Constructed wetland for landfill leachate treatment

Abstract

Due to complex chemical composition and high recalcitrance, the treatment of landfill leachate becomes challenging. The conventional wastewater treatment processes employed to remediate the landfill leachate necessitate huge operation and maintenance costs. For more than two decades, constructed wetlands (CWs) have been successfully used to treat landfill leachate. These systems mimic the natural wetland process and eliminate pollutants from wastewater. For effective landfill leachate treatment, a comprehensive understanding of its chemical composition and the quantitative and qualitative changes in its characteristics, and the factors that influence them is essential. This chapter reviews the pollutant removal mechanisms, application and performance, and the factors affecting the performance of the CW systems during landfill leachate management. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the compatibility of various types of CWs for landfill leachate treatment has also been incorporated in this chapter.