A closed-loop on-site wastewater treatment system (OWT) was studied comprising steps of septic tank to remove organics (Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)), biofiltration clarifier for biological removal of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and BOD, reactive Polonite® filter for chemical adsorption and precipitation removal of dissolved P, and tidal flow constructed wetland (TFCW) sand filter for polishing the effluent to low P and N effluent Swedish standards. The field experimental data that have been used to optimize TFCW design in the numerical modelling using HYDRUS-2D coupled with and without PHREEQC indicated that the adsorption efficiency of the reactive Polonite® adsorbent was nearly double to that obtained in TFCW sand filters for PO4-P (95 %) and Total-P (85 %) removal in summer at a high temperature range (15.4–18.8 °C) and pH range (9.9–10.8). The weaker PO4-P (53 %) and Total-P (25 %) removal efficiency in winter was due to a low temperature (1.5–8.1 °C) and low pH (7.2–7.9). This decrease in pH was attributed to salinity in the domestic wastewater and dilution of rainwater. Modelling results revealed that the transport mechanisms and rate of P adsorption kinetics in the TFCW sand filters enhanced with calcium and iron flow from chemical dissolution in the preceding Polonite® adsorbent was increased with the increase in temperature. However, the P adsorption was less sensitive at high ferrihydrite (Fe(OH)3) dose, suggesting limited effects of cations dissolution and abundance of metal oxides and hydroxide ions at the mineral surface for anions exchange with phosphate for surface complexation. The strategy of combining field data and modelling provided valuable insights for assessing adaptability and optimizing TFCW design under variable fluxes and scenario effects of insulated/uninsulated and dilution by rainwater in cold-climate regions.

This study examined the adsorption capacity and treatment efficiency of sand filters in on-site treatment systems for cold climate regions. The effects of different operating conditions, porosity and kinetics parameters were investigated in column experiments and COMSOL Multiphysics® modelling, to comprehensively reveal the mechanisms and optimize treatment efficiency of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal in a field tidal flow constructed wetland (TFCW), treating effluent from a package treatment plant with P filter material. The results from column experiments with sand showed that Total-P adsorption rate was dependent on feed water quality (Septic tank >0.77 ± 0.06 g kg−1; Biotreatment >0.41 ± 0.07 g kg−1; Reactive material Polonite® <0.18 ± 0.07 g kg−1). In the field TFCW trial, Total-P adsorption in the top layer (>1.42 ± 0.55 g kg−1) and middle layer (>1.06 ± 0.51 g kg−1) was twice that in laboratory columns, due to strong interaction with the air-water interface and use of fluctuated domestic wastewater solutions. The breakthrough curve (BTCs) of the coarse sand matched the physical behaviour of tracer electrical conductivity (EC) in effluent from the sand column experiments. The modelling results demonstrated that high filter porosity and low hydraulic load were significant factors for optimal removal of NH4–N, Total-N, PO4–P, Total- P in the top layer (>99.95 ± 0.03 %, 44.37 ± 28.75%, 70.89 ± 28.30%, 76.18 ± 20.3%), middle layer (>98.94 ± 1.77%, 18.23 ± 23.04%, 76.62 ± 28.73%, 65.40 ± 31.85%) and deep layer (>99.99 ± 0.02%, 65.50 ± 20.64%, 75.53 ± 23.16%, 41.54 ± 28.81%) in the TFCW system, respectively. The results show that on-site wastewater treatment in cold climate TFCW can be applied as a technology to polish effluent from a three-step pretreatment system. However, hydraulic optimization is an important factor for the design of the TFCW to receive a successful long-term operating system.

