Evaluation of the removal of nitrogen and organic matter through a system of artificial wetlands with subsurface flow coupled to fixed-bed reactors with microalgae at the Institución Universitaria Colegio Mayor de Antioquia Evaluación de la remoción de nitrógeno y materia orgánica a través de humedales artificiales de flujo subsuperficial, acoplados a reactores de lecho fijo con microalgas en la Institución Universitaria Colegio Mayor de Antioquia

Abstract

The significant loads of organic matter and nitrogen in the wastewater of educational institutions have led to the search for efficient, economical, easy-to-operate purification systems that allow wastewater to be considered as a resource that can be evaluated and treated so that its discharge to the natural environment does not have a high impact on water sources and generates alterations to aquatic ecosystems.

Artificial wetlands are promising treatment systems that work by bio filtration, allowing the elimination of organic loads and generating discharges that can be used in activities that do not involve the use of drinking water (Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley, 2015).

The coupling to these systems, of reactors with algae, becomes a viable option. For the removal of nitrogen and organic matter that come from wetlands, in order to continue the degradation process, because micro algae capture inorganic nutrients that are used to produce biomass, while reducing the capacity of Effluent to cause eutrophication in water bodies (Candela, 2016).

This project will present the results of the evaluation of the removal of nitrogen and organic matter through a system of artificial wetlands with horizontal subsurface flow, planted with Heliconia psittacorum and coupled to fixed-bed reactors with algae, inoculated with Chlorella strains vulgaris, where it is expected to find a high efficiency in the degradation of nitrogen in a percentage of 73,4%, organic matter between 30-40%, total coliforms of 87% and fecal coliforms (E. coli) of 88%.