Title: The Effectiveness of an Integrated Constructed Wetland System in the Treatment of Abattoir Effluent
Author: Michael Campbell
Date: April 2008
Abstract
Integrated Constructed Wetland’s have been used in a wide variety of situations in recent times as a sustainable and economical alternative for the treatment of contaminated wastewaters. Only once however has such a system been constructed and utilised for the treatment of abattoir effluent, within the UK. The Lancashire based abattoir which put the system into operation in November 2006 allowed for a twelve month study to be carried out on their new wastewater treatment facility. This study investigated how effectively the Integrated Constructed Wetland system could treat abattoir effluent, which contains high loads of organic nutrients. Of particular importance to the study was the subsequent impact(s) that such a system may present to the natural and human environment. A sampling programme was carried out over a one year period, focusing specifically on surface waters within the system and ground waters beneath the system. All samples were tested by a UKAS accredited laboratory for a variety of key pollution indicators. Results were averaged; percentage reduction figures gained and subsequently graphed alongside average seasonal rainfall and temperature figures. It was discovered that the system is effective and displays a lot of potential to be used not only in this area of the industrial sector, but many others also. Critically, the study exposed a number of ways in which the system could be improved, including re-use of grey water to add to its sustainability, exertion of a greater level of process control through self monitoring and reed harvesting to minimise addition of unnecessary nutrients to the system.
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