Removal of Metals in Constructed Wetlands: Review

Abstract

Constructed wetlands are growing in popularity as a natural and economical alternative for purifying contaminated water worldwide. This paper summarizes the results of implementation of constructed wetlands in the treatment of metal containing water and evaluates their performance with respect to various metal removal mechanisms. Metal contaminated waters including acid mine drainage, storm runoff, sewage, and industrial wastewater are also evaluated regarding their removal efficiency within various types of constructed wetland systems. The role of vegetation within wetland systems is also examined to determine the possibility of enhancing the metal removal efficiency for future applications.