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Constructed wetlands for emerging pollutants removal: A decade of advances and future directions (2014–2024)
Summary
This review evaluates a decade of research on constructed wetlands, an eco-friendly water treatment approach, for removing emerging pollutants including antibiotics and microplastics. The evidence shows that constructed wetlands can effectively remove many types of pharmaceuticals and microplastics from water through a combination of physical filtration, microbial breakdown, and plant uptake. These low-cost, nature-based systems could help reduce human exposure to microplastics in treated water, though optimizing their design for different pollutant types remains a challenge.
Emerging Pollutants (EPs), including Pharmaceuticals and Personal care products (PPCPs) (particularly antibiotics) and microplastics (MPs), have posed significant threats to the global water environment and human health due to their widespread presence and high environmental risks. Constructed wetlands (CWs), as a low-cost, eco-friendly green infrastructure, have gained increasing attention for the EPs purification, particularly over the past decade. Numerous studies have shown that CWs are capable of removing 134 types of PPCPs and various microplastics. This paper reviews the literature on the removal of EPs using CWs from 2014 to 2024. The review provides a detailed analysis of CWs types, plants and substrate selection, operational parameters, environmental factors, and the physicochemical properties of EPs. Additionally, the review elaborates on the multiple effects of plants, substrates, and microorganisms in the removal of EPs through physical, chemical, and biological processes. Furthermore, future perspectives and knowledge gaps related to CWs for EPs removal are identified, aiming to offer scientific guidance for further research and large-scale engineering applications. • CWs are currently capable of removing 134 types of PPCPs and various MPs. • Removal PPCPs and MPs achieved through multifaceted processes. • CWs' characteristics and contaminant properties affect the PPCPs and MPs removal. • Further research is needed to explore sensor monitoring in CWs to optimize performance.