A two-stage system for treating high-strength wastewater from an abattoir at Pachuca, Mexico is described. The system consists of an anaerobic digester followed by an artificially-constructed wetland which employs horizontal subsurface flow through the root zone of emergent hydrophytes planted in a gravel substrate. The main goals of this study were to monitor the treatment efficiency of the system for the first twelve months of operation and to assess the suitability of the effluent for irrigation purposes. The treatment efficiency during the twelve month period was generally good with mean removal efficiencies of 88.5% for BOD5, 87.4% COD, 89% suspended solids, 73.6% organic nitrogen and >99% faecal coliforms. Removal rates were generally poor for orthophosphates, NH3-nitrogen and NO3-nitrogen. The differing roles of the two stages in the treatment process are discussed. Although not suitable for irrigating crops, the effluent is being successfully used for the irrigation of ornamental plants and recreational lands.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
March 01 1997
The application of the root zone method for the treatment and reuse of high-strength abattoir waste in Mexico
Fermin Rivera;
Fermin Rivera
*ENEP Iztacala UNAM, Ave. de Los Barrios s/n, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico D.F., Mexico
Search for other works by this author on:
Alan Warren;
Alan Warren
**Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Colin R. Curds;
Colin R. Curds
**Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Esperanza Robles;
Esperanza Robles
*ENEP Iztacala UNAM, Ave. de Los Barrios s/n, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico D.F., Mexico
Search for other works by this author on:
Alejandro Gutierrez;
Alejandro Gutierrez
*ENEP Iztacala UNAM, Ave. de Los Barrios s/n, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico D.F., Mexico
Search for other works by this author on:
Elvia Gallegos;
Elvia Gallegos
*ENEP Iztacala UNAM, Ave. de Los Barrios s/n, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico D.F., Mexico
Search for other works by this author on:
Arturo Calderón
Arturo Calderón
*ENEP Iztacala UNAM, Ave. de Los Barrios s/n, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico D.F., Mexico
Search for other works by this author on:
Water Sci Technol (1997) 35 (5): 271–278.
Citation
Fermin Rivera, Alan Warren, Colin R. Curds, Esperanza Robles, Alejandro Gutierrez, Elvia Gallegos, Arturo Calderón; The application of the root zone method for the treatment and reuse of high-strength abattoir waste in Mexico. Water Sci Technol 1 March 1997; 35 (5): 271–278. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1997.0215
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Impact Factor 1.915
CiteScore 3.3 • Q2
13 days submission to first
decision
1,439,880 downloads in 2021