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Constructed wetlands for emerging contaminants removal: Current status of antibiotics, microplastics, and their effects on nutrient transformation processes
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Researchers reviewed how constructed wetlands remove antibiotics and microplastics through substrate adsorption and microbial degradation, finding that both contaminants disrupt nitrogen cycling by suppressing microbial activity and impairing nitrogen-transforming enzymes — while their effects on phosphorus transformation remain largely unstudied.
Emerging contaminants (ECs) have become a critical global concern due to their persistence, widespread occurrence, and potential risks to water quality and human health. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are increasingly recognized as a sustainable and nature-based wastewater treatment technology, offering advantages such as low capital investment, operational simplicity, and high pollutant removal efficiency. Despite this, the complex interactions between ECs and CWs—particularly the underlying removal mechanisms and their influence on nitrogen and phosphorus cycling—remain insufficiently understood. This review systematically elucidates the mechanisms governing EC removal in CWs and critically evaluates the impacts of antibiotics and microplastics (MPs) on nutrient transformation processes. The analysis reveals that substrate adsorption and microbial degradation represent the dominant pathways for EC removal. However, the presence of antibiotics and MPs can disrupt CW functionality by inhibiting plant uptake, suppressing microbial activity, altering microbial community composition, and impairing nitrogen-transforming enzyme activity. These effects are more significant for nitrogen removal, whereas the influence on phosphorus cycling remains understudied, underscoring an urgent need for further targeted research. By integrating recent advances, this review highlights the novelty of examining EC-nutrient interactions in CWs and emphasizes the importance of bridging this knowledge gap to optimize CW performance. Ultimately, CWs hold considerable promise as ecological treatment systems for EC-laden wastewater, but advancing their application requires a deeper mechanistic understanding of the coupled processes governing EC fate and nutrient dynamics. • Plant uptake, substrate adsorption, and microbial degradation underpin EC removal. • Pollutant concentration, wetland configuration, substrate properties, plant functions, and operating parameters critically affect EC removal. • ECs disrupt photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and microbial functional integrity. • Nitrogen impacts established, but phosphorus cycling mechanisms remain underexplored.
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Impact of microplastics on the treatment performance of constructed wetlands: Based on substrate characteristics and microbial activities
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic accumulation in constructed wetlands initially improved nitrogen removal efficiency but ultimately impaired treatment performance over a 370-day experiment, altering substrate characteristics and microbial community activities.
A review on the fate of micro and nano plastics (MNPs) and their implication in regulating nutrient cycling in constructed wetland systems
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics interact with the biological, chemical, and physical processes in constructed wetlands, which are nature-based systems used to treat wastewater. Researchers found that these tiny plastics can interfere with nitrogen and phosphorus removal by affecting the microbial communities, plant health, and substrate chemistry within the wetlands. The study highlights that as microplastic levels increase in wastewater, their presence could reduce the overall treatment effectiveness of these green infrastructure systems.
Unveiling the microplastic perturbation on surface flow constructed wetlands with macrophytes of different life forms: Responses of nitrogen removal and sensory quality
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Polystyrene microplastics initially boosted nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands used for water treatment, but over time they reduced removal efficiency by 25-34% and harmed the beneficial bacteria responsible for cleaning the water. This means microplastic contamination could undermine natural water treatment systems that communities rely on for clean water.
Microplastics removal mechanisms in constructed wetlands and their impacts on nutrient (nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon) removal: A critical review
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This review examines how constructed wetlands can filter microplastics from water and what effect those trapped microplastics have on the wetlands' ability to remove nutrients. Researchers found that substrate type, plant species, and water flow patterns are key factors determining how well wetlands capture microplastics. The study also notes that accumulated microplastics can alter the microbial communities responsible for breaking down nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon in these systems.
Polystyrene microplastics accumulation in lab-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands: impacts and fate
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Researchers tested how polystyrene microplastics affect constructed wetlands, a nature-based system used to treat wastewater. They found that while the wetlands still removed most pollutants effectively, nitrogen removal decreased by up to 5% in the presence of microplastics, and the particles accumulated mainly in the upper layers of the wetland substrate. The study suggests that microplastics can alter the microbial communities responsible for breaking down nitrogen in these treatment systems.
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