Enhanced Fodder Production Using Treated Wastewater from a Pilot Constructed Wetland System
Loading...
Date
2021-07-18
Authors
أبو سمرة, رياض راغب عامر
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
An-Najah National University
Abstract
Worldwide, constructed wetlands (CWs) are treatment units used for the treatment of diverse sources of wastewater. CWs are not widespread in Palestine due to variable topographies and scattered nature of rural communities. Even though it is a potential solution due to the nature of scattered villages and topography of the villages location. A hybrid system of horizontal and vertical surface flow constructed wetland unit is constructed in the National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) in Qabatya – Jenin. During the experiment, the treatment units were planted with reed plants. This experiment aimed to study the impact of reuse of resulted treated effluent on the growth and production of three different forage crops (barley, clover, and common vetch), and in the same time the efficiency of the treatment units planted with reeds.
The results show medium efficiency of the treatment unit in term of nitrogen removal (18%), but good efficiency in BOD and COD removal 77% and 78% consequence. The existing salts reduced by 42% in the treatment unit due to plants.
The irrigated crops showed an enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) compared to the rain fed. However, in the same time the plants irrigation with treated wastewater show an increase in WUE for the three crops where it increases from 10.2 to 14.25 kg/ m3 in barley, 9.9 to 22.8 kg/m3 in vetch, and 31.46 to 49.83 kg/m3 for clover. A WUE enhancement was not accompanied with a significant increase in the fresh weight biomass production, as reflected in the insignificant differences in the fresh weight bio mass production for the three crops under study. The result show that the crude protein content has decreased in both barley and clover, while it has increased in vetch, but even this reduced protein content is still in the accepted level of protein content
The results obtained on the use of CWs for domestic wastewater treatment could have high application potential in Palestinian rural communities. The widespread of this type could enhance the environmental conditions and an increase in the forage crop production using treated use in irrigation.