Studies on the phosphorus sorption capacity of substrates used in constructed wetland systems

Langmuir sorption isotherm was used to screen various substrates for use in removing phosphorus (P) in constructed wetlands (CW). The nine tested substrates included four sands, two soils, bentonite, and two industrial by-products of furnace slag and fly ash. Results showed that the furnace slag had the highest P sorption capacity (8.89 g P kg−1), followed was the fly ash (8.81 g P kg−1), and that of sand II was the lowest. Different kinds of sands also showed varying P sorption capacity (0.13–0.29 g P kg−1). P sorption capacity was influenced by both the physico-chemical characteristics of the substrates and the amount of organic matter (OM) added. Lifetime of sand II for P sorption estimated by Langmuir P sorption maximum was up to only 9 months in full-scale systems, while that of furnace slag could be used for up to 22 yr. Furnace slag has great potential as a CW substrate, due to its high P sorption capacity. The expected lifetime of constructed wetlands for P removal is strongly influenced by the choice of adsorbing substrate.