Wastewater treatment has been one of the most important global environmental challenges. Integrated wetlands systems can provide an innovative and cost-effective solution for the treatment of various types of waste waters. An integrated vertical flow-constructed wetland (IVFCW) was developed and deployed for the treatment of pulp and paper industry effluent. IVFCW was planted with Typha latifolia and coupled with an anaerobic chamber as pre-treatment, aerobic treatment as post-treatment, and a sand bed as the final clarification unit. IVFCW were designed in such a way that they can be operated without any external power source and placed in an open environment to monitor their efficiency in the natural environment. The black liquor was passed through the treatment system and its efficiency was monitored term of different water testing parameters. This system enabled significant reduction of about COD (70%), BOD₅ (65%) and more than 50 % of the other contaminants including PO43-, SO42-, and total nitrogen. The findings underscore the potential of IVFCW as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and efficient solution for wastewater treatment, obviating the need for supplementary chemical or physical agents and boasting zero operational costs.

Integrated wet land,wastewater treatment,black liquor,pollution