Simulated Storm-Water Runoff Treatment by Duckweed and Algae Ponds

Abstract

Constructed storm-water wetlands with different types of vegetation are capable of removing organics and nutrients from water while providing other important environmental and ecological services. The objectives of this study were to compare the efficiencies of organic and nutrient removal from a simulated storm-water runoff between the duckweed ponds (DWPs) and the algae ponds (APs) and to establish a potential link between the population of ammonia-oxidizing organisms and effluent water quality. Two replicate ponds were operated under identical conditions in which duckweeds initially thrived off the water, but they were taken over by filamentous algae after the complete removal of duckweeds. The ponds were able to remove