Process based models for subsurface flow constructed wetlands

Abstract

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are engineered systems designed to optimize the treatment conditions found in natural environments. A large number of physical, chemical, and biological processes are active in parallel and mutually influence each other; consequently, CWs are complex systems difficult to understand. Therefore, for a long time CWs have been often considered as black boxes, and only little effort has been made to understand the main processes leading to wastewater purification. Numerical models that describe the transformation and elimination processes in CWs gained increasing interest during the last years and are a promising tool to get a better understanding of these processes. This chapter presents an overview of available models and recent developments in the field of CW modelling. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.