Author(s)

K. Kasak, K. Karabelnik, M. Kõiv, P. D. Jenssen & Ü. Mander

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse phosphorus (P) removal from greywater in an experimental hybrid compact filter system. The potential of a large number of substrates for the removal of phosphorus in greywater has been reviewed. These substrates mainly consist of natural materials, industrial by-products and manmade products. In this study we analyzed the potential effectiveness of P removal in different filter materials such as industrial by-products (hydrated calcareous oil-shale ash from Estonian thermal power plants) and man-made products (Filtralite® and Filtralite-P®). Household greywater consists of wastewater from kitchens, showers and laundry facilities. The reduction of total P in the ash filter system was up to 95%, achieving a median effluent concentration of 0.56 mg L-1 (median concentration in inflow was 5.1 mg L-1), compared to the respective figures of 40–44% and 2.8–3.3 mg P L-1 for Filtralite® systems. Keywords: constructed wetland, Filtralite, oil-shale ash, phosphorus sorption, subsurface flow filters. 1 Introduction Greywater is defined as water that is slightly contaminated by human activities and may possibly be reused after suitable treatment [1]. Greywater usually

Keywords

constructed wetland, Filtralite, oil-shale ash, phosphorus sorption, subsurface flow filters