Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No.

3 : 27-36 (2008)
www.eeat.or.th

Greenhouse Gas Emission from Constructed Wetland for

Leachate Treatment
การปลดปลอยกาซเรือนกระจกจากระบบบําบัดน้ําชะมูลฝอย
แบบบึงประดิษฐ
ปรานีต นิชาดี วิครานาราชชิ ชาติ เจียมไชยศรี และ วิไล เจียมไชยศรี
Praneeth Nishadi Wicramarachchi, Chart Chiemchaisri and Wilai Chiemchaisri
Department of Environmental Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900
E-mail: fengccc@ku.ac.th

Abstract

Constructed wetlands can be effectively used for treating organic matter and nutrients in wastewater.
However, they are also contributing greenhouse gases like methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous
oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere. This study was conducted to quantify the emission of these greenhouse gases
from subsurface horizontal flow constructed wetland applied to leachate treatment. At hydraulic loading rate
(HLR) of 28 mm/d and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 5 days, average BOD and TKN removal efficiencies
in the system were 97 and 40%. Methane emission was found in range from ND level up to 0.712 g/m2.d and
the emission was reduced along the flow path. The emission rate of CO2 was 0.026- 3.266 g/m2.d. meanwhile
N2O was not detected at ppm level. Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) analysis revealed that both aerobic
and anaerobic conditions prevailed in most underlying bed area and it affected the emission of greenhouse
gases from the system.

Keywords : Constructed wetland, greenhouse gases, landfill leachate, tropical climate

28 Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No. 3 (2008)

บทคัดยอ

ระบบบํ า บั ด น้ํ า เสี ย แบบบึ ง ประดิ ษ ฐ มี ป ระสิ ทธิ ภ าพในการบํ า บั ด สารอิ น ทรี ย แ ละธาตุ อ าหารได ดี
แต ก็ ส ง ผลกระทบต อ ชั้ น บรรยากาศโลก โดยเป น แหล ง ปลดปล อ ยก า ซเรื อ นกระจก ได แ ก มี เ ทน
คารบอนไดออกไซด และไนตรัสออกไซด การศึกษานี้ดําเนินการวัดอัตราการปลดปลอยกาซเรือนกระจก
ดังกลาวจากระบบบึงประดิษฐแบบน้ําไหลใตผิวดินแนวราบในการบําบัดน้ําชะขยะ เมื่อเดินระบบที่อัตราภาระ
บรรทุกชลศาสตรเทากับ 28 มิลลิเมตรตอวัน และระยะเวลากักน้ํา 5 วัน พบวา ระบบมีประสิทธิภาพในการกําจัด
บี โ อดี แ ละที เ คเอ็ น เฉลี่ ย เท า กั บ ร อ ยละ 97 และ 40 อั ต ราการปลดปล อ ยก า ซมี เ ทนอยู ใ นช ว งตั้ ง แต ต รวจ
ไมพบ ถึง 0.712 กรัมตอตารางเมตรตอวัน และมีแนวโนมลดลงตามเสนทางการไหลของน้ําเสีย อัตราการ
ปลดปลอยกาซคารบอนไดออกไซดอยูระหวาง 0.026-3.266 กรัมตอตารางเมตรตอวัน ในขณะที่ตรวจไมพบ
กาซไนตรัสออกไซดในความเขมขนระดับพีพีเอ็ม การวัดคาโออารพีแสดงใหเห็นวา ในระบบมีทั้งสภาวะ
แอโรบิคและแอนแอโรบิคเกิดขึ้นทั่วพื้นที่ และสภาวะดังกลาวมีผลกระทบตออัตราการปลดปลอยกาซเรือน
กระจกจากระบบ

คําสําคัญ : บึงประดิษฐ กาซเรือนกระจก น้ําชะขยะ ภูมิอากาศเขตมรสุม

Introduction most interesting fact is that these treatment facilities

Several physical, chemical and biological
processes can be employed to treat landfill leachate.
However, they can be expensive in construction,
operation and requiring high-skilled labor in
operation. Where land is available at low-cost,
natural system such as waste stabilization pond and
constructed wetland are attractive alternatives for
landfill leachate treatment [1]. Constructed wetlands
are increasingly employed to treat landfill leachate,
and the use of natural systems in waste management
seems to be gaining in popularity as a result of their
sustainability and cost savings. In general the
constructed wetland and the area covered by
constructed wetland are increasing globally. The
are being successfully operated [2].
Although constructed wetland can be
beneficial for waste water or landfill leachate treatment
they may have an adverse environmental impact by
increasing the flux of greenhouse gases to the
atmosphere [3]. Wetland environment may emit
considerable amount of CH4, CO2 and N2O gases
formed under anoxic condition in the sediment of
inundated area. In wetland, nutrients and organic
matter are removed permanently from terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems when they are converted through
microbial processes to gaseous compounds to be
released into the atmosphere. Some of these gases can
have adverse effects in the atmosphere because they
act as greenhouse gas and cause global warming. Thus,
Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No. 3 (2008)
there is a risk that water pollution control can turn into
an atmospheric pollution problem [4].
N2O, as one of the greenhouse gas, is
increasing in the atmosphere at a rate of about 0.3%
year-1 [5]. It has an atmospheric lifetime of about
120 years, a global warming potential(GWP) of 296
relative to CO2 over a 100 year time horizon, and it
responsible for about 6% of anticipated warming [6].
Moreover the CH4 which is another green house gas
increasing in the atmosphere at the rate of about
0.8% year-1 [5]. Methane in the atmosphere has a
life time of 8.4 years. On a 100 year time horizon,
CH4 has a global warming potential of 23 relative to
CO2, and is responsible for about 20% of
anticipated warming [6]. Many studies have
demonstrated that constructed wetlands are
significant sources of greenhouse gases emissions
[3, 4, 7]. This research was focusing on the
evaluation of greenhouse gases emission as well as
the treatment performance of subsurface horizontal
Influent
.5m
3m
Gravel
Coarse sand
Figure 1 Schematic diagram of HSCW
29
flow constructed wetland applied to the treatment of
leachate in Thailand.
Materials and Methods
Two subsurface horizontal flow constructed
wetland units (HSCW) were operated under different
conditions, i.e. without leachate recirculation (system
A) and with leachate recirculation (system B). Both
systems were examined at same hydraulic loading rate
(HLR) of 28 mm/d equivalent to hydraulic retention
time (HRT) of 5 days. Each HSCW unit (Figure 1) has
4 m2 surface area. The inlet and outlet zones were
filled with 30-60 mm gravel up to the 0.8 m and 1-2
mm sand was filled in plantation zone.
The operating water depth was maintained at 0.7 m.
The leachate was fed into the system by a submersible
pump through an inlet pipe (10 mm in size) with valve
control. The leachate flew downwards, passed
Effluent
0.8 m
1.3 m
0.40 m
30 Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No. 3 (2008)
through treatment (plantation) zone and discharged
at the outlet zone through an outlet pipe (50 mm).
Cattail (Typha augustifolia) was used as an
emergent in the system with initial planting density
of 40 rhizomes per m2. The system was operated for
about 3 months before the first gas emission was
conducted. The leachate used in this study was
obtained from solid waste transfer station in
Bangkok.
Tracer gases emission was measured by
close-flux chamber method. The close flux chamber
was made of acrylic plate with 5.0-mm thickness,
300-mm diameter and 300-mm height. It was covered
acrylic plate with 19-mm thickness that having gas
sampling and temperature measurement ports. The
base of chamber was made of stainless with 300-mm
diameter and 125-mm height. The stainless steel part
was inserted in to the soil one day before the gas
measurements to minimize the disturbances. Total area
covering soil surface of a chamber is 0.071 m2.
Appropriate gas sampling period was determined as 2
hr after installation of chamber in to the soil. The gas
samples were withdrawn through rubber septum by
gas tight 10 ml syringe and injected into vacuum tube
of 5 ml in volume. Gas samples were taken at the inlet,
middle and outlet areas of experimental units once in
one or two weeks during the experimental period (total
measurement of 12 times). The analysis of gas sample
was performed by a gas chromatograph (Agilent 6890)
with thermal conductivity detector (TCD).
Temperature measurements of air, inside the chamber
and soil also ware taken during sampling time.
After determining the concentration of
CH4, CO2 and N2O, gas flux was calculated by
equation 1 [8].
F = ρ(V/A) (ΔC/Δt) (1)
where F is gas flux (g/m2/s), ρ is gas density
(kg/m3), V is Chamber volume (m3), A is
chamber cover area (m2); ΔC : gas
concentration gradient (%) and Δt is gas
sampling time (s).
A portable handheld oxidation reduction
potential (ORP) meter with electrode (HANNA,
Japan) was used for ORP measurements. During
sampling, measurements were taken at basically
three points such as inlet, middle and out let which
were the gas sampling points in wetland. Further
readings at each point every 15 cm along the depth
of wetland soil were recorded.
Results and Discussion
Determination of gas sampling period in close-
flux chamber
In close-flux chamber, methane
concentration gradient relates directly to the methane
emission rate (MER). In this experiment, the result
showed that the CH4 concentration had been slightly
increasing and reaching its maximum concentration
within 2 hour after installation of chamber on the
surface of constructed wetland (Figure 2A). This time
period was used for subsequent gas samplings.
 Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No. 3 (2008) 31

