Wastewater treatment in developing countries and in rural areas is limited by cost, water scarcity, topography, education, and land availability. Any mix of these variables allows wastewater discharge onto land or into water bodies without treatment. In some cases, minimal and sub-par treatment wastes time, money and energy. Eutrophication due to excessive nutrient effluent loads and disease causing pathogens threaten communities and the surrounding environment. These conditions are often found in sub-tropical and tropical climates. Constructed wetlands have shown promise in wastewater treatment in many developed countries and in many pilot studies throughout the developing world. Constructed mangrove wetlands have become a growing area of scientific research within the last few years. I have explained how a constructed wetland uses natural processes to clean wastewater, and have presented case studies of successful systems in sub-tropical and tropical areas. I have discussed mangrove wetland ecology, and reviewed the literature to show their potential as a constructed wetland alternative for wastewater treatment.
| Date of Award | Nov 1 2009 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Donald McCorquodale (Supervisor) & Curtis Burney (Advisor) |
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