The sorption capacities of sand filters used for onsite wastewater treatment and their associated risks of phosphorus (P) leaching on contact with rainwater were investigated in column experiments and with modelling tool for over 300 days. Columns packed with sand were exposed to real domestic wastewater of different characteristics and hydraulic loading modes. The wastewater fed into the columns was effluent collected from three different treatment units in the field: a septic tank (ST), biofiltration tank (BF) and Polonite® filter bag (PO). The risk of P leaching to groundwater and surface water was also assessed, by exposing the same sand columns to natural rainwater. Overall results indicated that sand soils can exhibit different adsorption and desorption capacities for electrical conductivity (EC), Total-P, phosphate-P and total suspended solids, depending on the characteristics of influent wastewater, loading rate and total operation time. The removal efficiencies of the sand columns increased in the order ST (98.16 %) > PO (93.36%) > BF (81.57%) for PO4-P and slightly decreased ST (97.11 %) > PO (92.06%) > BF (76.76%) for Total-P columns. All sand columns loaded with actual wastewater solutions from septic tanks and biofiltration tank have demonstrated high risks of phosphorus leaching (> 99.99%) to the groundwater. The modelling was successful captured behavior of EC tracer and adsorption of PO₄-P with acceptable prediction uncertainty in the PO < 8% columns. The modelling results indicated that the decrease of loading rate from 83.3 mL d^-1 to 20.83 mL d^-1 led to an average increase of removal efficiency and prolong operational lifetime and mass of adsorbed Total-P in the sand soil. This study concludes that sand is a valuable filter medium at low loading rate for phosphorus removal in full-scale operations of onsite treatment systems, however very vulnerable for leaching P when in contact with rainwater.

The performance of a tidal flow constructed wetland (TFCW) following wastewater treatment in a package plant designed for two households was studied in a nine-month field trial and its design evaluated through process modelling and pumping tests. The TFCW is operated by filling and draining periods lasting five to nine days, depending on wastewater production by users. The effects of passive aeration, temperature, influent concentration of nutrients and bacteria as well as hydraulic loading on the treatment efficacy of the TFCW system were studied. Results showed that the TFCW system removed ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N, 76%), phosphate -phosphorus (PO4-P, 56%), total inorganic nitrogen (TIN, 28%) and reduced water pH by15%. The removal efficiency of TIN was significantly improved in the summer (> 50%). The average influent concentration of total phosphorus (TP) was low after the preceding package plant treatment (1.12 mg L-1), but the TFCW showed ability to further reduce TP to the average concentration of 0.57 mg L-1. A coupled reactive transport model was developed in the COMSOL Multiphysics (R) 5.6 software to predict processes of water flow and was validated against the actual data from the field. The modelling exhibited a satisfactory prediction accuracy and capability to capture behavior of effluent PO4-P, NH4-N and dissolved oxygen concentration. Moreover, modelling processes helped to understand the defects of water flow and adsorption processes within the treatment wetland.

Elevated Arsenic (As) and Fluoride (F) concentrations in groundwater have been studied in the shallow aquifers of northeastern of La Pampa province, in the Chaco-Pampean plain, Argentina. The source of As and co-contaminants is mainly geogenic, from the weathering of volcanic ash and loess (rhyolitic glass) that erupted from the Andean volcanic range. In this study we have assessed the groundwater quality in two semi-arid areas of La Pampa. We have also identified the spatial distribution of As and co-contaminants in groundwater and determined the major factors controlling the mobilization of As in the shallow aquifers. The groundwater samples were circum-neutral to alkaline (7.4 to 92), oxidizing (Eh similar to 0.24 V) and characterized by high salinity (EC = 456-11,400 mu S/cm) and Na+-HCO3- water types in recharge areas. Carbonate concretions ("tosca") were abundant in the upper layers of the shallow aquifer. The concentration of total As (5.6 to 535 mu g/L) and F (0.5 to 14.2 mg/L) were heterogeneous and exceeded the recommended WHO Guidelines and the Argentine Standards for drinking water. The predominant As species were arsenate As(V) oxyanions, determined by thermodynamic calculations. Arsenic was positively correlated with bicarbonate (HCO3-), fluoride (F), boron (B) and vanadium (V), but negatively correlated with iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), and manganese (Mn), which were present in low concentrations. The highest amount of As in sediments was from the surface of the dry lake. The mechanisms for As mobilization are associated with multiple factors: geochemical reactions, hydrogeological characteristics of the local aquifer and climatic factors. Desorption of As(V) at high pH, and ion competition for adsorption sites are considered the principal mechanisms for As mobilization in the shallow aquifers. In addition, the long-term consumption of the groundwater could pose a threat for the health of the local community and low cost remediation techniques are required to improve the drinking water quality.

This study explored two-dimensional (2D) numerical hydrodynamic model simulations of Lake Victoria. Several methods were developed in Matlab to build the lake topography. Old depth soundings taken in smaller parts of the lake were combined with more recent extensive data to produce a smooth topographical model. The lake free surface numerical model in the COMSOL Multiphysics (CM) software was implemented using bathymetry and vertically integrated 2D shallow water equations. Validated by measurements of mean lake water level, the model predicted very low mean flow speeds and was thus close to being linear and time invariant, allowing long-time simulations with low-pass filtered inflow data. An outflow boundary condition allowed an accurate simulation to achieve the lake’s steady state level. The numerical accuracy of the linear measurement of lake water level was excellent.

High groundwater arsenic (As) across the globe has been one of the most well researched environmental concerns during the last two decades. Consequently, a large scientific knowledge-base has been developed on As distributions from local to global scales. However, differences in bulk sediment As concentrations cannot account for the As concentration variability in groundwater. Instead, in general, only aquifers in sedimentary basins adjacent to mountain chains (orogenic foreland basins) along continental convergent tectonic margins are found to be As enriched. We illustrate this association by integrating observations from long-term studies of two of the largest orogenic systems (i.e., As sources) and the aquifers in their associated foreland basins (As sinks), which are located in opposite hemispheres and experience distinct differences in climate and land-use patterns. The Andean orogenic system of South America (AB), an active continental margin, is in principle a modern analogue of the Himalayan orogenic system associated with the Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra river systems in South Asia (HB). In general, the differences in hydrogeochemistry between AB and HB groundwaters are conspicuous. Major-solute composition of the arid, oxic AB groundwater exhibits a mixed-ion hydrochemical facies dominated by Na-Ca-Cl-SO4-HCO3. Molar calculations and thermodynamic modeling show that although groundwater of AB is influenced by cation exchange, its hydrochemical evolution is predominated by feldspar dissolution and relationships with secondary clays. In contrast, humid, strongly reducing groundwater of HB is dominated by Ca-HCO3 facies, suggestive of calcite dissolution, along with some weathering of silicates (monosiallitization). This work demonstrates that although hydrogeochemical evolutionary trends may vary with local climate and lithology, the fundamental similarities in global tectonic settings can still lead to the elevated concentrations of groundwater As.

In low-income regions, drinking water is often derived from groundwater sources, which might spread diarrheal disease if they are microbiologically polluted. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of fecal contamination in 147 improved groundwater sources in Juba, South Sudan and to assess potential contributing risk factors, based on bivariate statistical analysis. Thermotolerant coliforms (TTCs) were detected in 66% of the investigated sources, including 95 boreholes, breaching the health-based recommendations for drinking water. A significant association (p<. 0.05) was determined between the presence of TTCs and the depth of cumulative, long-term prior precipitation (both within the previous five days and within the past month). No such link was found to short-term rainfall, the presence of latrines or damages in the borehole apron. However, the risk factor analysis further suggested, to a lesser degree, that the local topography and on-site hygiene were additionally significant. In summary, the analysis indicated that an important contamination mechanism was fecal pollution of the contributing groundwater, which was unlikely due to the presence of latrines; instead, infiltration from contaminated surface water was more probable. The reduction in fecal sources in the environment in Juba is thus recommended, for example, through constructing latrines or designating protection areas near water sources. The study results contribute to the understanding of microbiological contamination of groundwater sources in areas with low incomes and high population densities, tropical climates and weathered basement complex environments, which are common in urban sub-Saharan Africa.

The vadose zone can function as both a filter and a passage for bacteria. This review evaluates when and why either effect will apply based on available literature. It summarizes theories and experimental research that address the related, underlying bacterial attenuation processes, the applied macro-scale modeling approaches, and the influencing factors - including the cell, soil, solution and system characteristics. Results point to that the relative importance of each removal mechanism depends on the moisture content and the solution ionic strength. The limitations of available modeling approaches are discussed. It remains unclear in which contexts these are reliable for predictions. The temporal first-order kinetic Escherichia coli (E. coli) removal coefficient ranges three orders of magnitude, from 10(-4) to 10(-1)/min. Results suggest that this rate depends on the pore-water velocity. Spatial filtration of E. coli increases with slower flow and higher collector surface heterogeneity. It could be insignificant in the case of heavy and sudden infiltration and subsequent transport in preferential flow paths, induced, for example, by plant roots or cracks in clayey soils. Future research thus needs to address transport as an effect of extreme weather events such as droughts and subsequent floods.