Utility of constructed wetlands for treatment of hospital effluent and antibiotic resistant bacteria in resource limited settings: A case study in Ujjain, India. (8th September 2022) - Parashar, Vivek
Abstract: Increasing generation of wastewater and its indiscriminate disposal is detrimental to human and animal health. Resource‐limited settings often struggle for efficient wastewater treatment systems owing to lack of funds and operational difficulties. Therefore, alternative treatment systems involving low expenditure and simplistic operations are need of the hour. Constructed wetlands are one such alternative that can efficiently remove variety of pollutants from wastewater. In this study, we have assessed the utility of constructed wetlands for treatment of hospital wastewater in Ujjain. An in‐house wetland system was designed and constructed using Typha latifolia and Phragmites karka . Results showed that wetland was efficient for removal of various physico‐chemical and biological contaminants, namely, biochemical‐oxygen‐demand (77.1%), chemical‐oxygen‐demand (64.9%), turbidity (68.3%), suspended‐solids (63%), total‐phosphorus (58.7%), nitrate‐nitrogen (33%), fecal coliforms (96.8%), and total coliforms (95.6%). Paired t test revealed that removal efficiencies for various parameters were significantly different among Phragmites, Typha, and control cells ( p ≤ 0.05). Study also depicted that most of the bacterial isolates in inlet wastewater were selectively resistant to antibiotics (ciprofloxacin and sulphamethaxazole) as well and these isolates were also removed. Precisely, Typha was fairly suitable for antibiotic resistant bacteria removal. Thus, constructed wetlands were found to be one of the suitable options for wastewater treatment in resource‐limited settings. Practitioner Points: Constructed wetlands are one of the suitable options for wastewater treatment in resource limited settings. These systems involve wetland vegetation, soil, and associated microbial assemblages to improve the water quality. Typha and Phragmites were found to be efficient for treating the hospital wastewater. Experiments showed that antibiotic resistant bacteria may also be removed through constructed wetland systems. Easy operation, cost effectiveness, and efficiency are important attributes. Abstract : Graphical abstract shows the inlet wastewater received from a hospital (study setting) in Ujjain, which was then fed to the constructed wetland (CW) unit. Wastewater was stored for some time in storage tank, and then, it was passed through three different cells, namely, Typha latifolia cell, Phragmites karka cell, and control cells. The resultant removal efficiency for various water quality parameters is shown in the figure.