Explosive-contaminated wastewater represent a considerable hazard to men and environment since they have toxic, mutagenic and cancerogenic potential, with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) as an especially relevant contaminant. By leaching processes from contaminated soils, the groundwater is often contaminated as well. Hence, the treatment of contaminated groundwater is urgently required. Aim of the work was to study the application of a constructed wetland to the treatment of explosive-contaminated wastewater. Studies were carried out with special regard to operational aspects of the constructed wetland as well as the fate of the contaminant within the constructed wetland. The studies were performed using an open-air constructed wetland and a closed chamber model system in laboratory scale. In result, it could be shown that the constructed wetland is suited for the treatment of contaminated wastewater with a nearly complete removal of TNT from the water. The growing plants contribute to the treatment efficiency, with an increase in efficiency of 30% for the planted tank versus the unplanted tank. The removal rate of the contaminant is temperature-dependent and is decreased in winter but does not undergo 50% of the removal rate in summer. Within the tanks, differentiated anaerobe/aerobe conditions were found supporting a reductive microbial degradation of the contaminant. The reductive degradation pathway shows ADNT and DANT as intermediates, but no detectable reduction to TAT. With growing plants, the reduction of TNT was shown to be more complete versus unplanted tanks. At low temperatures, reduction remains more incomplete with ADNT as final degradation product. A small portion of the contaminants is bound to lava with no detectable amounts of contaminants within the plants. The fate of the contaminants within the constructed wetland was investigated by experiments with a model system using radioactive tracers. In result, the major portion of the contaminant and its degradation products was partly reversibly bound to the soil and to the root tips of the plants. In plant sprouts, no contaminants could be detected. Mineralization of the contaminant was observed to be negligible. By addition of a carbon source (glucose), the reductive microbial degradation of the contaminant was enhanced by co-metabolic effects. From these results, the main degradation pathway of TNT in the constructed wetland can be postulated: TNT is reduced by micro-organisms and existing redox conditions, with ADNT and DANT as intermediates. A further reduction to TAT could not be observed. The degradation products bind to the soil of the constructed wetland and are immobilized there. By this means, TNT can be removed from water by the constructed wetland. The plants provide appropriate conditions for the microbial degradation, although phyto-remediation is of less importance. Further investigations using other nitro-aromatic compounds showed that besides TNT chemically related compounds can be removed by the constructed wetland from water as well. Similar to the degradation of TNT, growing plants and temperature were observed to affect the degradation efficiency of the contaminants.
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Explosive-contaminated wastewater represent a considerable hazard to men and environment since they have toxic, mutagenic and cancerogenic potential, with 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) as an especially relevant contaminant. By leaching processes from contaminated soils, the groundwater is often contaminated as well. Hence, the treatment of contaminated groundwater is urgently required. Aim of the work was to study the application of a constructed wetland to the treatment of explosive-contaminated...
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