Clogging is the most serious problem in the operation of subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SSF CWs) and is caused by the accumulation of solids in substrates. Study of the solids accumulation process can provide a more accurate reference for the management and maintenance of SSF CWs. In this study, an experimental vertical-flow constructed wetland system was recreated in the lab, and substrates with different depth were sampled through different operation time to reveal the spatial and temporal distribution of accumulated solids. During the study, particulates mainly accumulated through adsorption along the gravel surface. Therefore, the matrix could still provide sufficient space for the particles to pass through and be intercepted or adsorbed into the system at a constant rate. At the end of the study, an increasing number of large particles had been intercepted and were accumulated in the 0-2cm layer of the matrix, indicating a significant decrease in the pore diameter at the top substrate layer. The spatial and temporal accumulation of substrate particulates during the study period was accurately simulated by first-order kinetics models, and the simulated results were in good agreement with measured values.
Keywords: Accumulated solids; Clogging; Spatial and temporal change; Vertical flow constructed wetland.
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