Floating Treatment Wetlands (Completed)

Significance:

• Harmful algal blooms drastically deteriorate water quality, and their economic costs can range from $2.2 to $4.6 billion annually. 

Objective:

• Quantify the removal potential of nitrate-N in floating treatment wetlands using various carbon amendments

Hypothesis:

• Wetlands with carbon amendments will have the highest nitrate-N removal rates.

Preliminary Conclusions:

• NO3-N removal was highest in wetlands with barley and coffee amendments.

• Plant species were found to have a significant impact on nitrate-N removal

Funded: Daughtery Water for Food Institute

Publications:

Keilhauer, M.2, Messer, T. L., Mittelstet, A., Corman, J., Franti, T. 2019. Nitrate Removal Potential of Floating Treatment Wetlands Amended with Spent Coffee: A Mesocosm Scale Evaluation. Transactions of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. 62(6): 1619-1630. doi: 10.13031/trans.13431.

Messer, T.L., Miller, D.N., Little, H., and Oathroat. 2022. Nitrate-N Removal Rate Variabilities in Floating Treatment Wetland Mesocosms with Diverse Planting and Carbon Amendment Designs. Ecological Engineering. 174: 106444. Doi. 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2021.106444.

Graduate Student: Mary Keilhauer (MS Natural Resource Sciences; Graduated 2019)

Undergraduate Students: Helen Little; Ken Oathout