Author(s)

Martin Lekeufack¹, Théophile Fonkou^1*, Etienne Pamo Tedonkeng²

¹Laboratory of Applied Botany, Department of Plant Biology, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
²Laboratory of Animal Feeding and Nutrition, Department of Animal Production, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.

Various configurations of vegetated bed systems with a variety of macrophytes have been tested experimentally in Cameroon, for the treatment of domestic wastewater. The aim of this work was to assess the growth and biomass production of Fuirena umbellata (Cyperaceae) and its potentials in the removal of faecal bacteria and nutrients from primarily treated domestic effluent. A wetland vegetated with this macrophyte and a non-vegetated wetland (control) were continuously fed with primarily treated domestic wastewater at an estimated loading rate of 205 Litres/day in dry and rainy seasons for two consecutive years. Physicochemical and microbiological parameters of the effluent were monitored at the inflow and outflows of the wetlands alongside with the growth and productivity attributes of the young plants during each season. The density of plants ranged in the wetland from 17 - 185 plants/m² and from 11 - 146 plants/m² respectively during the first and the second years. More biomasses were instead produced in the dry seasons than in the rainy seasons but with no significant differences observed. As for nutrients removal, higher efficiencies were observed in the vegetated wetland (45% - 73%) compared to the non-vegetated control (17% - 66%). Similar trends were observed for the faecal bacteria but with no significant differences between the seasons. However, the vegetated beds were significantly more efficient than the non-vegetated control in the reduction of many physicochemical parameters and faecal bacteria. This varied with the seasons.

Growth Characteristics, Fuirena umbellata, Nutrients, Faecal Bacteria, Removal, Surface Flow Wetland, Local Macrophyte

Lekeufack, M. , Fonkou, T. and Tedonkeng, E. (2017) Growth Characteristics of Fuirena umbellata in a Surface Flow Constructed Wetland and Its Influence in Nutrients and Faecal Bacteria Removal from Domestic Wastewater in Cameroon. Journal of Environmental Protection, 8, 171-193. doi: 10.4236/jep.2017.82014.