Enhanced nitrogen removal and microbial analysis in partially saturated constructed wetland for treating anaerobically digested swine wastewater

Anaerobically digested swine wastewater was treated by a novel constructed wetland. Tidal operation was better for total nitrogen removal than intermittent flow. Mechanism of nitrogen removal by biozeolite-based constructed wetland was discussed. Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification were determined in zeolite layer. Nitrogen removal of wastewater containing high-strength ammonium by the constructed wetlands (CWs) has been paid much attention. In this study, the ability of a partially saturated CW to treat anaerobically-digested decentralized swine wastewater under varying operating parameters from summer to winter was investigated. The partially saturated CW achieved better NH₄⁺-N and TN removal by tidal flow than intermittent flow. With surface loading rates of 0.108, 0.027, and 0.029 kg/(m²·d) for COD, NH₄⁺-N, and TN, the partially saturated CW by tidal operation achieved corresponding removal efficiencies of 85.94%, 61.20%, and 57.41%, respectively, even at 10°C. When the rapid-adsorption of NH₄⁺-N and the bioregeneration of zeolites reached dynamically stable, the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in the aerobic zeolite layer was observed and accounted for 58.82% of the total denitrification of CW. The results of Illumina high-throughput sequencing also indicated that nitrifiers (Nitrospira and Rhizomicrobium) and denitrifiers (Rhodanobacter and Thauera) simultaneously existed in the zeolite layer. The dominant existence of versatile organic degraders and nitrifiers/denitrifiers in the zeolite layer was related to the removal of most COD and nitrogen in this zone. The contribution of the possible nitrogen removal pathways in the CW was as follows: nitrification-denitrification (86.55%)>substrate adsorption (11.70%)>plant uptake (1.15%)>microbial assimilation (0.60%).