Surface water sanitation and biomass production in a large constructed wetland in the Netherlands

In Western-Europe, agricultural practices have contributed to environmental problems such as eutrophication of surface and ground water, flooding, drought and desiccation of surrounding natural habitats. Solutions that reduce the impact of these problems are urgently needed. Common reed (Phragmites australis) is capable of sanitizing surface water and may function as green energy source because of its high productivity. Here, the results of an experiment in a constructed wetland in the Netherlands are presented where two different sanitation treatments were compared. Depending on the residence time and volume per unit area, reed is capable to reduce the total amount of nitrogen in the water with average efficiencies from 32 to 47% and the total amount of phosphorous with 27–45%. Although biomass production still varies largely between different parts of the constructed wetland, a rapid increase in biomass was observed since planting. Constructed wetlands with reed provide opportunities to improve water quality and reed produces enough biomass to serve as green energy source. Moreover, these wetlands also function as a flood water reservoir and are possibly advantageous for biodiversity. The optimal moment of reed harvesting depends on the goal of the owner. This moment should be chosen wisely, as it may have consequences for reed filter regeneration, biomass production, biodiversity, methane emission and water sanitation efficiency.

• Publication year

  2010

• Venue

  Wetlands Ecology and Management

• Publication date

  2010-03-12

• Fields of study

  Agricultural and Food Sciences, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1007/s11273-010-9179-x
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• The changing role of agriculture in Dutch society

  2009cited by this paper
• Man-made wetlands with combined functions: surface water sanitation, water storage and biomass production for energy

  2008cited by this paper
• Living with Sea-Level Rise and Climate Change: A Case Study of the Netherlands

  2008cited by this paper
• Impact of summer droughts on the water quality of the Meuse river

  2008influential reference
• Hydrological analysis for meeting climate change effects and European Water Framework Directive targets

  2007cited by this paper
• Removal of nutrients in various types of constructed wetlands.

  2007cited by this paper
• Greenhouse gas emissions from a constructed wetland—Plants as important sources of carbon

  2007cited by this paper
• Nutrient Removal Through Autumn Harvest of Phragmites australis and Thypha latifolia Shoots in Relation to Nutrient Loading in a Wetland System Used for Polishing Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent

  2005cited by this paper
• Horizontal sub-surface flow and hybrid constructed wetlands systems for wastewater treatment

  2005cited by this paper
• Impact of nitrogen reduction measures on the nitrogen loads of the river Ems and Rhine (Germany)

  2005cited by this paper
• Reed cutting affects arthropod communities, potentially reducing food for passerine birds

  2004cited by this paper
• Nutrient removal by floating aquatic macrophytes cultured in anaerobically digested flushed dairy manure wastewater

  2004cited by this paper
• The impacts of ditch cuttings on weed pressure and crop yield in maize

  2004cited by this paper
• Treatment of rainbow trout farm effluents in constructed wetland with emergent plants and subsurface horizontal water flow

  2003cited by this paper
• Nutrient retention and nutrient-use efficiency in Phragmites australis stands after wasterwater application

  2002cited by this paper
• A Procedure for Incorporating Spatial Variability in Ecological Risk Assessment of Dutch River Floodplains

  2001cited by this paper
• Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in the Czech Republic.

  2001cited by this paper
• Impact of Climate Change on Hydrological Regimes and Water Resources Management in the Rhine Basin

  2001cited by this paper
• Mammals benefit from reduced ditch clearing frequency in an agricultural landscape

  2001cited by this paper
• Wetlands for wastewater treatment: Opportunities and limitations

  1999cited by this paper
• Leaching of nitrate from agriculture to groundwater: the effect of policies and measures in the Netherlands

  1998cited by this paper
• Die-back of Phragmites australis: influence on the distribution and rate of sediment methanogenesis

  1997cited by this paper
• Convective gas flow in Eleocharis sphacelata R. Br.: methane transport and release from wetlands

  1994cited by this paper
• Functions of Macrophytes in Constructed Wetlands

  1994cited by this paper
• Reflectiemetingen aan landbouwgewassen : handleiding voor het meten van gewasreflectie, standaardlijnen voor de bepaling van bodembedekking en LAI

  1992cited by this paper

• Performance evaluation and process optimization of a hybrid treatment wetland for nutrient rich floriculture drainage water

  2026cites this paper
• Exploring river flow and land use transformation effects on wetland dominated Indo-Bangladesh Riparian Corridors of Barind Tract

  2026cites this paper
• Identifying Biodiversity-Based Indicators for Regulating Ecosystem Services in Constructed Wetlands

  2025cites this paper
• Allometric determinations in the early development of Schoenoplectus californicus to monitor nutrient uptake in constructed wetlands

  2023cites this paper
• Shifting states, shifting services: Linking regime shifts to changes in ecosystem services of shallow lakes

  2020cites this paper
• Biodiversity’s contributions to sustainable development

  2019cites this paper
• Circularity in Agricultural production

  2018cites this paper
• Commercial viability of paludiculture: A comparison of harvesting reeds for biogas production, direct combustion, and thatching

  2017cites this paper
• Implications for constructed wetlands to mitigate nitrate and pesticide pollution in agricultural drained watersheds

  2017cites this paper
• Efficiency of three halophyte species in removing nutrients from saline water: a pilot study

  2016cites this paper
• Hydrologic Regimes Revealed Bundles and Tradeoffs Among Six Wetland Services

  2014cites this paper
• Climate regulation by free water surface constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and created riverine wetlands

  2014cites this paper
• Balancing carbon sequestration and GHG emissions in a constructed wetland

  2014cites this paper
• Greenhouse gas emission in constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: A review

  2014cites this paper
• ‘HALOPHYTE FILTERS’: THE POTENTIAL OF CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS FOR APPLICATION IN SALINE AQUACULTURE

  2013cites this paper
• Nutrient export and material recycling using aquatic plants: Lake Kitagata case study

  2012cites this paper
• Nutrient export and material recycling using aquatic plants: Lake Kitagata case study

  2012cites this paper
• Constructed wetlands are suitable to treat wastewater from Italian cheese productions

  2011cites this paper
• Agricultural Wastes

  2011cites this paper