Philippine E-Journals

Effects of Prototyped Subsurface-flow Constructed Wetlands Vegetated with Colocasia Esculenta (Taro) on a Raw Sewage

Haroun M Masnar

 

Abstract:

Disposal of untreated sewage poses a threat to surface and groundwater contamination emerging from continuous development and surging private settlements in Mindanao State University Marawi Campus and its adjacent localities. This scenario becomes stimuli to feature the use of Constructed Wetlands (CWs) and study the use of readily available endemic species Colocasia esculenta as vegetation for a sewage treatment technology in the study area on a laboratory scale. This study is a quantitative experimental data collection and analysis that examines the potential of C. esculenta as vegetation for CWs to treat sewage using a factorial design experiment. Based on statistical analysis, the two levels simulated subsurface vertical down-flow prototype cells namely: vegetated cell planted with C. esculenta and non-vegetated cell with substrate only, has the significant effect on parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), Escherichia coli, pH, and the temperature of sewage in the study area while the hydraulic detention time (HDT) observed at 8th and 14th day has a significant effect on E. coli, pH, and temperature, respectively. Vegetated cell planted with C. esculenta is more effective in reducing the concentration of E. coli, pH, and temperature while the non-vegetated cell was more effective on BOD5 reduction among effluents. These findings suggest that C. esculenta can be vegetation as soon as technology adaptation of CWs in the study area is realized, to help improve wastewater treatment in terms of BOD5, E. coli, reduce the effluents temperature, and stabilize pH value of effluents.