Laboratory and fieldwork studies were carried out to evaluate the potential of pumice soil for use as a wetland substrate in wastewater treatment. The composition of pumice soil was analysed by x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Adsorption kinetic studies were carried out in a semi-batch recycle system. Fieldwork tests were carried out on Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland (SSFCW) cells planted with Phragmites mauritianus and Vetiveria zizanioides. The results have shown that pumice soil composition contains among other elements Al, Ca, Fe and Mg, which are positive indicators for phosphorus adsorption. The main minerals observed by XRD were augite, hematite, and sodium titanium silicate. Phosphorus adsorption kinetics have shown that phosphorus is adsorbed on pumice soil following first order kinetics and the adsorption was highly influenced by mass transfer. Approximately 3% of the phosphorus was removed by plant uptake.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
September 01 2003
Pumice soil: a potential wetland substrate for treatment of domestic wastewater
K.N. Njau;
1Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Prospective College of Engineering and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35131, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (E-mail: rminja@cpe.udsm.ac.tz; jkatima@cpe.udsm.ac.tz)
E-mail: knjau@cpe.udsm.ac.tz
Search for other works by this author on:
R.J.A. Minja;
R.J.A. Minja
1Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Prospective College of Engineering and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35131, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (E-mail: rminja@cpe.udsm.ac.tz; jkatima@cpe.udsm.ac.tz)
Search for other works by this author on:
J.H.Y. Katima
J.H.Y. Katima
1Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Prospective College of Engineering and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35131, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (E-mail: rminja@cpe.udsm.ac.tz; jkatima@cpe.udsm.ac.tz)
Search for other works by this author on:
Water Sci Technol (2003) 48 (5): 85–92.
Citation
K.N. Njau, R.J.A. Minja, J.H.Y. Katima; Pumice soil: a potential wetland substrate for treatment of domestic wastewater. Water Sci Technol 1 September 2003; 48 (5): 85–92. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2003.0288
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.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.