PHUONG MINH NGUYEN, HUYEN THANH PHAM, LY KHANH THI LE AND ANH NGOC VU
Abstract
Treatment and management of mining waters has been long time poorly concerned in Vietnam. The discharge of mining wastewaters into the receiving water bodies without proper treatment often causes detrimental effects on ecosystems and public health. As a robust, efficient and low-cost environmentally friendly technology in wastewater treatment, constructed wetlands (CWs) have been effectively applied in treatment of mining waters worldwide. The study investigated the capacity of a wetland mesocosm planted with Cyperus alternifolius -a popular wetland plant species in tropical countries in treating mining waters. The results showed that the wetland mesocosm was efficient in decontamination of mining waters, especially in metal removal. Mean removal efficiencies of Fe, Mn, Pb, SO4 2-, S2-, COD in the planted system after 9 experimental days were 62.35, 83.22, 94.08, 22.47, 66.20, 50% respectively. Significant microbial populations associated with plant roots suggests the importance of plant-microbes interactions in pollutant removal.