Liikanen at el. [4] has done the gas sampling within temperature in ambient air and inside chamber was
24-60 minutes after installing the chamber. This time found increasing during the first 30 minutes of
period can be changed place to place since these monitoring period as the measurement was conducted
processes are highly dependent on environmental in the afternoon during which maximum temperature
conditions as well as other factors. In Figure 2B, the was detected at 2 p.m.

CO2 Concentration % Inlet CO2 Concentration % Middle

CH4 Concentration % Inlet CH4 Concentration % Middle
1.200 Air Inside chamber Soil
1.000 (A) 36.0
(B)

T em perature/C
34.0
conc e ntra tion %

0.800
0.600 32.0
0.400 30.0
0.200 28.0
0.000 26.0
0 30 60 90 120 150
Time (min) 180 210 240 270 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240
Time (min)

Figure 2 Methane and Carbon dioxide concentration change with time (A)
and Temperature variation during sampling (B)

Greenhouse gas emissions from constructed wetland of incoming wastewater. Occasionally, no CH4 was
The emissions of CH4 and CO2 from the two detected especially at the outlet zone of both systems
constructed wetland systems are shown in Figure 3. as a result of non-detectable level of emitted gas. The
From the observed emission rates, it was found the emission of greenhouse gas was also varied seasonally.
emission of CH4 was ranged between ND level up to In July, the emission was found lower than other
0.712 g/m2.d. The maximum emission rate was found months as considerable amount of raining was
highest at inlet zone and reduced along the flow. This observed at the site. The experimental HSSW units
observation can be explained by the fact that organic were installed outdoor and they could be affected by
concentration in leachate was purified and reduced dilution of feeding leachate. This unnecessary dilution
along the system. The conversion of those organic led to the lower CH4 emission from the system. In
pollutants in the system is generally depending on their contrast, CH4 emission in September was comparable
concentrations thus the produced gases from biological higher due to elevated temperature and fresh leachate
activities are depending on the organic concentration added to the systems.
 32 Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No. 3 (2008)

0.8 0.09
0.7 0.08
(A) (B)
CH4 emission rate/(g/m2.d)

0.07

CH4 emission rate/(g/m2.d)

0.6
0.5 0.06
0.4 0.05
0.04
0.3
0.03
0.2 0.02
0.1 0.01
0 0
June July August September Octber June July August September Octber
3.5 1.6
3
(C) (D)
CO2 emission rate/(g/m2.d)

CO2 emission rate/(g/m2.d)

2.5 1.2

2
0.8
1.5
C
1 0.4
0.5
0 0
June July August September Octber June July August September Octber

1.6 (E) 2.5

CO2 emission rate/(g/m2.d)

Gas flux/(g/m2.d)

2 (F)
1.2 System A 1.5
0.8 System B 1
0.5
0.4 0 CO2
0 CH4
Inlet
June July August September Octber
Middle
Outlet

Figure 3 Methane and Carbon dioxide at inlet (A and C) middle (B and D)

and outlet (E) and their variation (F)

Similar emission pattern was found in case
of CO2 but at notable higher emission rate. The
emission was ranged from 0.026 to 3.266 g/m2.d.
Higher emission was noted in June (warmer period)
and lower was found in July (raining period). It was
also noted that the degree of variation of CO2 was
lowered than CH4 in most cases. Furthermore, it
was found that the gas emission rate was also
affected by water table in the system. During most
of the study period, the water table was kept 30 cm
below wetland surface but occasionally it was
lowered for a short period of time during which
Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No. 3 (2008) 33

lower emission was detected especially CH4. This
observation could be explained by the fact that
aerobic condition prevailed in the system during the
period with lower water table. During the whole
study, N2O emission was not detected at ppm level.
Comparing between the two systems, it
was noted that the emission was generally higher in
system A (without recirculation). It was due to the
dilution effect which took place in system B as the
re-circulation of treated water was employed.
During the experimental period, diurnal
variation of greenhouse gas emission was also
studied. Gas measurement was conducted at every 3
hrs consecutively for 24 hr. From the results
obtained, it was found that the greenhouse gas
emission (both CH4 and CO2) increased during night
time. In comparison to day time emission, CH4
emission during night time was increased by
10-20% whereas CO2 emission rate was increased
by 32-80%.
Pollutant removal in the system
The pollutant removal efficiencies in the
system during steady state condition are shown in
Table 1. Influent and effluent qualities from the
systems operated at hydraulic loading rate of 28mm/d
were analyzed in terms of pH, BOD, COD and TKN.
In both systems, the BOD, COD and TKN removal
efficiencies were 97, 98 and 40% respectively. These
high pollutant removal efficiencies implied that there
was also ample adsorption capacity and plant biomass
growth in the system. These plant uptake and
biological degradation of organic substances by
attached growth microorganisms took place under
aerobic, facultative and anaerobic soil conditions in the
top, middle and bottom zones respectively. This was
proved by conducting ORP analysis of water in the
underlying bed. In terms of nitrogen removal, average
removal efficiency was 40% under the given
condition. Unlike organic substance, TKN removal
took place gradually along the treatment unit. Organic
nitrogen can be transformed by ammonification and
nitrification reactions to oxidized forms (NO2- and
NO3-) and subsequently removed by either
denitrification or plant uptake. The removal
efficiencies obtained here were well agreed with the
values reported in previous study [9].

Table 1 Quality of leachate in wetlands under steady state condition

Items pH COD (mg/L) BOD (mg/L) TKN (mg/L)

Influent A 4.5-6.6 3200-5350 1665-2985 65-105
Effluent A 6.9-7.8 80-128 28-55 34-63
Influent B 4.8-6.8 2560-4350 1365-2385 55-105
Re-circulation B 6.9-7.3 80-128 32-48 34-58
Effluent B 6.9-8.1 80-118 34-48 31-62
34 Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No. 3 (2008)

Based on carbon balance determination in
the system, it was found that 0.7-4.2% of inlet
organic carbon was released as greenhouse gas.
At the steady state condition, the value was 3.5%
(5.4 gC/d) of inflow organic carbon (160 gC/d)
whereas 3.75% (6 gC/d) were released into the
effluent. Therefore, about 93% of total organic
carbon are either accumulated or removed within
the system.
ORP distribution in underlying soil bed and its
relationship with gas emission
ORP can be divided into three levels, i.e. an
ORP > 200 mV represents a totally aerobic status; an
ORP in the -100-200 mV range is indicative of a mix
of anaerobic and aerobic status; an ORP < -100 mV
represents a totally anaerobic status [10, 11]. As
shown in Figure 4, the area with ORP < -100 mV
were mainly located bottom in the both systems. No
strict aerobic areas were located in any system. Even at
the surface of both wetlands a mix of anaerobic and
aerobic status were present. CH4 emission showed a
clear relationship to distribution of the ORP < -100
mV region. Approximately 75% of the total CH4
emission was generated in the first 2 m of the wetland.
In system B the ORP values of depth between 0-30 cm
from surface was greater than system A. Thus low CH4
emission was recorded in system B as compared to
system A.

-400--200 -200-0 0-200 200-400 -400--200 -200-0 0-200 200-400

0 0
A B
15 15
Depth from
30 30 surface (cm)

45 45

60
0.5 2.5 5.5 0.5 2.5 5.560
Distance from inflow (m) Distance from inflow (m)

Figure 4 ORP distribution inside the Constructed Wetland (A: system A; B: system B)
Thai Environmental Engineering Journal Vol. 22 No. 3 (2008)
Conclusions
According to the experimental results
obtained, the following conclusions can be drawn.
1. Using close-flux chamber technique,
CH4 and CO2 emission from constructed wetland
were found in the range between ND to 0.732
g/m2.d and 0.096-3.266 g/m2.d respectively. The
emission of both gases was higher during the
warmer months.
2. Higher emission was noted in inlet
zone and it was decreasing along the flow path. The
variation of CH4 was higher than CO2. The emission
in non-re-circulating constructed wetland was
higher than the system with re-circulation of treated
water. Diurnal variation showed that the emissions
of CH4 and CO2 increased during night time. The
increase was 10-20% for CH4 and 30-80% for CO2.
N2O emission was not detected at ppm level.
3. The constructed wetland operated at
hydraulic loading rate of 28 mm/d and HRT of 5 days
had BOD, COD and TKN removal efficiencies of 97,
98 and 40% during steady state condition. Both
aerobic and anaerobic conditions prevailed in most
underlying bed area and it affected the greenhouse gas
emission from the system.
Acknowledgements
The study was financially supported by the
Swedish International Cooperation Development
35
Agency (SIDA). This research is conducted as a
part of Asian Regional Research Program on
Environmental Technology.
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