Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.8
3.0
Journals
Water
Special Issues
Constructed Wetland Systems for Wastewater Treatment and Water Remediation
water-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Water Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Constructed Wetland Systems for Wastewater Treatment and Water Remediation

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 October 2025 | Viewed by 1900

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Haiming Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
Interests: constructed wetland; wastewater treatment; emerging pollutants removal; biochar; microplastic; wetland biogeochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Constructed wetlands (CWs), as a typical 'nature-based solution', are cost-effective options for the treatment of domestic and municipal wastewater around the world. CWs are also widely applied for the remediation of micro-polluted water, such as secondary effluent from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), agricultural and urban surface runoff, and polluted river or lake water. These promising eco-technologies have a proven track record for the removal of traditional pollutants, including organic matter and nutrients; however, CWs have faced new challenges, such as the removal of emerging pollutants, e.g., persistent organic micropollutants, microplastics, antibiotics, and even antiobiotic-resistant bacteria. Additionally, there is still dispute over whether CWs can be operated sustainably for pollution control. For instance, there is a wide variation in the removal efficiency of contaminants among different studies and regions due to the variable local weather conditions, wastewater composition, and operation parameters.

Therefore, to support the successful application and further development of CWs, this research topic will focus on but not be limited to the following scopes:

  • Recent advances in the application of CWs for treating various types of wastewater and water remediation;
  • Selection and performance evaluation of plants and substrates;
  • Biogeochemical processes and ecological risks for removing emerging contaminants;
  • The effects and feedbacks of CWs under extreme climate events;
  • Novel enhancing approaches and optimizing strategies in CWs for wastewater treatment.

Prof. Dr. Haiming Wu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • constructed wetland
  • domestic and municipal wastewater
  • micro-polluted water
  • emerging pollutants
  • water reuse
  • global climate change
  • carbon sink function
  • biogeochemical processes
  • selection of plants and substrates
  • ecosystem services
  • microbial communities
  • operation and management

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

23 pages, 3668 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Selected Parameters in Vertical, Horizontal, and Hybrid Surface Flow Constructed Wetland Systems for Improving the Treatment Efficiency of Textile and Sewage Effluents
by Faisal Javeed, Firdaus-e-Bareen, Muhammad Shafiq, Aisha Nazir and Miklas Scholz
Water 2025, 17(3), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17030402 - 1 Feb 2025
Viewed by 906
Abstract
Constructed wetland systems (CWSs) can offer cost-effective wastewater treatment in developing countries like Pakistan. This study focused on optimizing design and operational parameters of CWSs in horizontal surface flow (HSF), vertical surface flow (VSF), and hybrid mesocosms for treating sewage and textile effluents [...] Read more.
Constructed wetland systems (CWSs) can offer cost-effective wastewater treatment in developing countries like Pakistan. This study focused on optimizing design and operational parameters of CWSs in horizontal surface flow (HSF), vertical surface flow (VSF), and hybrid mesocosms for treating sewage and textile effluents using local hydrophytes: Lemna minor, Typha latifolia, and Eichhornia crassipes. Pollutants and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn) were removed under different flow configurations, bedding materials, hydrophyte species, and hydraulic retention times (HRT) to optimize the overall contaminant removal efficiency (RE). Key findings indicated that the hybrid CWS achieved a maximum RE of 63.62% for total suspended solids (TSS) and 57.9% for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) at an HRT of 3 days, with efficiencies declining at longer retention times. Additionally, the hybrid system showed maximum metal removal, with Cd and Cr RE reaching 75.2% and 70.5%, respectively. The study also highlighted the critical role of hydrophyte species and HRT in optimizing RE. Furthermore, the choice of hydrophyte species significantly influenced pollutant removal, with treatment cells containing mixed hydrophytes achieving the highest removal efficiencies (63.62%), followed by Eichhornia crassipes with high Cd (643.33 mgkg−1) and Cr (1103.72 mgkg−1) uptake. A lower HRT of 3 days resulted in the highest overall removal efficiency of 57.5%, which decreased with longer HRTs (from 6 to 9 days). Optimizing design and operational parameters is crucial for maximizing CWS treatment potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Constructed Wetland Systems for Wastewater Treatment and Water Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 4645 KiB  
Article
Decomposition Processes and Characteristics of Wetland Plant Residues: Impacts of Biomass, Sediment, Living V. spinulosa Yan
by Dongsheng Wang, Enqi Liu, Yunhua Huang, Mengyang Zhang, Haiming Wu, Suqing Wu and Jianya Gu
Water 2025, 17(2), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17020135 - 7 Jan 2025
Viewed by 646
Abstract
The decomposition of submerged plants is an important factor affecting water quality and microbial community structure of aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to investigate the effects of the decomposition process of V. spinulosa Yan residues on the water quality and microbial community of [...] Read more.
The decomposition of submerged plants is an important factor affecting water quality and microbial community structure of aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to investigate the effects of the decomposition process of V. spinulosa Yan residues on the water quality and microbial community of the receiving water under different conditions, including biomass weight, sediment component, and living V. spinulosa Yan. The results showed that the optimal biomass for the decomposition of residues was 0.3 g/L. The sand–soil mixture (3:7) showed the lowest decomposition rate (90.4%) due to the poor moisture retention of sand and lack of organic matter and minerals, which slowed down the decomposition process. N and P could be released into the water rapidly through decomposing the residues, and the concentrations of TP, TN, and PO43−-P were positively correlated with the biomass of the residues. The decrease in TN and TP concentrations observed with bioceramic and Fe-C ceramic was partly due to their porous structures promoting microbial attachment and the adsorption of N and P, possibly also through an increase in Firmicutes. After planting living V. spinulosa Yan, TP and PO43−-P concentrations, as well as dissolved oxygen levels, were lower in the sediment groups compared to those in the control group without living V. spinulosa Yan. This suggests that living V. spinulosa Yan effectively purifies water by absorbing nutrients and promoting nitrification–denitrification processes. These differences underscore the active role of living plants in nutrient removal. This study provides a scientific basis for the management of submerged plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Constructed Wetland Systems for Wastewater Treatment and Water Remediation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop