Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Multifunctional Wetlands: Pollution Abatement by Natural and Constructed Wetlands

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Multifunctional Wetlands

Part of the book series: Environmental Contamination Remediation and Management ((ENCRMA))

Abstract

Both freshwater and marine ecosystems are degraded by pollution from nutrients, suspended solids, pathogens, siltation, oxygen-depleting substances, metals and organic contaminants. Natural wetlands play a significant role in reducing adverse impacts on water quality associated with pollution, and decrease the need for costly infrastructure. Constructed or restored wetlands also contribute to the abatement of pollution, which is consistent with the emerging paradigm of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Through a series of case histories, the readers will gain an understanding of the opportunities, as well as the challenges associated with constructing or managing wetlands for pollution abatement, wastewater management and adapting to possible climate change impacts, while preserving their biodiversity and ecological functions. The case histories describe experiences with both natural and constructed wetlands, and provide examples from around the world, including wetlands in polar and tropical ecosystems, as well as wetlands located in urban and remote or rural landscapes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • An SQ, Li HB, Guan BH, Zhou CF, Wang ZS, Deng ZF, Zhi YB, Liu YH, Xu C, Fang SR (2007) China’s natural wetlands: past problems, current status, and future challenges. Ambio 36:335–342

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Babatunde AO, Zhao YQ, O’Neill M, O’Sullivan B (2008) Constructed wetlands for environmental pollution control: a review of developments, research and practice in Ireland. Environ Int 34:116–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barbier EB, Acreman M, Knowler M (1997) Economic valuation of wetlands—a guide for policy makers and planners. Ramsar Convention Bureau, Gland, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Bassi N, Kumar MD, Sharma A, Pardha-Saradhi P (2014) Status of wetlands in India: a review of extent, ecosystem benefits, threats and management strategies. J Hydrol Reg Stud 2:1–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolund P, Hunhammar S (1999) Ecosystem services in urban areas. Ecol Econ 29:293–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crites RW, Middlebrook EJ, Reed SC (2006) Natural wetland treatment systems. CRC-Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL, 552 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham D, Birtles P (2013) The benefits of constructing an undersized wetland. In: Water Sensitive Urban Design 2013: WSUD 2013. Engineers Australia, Barton, ACT, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Davenport M, Bridges C, Mangun J (2010) Building local community commitment to wetlands restoration: a case study of the Cache River wetlands in southern Illinois, USA. Environ Manag 45:711–722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Engelhardt KAM, Ritchie ME (2002) The effect of aquatic plant species richness on wetland ecosystem processes. Ecology 83:2911–2924

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finlayson CM, Spiers AG (eds) (1999) Global review of wetland resources and priorities for wetland inventory. Supervising Scientist, Canberra, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghermandi A, Bixo D, Thoeye C (2007) The role of free water surface constructed wetlands as polishing step in municipal wastewater reclamation and reuse. Sci Total Environ 380:247–258

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guittonny-Philippe A, Masotti V, Höhener P, Boudenne J-L, Viglione J, Laffont-Schwob I (2014) Constructed wetlands to reduce metal pollution from industrial catchments in aquatic Mediterranean ecosystems: a review to overcome obstacles and suggest potential solutions. Environ Int 64:1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansson L-A, Brönmark C, Nilsson PA, Abjörnsson K (2005) Conflicting demands on wetland ecosystem services: nutrient retention, biodiversity or both? Freshw Biol 50:705–714

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hettiarachchi M, Morrison TH, McAlpine C (2015) Forty-three years of Ramsar and urban wetlands. Glob Environ Chang 32:57–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu C-B, Hsieh H-L, Yang L, Wu S-H, Chang J-S, Hsiao S-C, Su H-C, Yeh C-H, Ho Y-S, Lin H-J (2011) Biodiversity of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. Ecol Eng 37:1533–1545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hey RD (1994) Environmentally sensitive river engineering. In: Calow P, Petts GE (eds) The rivers handbook, vol 2. Blackwell Scientific, Oxford, UK, pp 337–362

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins WA, Murray BC, Kramer RA, Faulkner SP (2010) Valuing ecosystem services from wetland restoration in the Mississippi alluvial valley. Ecol Econ 69:1051–1061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang T-T, Pan J-F, Pu X-M, Wang B, Pan J-J (2015) Current status of coastal wetlands in China: degradation, restoration and future management. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 164:265–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabelo Gaboutloeloe G, Chen S, Barber ME, Stöckle CO (2009) Combinations of horizontal and vertical flow constructed wetlands to improve nitrogen removal. Water Air Soil Pollut 9:279–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec RH, Wallace SD (2009) Treatment wetlands, 2nd edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 106 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Kadlec RH, Knight RL (1996) Treatment wetlands, 1st edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 112 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Kivaisi AK (2001) The potential for constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse in developing countries: a review. Ecol Eng 16:545–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehner B, Doll P (2004) Development and validation of a global database of lakes, reservoirs and wetlands. J Hydrol 296:1–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Logan LH, Karlsson EM, Gall HE, Park J, Emery N, Owens P, Niyogi D, Rao PSC (2013) Freshwater wetlands: balancing food and water security with resilience of ecological and social systems. In: Roger P (ed) Climate vulnerability. Academic Press, Oxford, UK, pp 105–116

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Melbourne Water (2005) WSUD engineering procedures: stormwater. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Nesshöver C, Assmuth T, Irvine KN, Rusch GM, Whalen KA, Delbaere B, Haase D, Jones-Walters L, Keune H, Kovacs E, Krauze K, Kulvik M, Rey F, van Dijk J, Vistad OI, Wilkinson ME, Wittmer H (2017) The science, policy and practice of nature-based solutions: an interdisciplinary perspective. Sci Total Environ 579:1215–1227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2016) Economic commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, environmental performance reviews. OECD Publishing, Paris, France

    Google Scholar 

  • Papayannis T, Pritchard DE (2008) Culture and wetlands—a Ramsar guidance document. Ramsar Convention Bureau, Gland, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Secretariat R (2013) The list of wetlands of international importance. The Ramsar Convention Bureau, Gland, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousseau DPL, Lesage E, Story A, Vanrolleghem PA, De Pauw N (2006) Constructed wetlands for water reclamation. Desalination 218:181–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santer LK (1989) Ancillary benefit of wetlands constructed primarily for wastewater treatment. In: Hammer DA (ed) Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. Lewis Publishing, Chelsea, UK, pp 353–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Scholtz M (2015) Wetlands for water pollution control, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 556 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Sierszen ME, Morrice JA, Trebitz AS, Hoffman JC (2012) A review of selected ecosystem services provided by coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Aquat Ecosyst Health 15:92–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stefanakis AL, Akratos CS, Tsihrintzis VA (2014) Vertical flow constructed wetlands: eco-engineering systems for wastewater and sludge treatment, 1st edn. Elsevier, Burlington, VT, 378 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Stottmeisteer U, Weißner A, Kuschk P, Kappelmeyer U, Kästner M, Bederski O, Müller RA, Moormann H (2003) Effects of plants and microorganisms in constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. Biotechnol Adv 22:93–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tibbetts J (2006) Louisiana’s wetlands: a lesson in nature appreciation. Environ Health Perspect 114:A40–A43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Temmerman S, Meire P, Bouma TJ, Herman PMJ, Ysebaert T, de Vriend HJ (2013) Ecosystem-based coastal defence in the face of global change. Nature 504:79–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • TEEB (2013) The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) in Business and Enterprise, Final Consultation Draft based on Russi D, ten Brink P, Farmer A, Badura T, Coates D, Förster J, Kumar R, Davidson N (2012), The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Water and Wetlands, Earthscan, London, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Tournebize J, Passeport E, Chaumont C, Fesneau C, Guenne A, Vincent B (2013) Pesticide de-contamination of surface waters as a wetland ecosystem service in agricultural landscapes. Ecol Eng 56:51–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorslund J, Jarsjö J, Destouni G (2017) Wetlands as large-scale nature-based solutions: status and future challenges for research and management. Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol 19, EGU2017-13165 2017, European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017, Copyright to authors, CC Attribution 3.0 License

