, present
environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and favorable substitute for industrial
wastewater treatment. Several techniques have been used in the removal of contaminants from CWs such as filtration, sedimentation, adsorption, volatilization, phytoaccumulation, and microbial activity. In the past, CWs have played efficient role in
the removal of toxic metals, hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, and dyes from wastewater. However, the efficiency mainly depends on initial concentrations of contaminants, plant types, plant microbes’ interactions, climatic condition and flow rate of
wastewater etc. The overall conclusion of this book chapter will contribute to the
development of phyto-technology for industrial wastewater and other associated
industrial problems.
Keywords Constructed wetlands · Phyto-technology · Wastewaters ·
Contaminants · Toxicity
S. Khan (*)
Department of Environmental Science, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
J. Nawab
Department of Environmental Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan
Department of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, University of Swat,
Mingora, Pakistan
M. Waqas
Department of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, University of Swat,
Mingora, Pakistan
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
R. N. Bharagava, G. Saxena (eds.), Bioremediation of Industrial Waste for
Environmental Safety, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3426-9_6
127