Natural Treatment and Onsite Processes

This paper provides a review of the treatment technologies, which utilize natural processes or passive components in wastewater treatment. The paper primarily focuses on wetland systems and their applications in wastewater treatment (as an advanced treatment unit or decentralized system), nutrient and pollutant removal (single and multiple pollutants, and metals), and emerging pollutant removal (pharmaceuticals). A summary of studies involving the plant (vegetation) effects, wetland design and modeling, hybrid and innovative systems, storm water treatment and other issues such as climate change and greenhouse gas emissions is also provided.