Skip to content

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Read our Science Bulletin
Project • CRRP2021-11MY-P.Kayastha

Floating Treatment Wetland System (FTWS) – Sustainable green technology to remediate polluted surface water bodies in the COVID-19 era

The COVID-19 pandemic exaggerates nutrient over-enrichment in surface water bodies that ultimately receive wastewaters with high loads of pharmaceuticals, disinfectants and their by-products during the pandemic. Such emerging pollutants in wastewater settings pose an enormous challenge to developing countries where there is direct discharge of wastewater into water bodies due to lack of sufficient wastewater management infrastructures, ultimately causing significant threats to aquatic environments and human health. Addressing the need for sustainable wastewater treatment systems in the COVID-19 era, our proposed research project emphasizes an integrated microcosm and field approach to validate the capacity of Floating Treatment Wetland System (FTWS), that employ local plant varieties and float rafts made up of reusable waste materials, in removing water contaminants. The microcosm component will serve as theses for graduate students. Selected water quality parameters will be analyzed to determine the effect of FTWS on reducing concentrations of pollutants. With the plant species shown to be most effective in contaminants, The COVID-19 pandemic exaggerates nutrient over-enrichment in surface water bodies that ultimately receive wastewaters with high loads of pharmaceuticals, disinfectants and their by-products during the pandemic. Such emerging pollutants in wastewater settings pose an enormous challenge to developing countries where there is direct discharge of wastewater into water bodies due to lack of sufficient wastewater management infrastructures, ultimately causing significant threats to aquatic environments and human health. Addressing the need for sustainable wastewater treatment systems in the COVID-19 era, our proposed research project emphasizes an integrated microcosm and field approach to validate the capacity of Floating Treatment Wetland System (FTWS), that employ local plant varieties and float rafts made up of reusable waste materials, in removing water contaminants. The microcosm component will serve as theses for graduate students. Selected water quality parameters will be analyzed to determine the effect of FTWS on reducing concentrations of pollutants. With the plant species shown to be most effective in the contaminant.