Ecological restoration performance enhanced by nano zero valent iron treatment in constructed wetlands under perfluorooctanoic acid stress

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) of widespread use can enter constructed wetlands (CWs) via migration, and inevitably causes negative impacts on removal efficiencies of conventional pollutants due to its ecotoxicity. However, little attention has been paid to strengthen performance of CWs under PFOA stress. In this study, influences of nano zero valent iron (nZVI), which has been demonstrated to improve nutrients removal, were explored after exemplifying threats of PFOA to operation performance in CWs. The results revealed that 1 mg/L PFOA suppressed the nitrification capacity and phosphorus removal, and nZVI distinctly improved the removal efficiency of ammonia and total phosphorus in CWs compared to PFOA exposure group without nZVI, with the maximum increases of 3.65 % and 16.76 %. Furthermore, nZVI significantly stimulated dehydrogenase (390.64 % and 884.54 %) and urease (118.15 % and 246.92 %) activities during 0–30 d and 30–60 d in comparison to PFOA group. On the other hand, nitrifying enzymes were also promoted, in which ammonia monooxygenase increased by 30.90 % during 0–30 d, and nitrite oxidoreductase was raised by 117.91 % and 232.10 % in two stages. Besides, the content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) under nZVI treatment was 72.98 % higher than PFOA group. Analyses of Illumina Miseq sequencing further certified that nZVI effectively improved the community richness and caused the enrichment of microorganisms related to nitrogen and phosphorus removal and EPS secreting. These results could provide valuable information for ecological restoration and decontamination performance enhancement of CWs exposed to PFOA. [Display omitted] •Removal of ammonia and total phosphorus were promoted with nZVI addition in constructed wetlands under PFOA stress.•Substrate enzyme activities were stimulated by nZVI to relieve adverse effects of PFOA.•EPS decreased by PFOA were raised with nZVI treatment, since key secreting bacteria (e. g. Zoogloea) were enriched.•Some bacteria for pollutant purification (e. g. Thauera, Paracoccus, and Defluviicoccus) were promoted by nZVI.