    Google Scholar 

  • UN Water (2013) Water Security and the Global Water Agenda: a UN Water Analytical Brief, United Nations University—Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (United Nations ESCAP), 45 p

    Google Scholar 

  • UN Water (2016) Integrated monitoring guide for SDG 6 targets and global indicators, Version July 19, 2016. http://www.unwater.org/app/uploads/2017/03/SDG-6-targets-and-global-indicators_2016-07-19.pdf

  • Valipour A, Ahn Y-H (2016) Constructed wetlands as sustainable ecotechnologies in decentralized practices: a review. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:1180–1197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J (2013) The use of hybrid constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment with special attention to nitrogen removal: a review of recent developments. Water Res 47:4795–4811

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vymazal J (2009) The use of constructed wetlands with horizontal sub-surface flow for various types of wastewater. Ecol Eng 35:1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Li L, Wang X, Yu X, Wang Y (2007) Taking stock of integrated river basin management in China. World Wildlife Fund China, Science Press, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO (2016) World health statistics 2016: monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 121 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood A (1995) Constructed wetlands in water pollution control: fundamentals to their understanding. Water Sci Technol 32:21–29

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward RT, Wui YS (2001) The economic value of wetland services: a meta-analysis. Ecol Econ 37:257–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong THF, Allen R, Beringer J, Brown RR, Deletic A, Fletcher TD, Gangadharan L, Gernjak W, Jakob C, O’Loan T, Reeder M, Tapper N, Walsh C (2012) Blueprint 2012—Stormwater Management in a Water Sensitive City. Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, Melbourne, Australia, ISBN 978-1-921912-01-6

    Google Scholar 

  • Worrall P, Peberdy KJ, Millet MC (1997) Constructed wetlands and nature conservation. Water Sci Technol 35:2015–2213

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu H, Zhang J, Ngo HH, Guo W, Hu Z, Liang S, Fan J, Liu H (2015b) A review on the sustainability of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment: design and operation. Bioresour Technol 175:584–601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu H, Fan J, Zhang J, Ngo HH, Guo W, Liang S, Hu Z, Liu H (2015a) Strategies and techniques to enhance constructed wetland performance for sustainable wastewater treatment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22:14637–14650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang W, Liu Y, Ou C (2016) Examining water quality effects of riparian wetland loss and restoration scenarios in a southern Ontario watershed. J Environ Manag 174:26–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Young R, White W, Brown M, Burton J, Atkins B (eds) (1998) The constructed wetlands manual, vol 1. Department of Land and Water Conservation, Goulburn, NSW, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Zedler JB, Kercher S (2005) Wetland resources: status, trends, ecosystem services, and restorability. Ann Rev of Environ Resour 30:39–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The School of the Environment, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada

    Chris D. Metcalfe

  2. United Nations University—Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Chris D. Metcalfe & Nidhi Nagabhatla

  3. School of Geography and Earth Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Nidhi Nagabhatla

  4. Sydney Water Corporation, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Shona K. Fitzgerald

Authors
  1. Chris D. Metcalfe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nidhi Nagabhatla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shona K. Fitzgerald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chris D. Metcalfe .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. United Nations University - Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Nidhi Nagabhatla

  2. United Nations University - Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Christopher D. Metcalfe

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Metcalfe, C.D., Nagabhatla, N., Fitzgerald, S.K. (2018). Multifunctional Wetlands: Pollution Abatement by Natural and Constructed Wetlands. In: Nagabhatla, N., Metcalfe, C. (eds) Multifunctional Wetlands. Environmental Contamination Remediation and Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67416-2_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation