16th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology

Rhodes, Greece, 4 to 7 September 2019

Treatment of Slaughterhouse Wastewater Utilizing Cogon

Grass (Imperata cylindrica) in a Subsurface Flow System
Constructed Wetland in Zamboanga City, Philippines
Flores R.1, Adil J.2,*
1
ADECO, King Abdulaziz Road, Al Jasmin District, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2
Western Mindanao State University, Normal Road, Zamboanga City, Philippines

*corresponding author: Jihan H. Adil: e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract vegetation, (4) liner, and (5) inlet/outlet arrangement

Natural treatment systems are gaining preference as a system. Subsurface flow constructed wetlands are designed to allow
wastewater treatment option since it is a form of wastewater to flow through the substrate, and is discharged
ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change. The out of the basin via a structure which controls the depth of
study investigated the performance of a laboratory scale the wastewater in the wetland (UNHSP, 2008). Meat
horizontal, subsurface flow constructed wetland establishments are major contributors to pollution in the
(SSFCW) planted with cogon grass (Imperata bodies of water in the Philippines (NMIS, 2016). The
cylindrica) in reducing the pollutant concentration of application of constructed wetlands as a technology for
slaughterhouse wastewater in Zamboanga City, wastewater treatment has significantly expanded to
Philippines. Results showed that the mean efficiency of treatment of industrial waastewaters, including
BOD5 removal at seven (7) and 14 days detention time abbatoirs (Skrzypiec and Gajewska, 2017). This
were 94.49 percent and 89.31 percent, respectively; research evaluated the efficiency of a horizontal,
while the average TSS removal efficiency were 97.8 SSFCW is reducing the five-day biochemical oxygen
percent and 99.9 percent, respectively. Statistical demand (BOD5) and total suspended solids (TSS)
analysis of the BOD5 removal efficiencies revealed concentration of pretreated slaughterhouse wastewater
significant difference; which means that higher BOD5 planted with cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), a water-
removal is achieved at seven (7) days detention time. tolerant grass with various uses that is commonly found
Analysis of the TSS removal efficiencies likewise in natural wetlands in Zamboanga City, Philippines, at
revealed a significant difference, proving that longer seven (7) days and 14 days detention time.
detention time results in higher suspended solids
removal. Therefore horizontal, SSFCW planted with 2. Methods
cogon grass can be used to treat slaughterhouse
wastewater at seven (7) days detention time. A pilot Laboratory-scale experimental set-up was constructed
study is recommended to validate laboratory-scale for a locally sourced slaughterhouse wastewater,
finding. Future reseach should also investigate the pretreated though screening and settling. The influent
performance of horizontal, SSFCW using other had an average raw BOD5 concentration of 2000 ppm.
wastewater sources, different parameters, other endemic The theoretical design parameters adopted were as
hydrophytic grasses, and to consider meteorological and follows: detentiont time of one (1) week and two (2)
climatological factors. weeks; organic loading rate of 100 kilograms per
Keywords: Constructed wetlands; Slaughterhouse hectare per day, hydraulic loading rate of 750 cubic
Wastewater; Environmental Engineering; Ecosystem- meters per hectare per day, and basin slope of 2 percent
based Adaptation; Natural Wastewater Treatment (Tchobanoglous, 1991). Selected cogon grass
(Imperata cylindrica) plantlets of 50 to 60 centimeters
1. Introduction height were planted into the sandy soil subrate with
Ecosystems have natural self-purification capacities gravel base at intial plant depth of 40 centimeters and
which have been modelled in order to make possible the spacing of 22 centimeters by 22 centimetrs, and allowed
creation of artificial (man-made) systems that optimize to grow for a week with constant feeding of tap water
the natural phycial and biochemical processes to treat prior to introduction of wastewater. The actual
wastewater. Constructed wetlands fit into this category; wastewater application rate was 317 liters weekly. The
which are shallow basins filled with some sort of filter experimentation period was 6 weeks. Influent samples
material (substrate), usually sand or gravel, and planted were taken prior to allowing it to enter the experimental
with vegetation tolerant of saturated conditions. A set-up. Effluent samples were collected every seven (7)
constructed wetland comprises of the following five days and 14 days prior to draining the experimental set-
major components: (1) basin, (2) substrate, (3) up to receive the next batch of wastewater. The actual

CEST2019_00679
configuration of the experimental cell is illustrated in performance of the wetland; i.e., lower efficiency is
Figures 1 and 2, respectively. achieved at higher BOD5 loading.

3.2 Efficiency of TSS Removal

The TSS removal in the horizontal, SSFCW planted
with cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) is reflected in
Table 2.
Table 2. Influent and effluents TSS results
Effluents
Seven days Fourteen days
Influent detention timedetention time
Test Number (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)
Figure 1. Longitudinal view of the experimental set-up.
1 365 18 1.0
2 395 2.5 0
3 192 2 0
Total 1712 22.5 1
Mean 856 11.25 0.5

Results revealed that the average TSS removal

efficiency of the horizontal, SSFCW was 97.8 percent
and 99.9 percent, respectively at seven (7) days and 14
days deterntion time. Analysis of the TSS removal
efficiencies likewise revealed a significant difference,
proving that longer detention time results in higher
Figure 2. Top view of the experimental set-up suspended solids removal.

3. Results and Discussions 4. Conclusions and Recommendations

3.1 Efficiency of BOD5 Removal Horizontal, SSFCW planted with cogon grass (Imperata
cylindrica) can be used to treat slaughterhouse
Table 1 summarizes the performance of the horizontal, wastewater at seven (7) days detention time. Its
SSFCW planted with cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) performance exceeds the average efficiency of
in terms of BOD5 removal. cosntructed wetlands reported by Ulsido (2014). Pilot
Table 1. Influent and effluents BOD5 results study should be conducted. Future studies should also
evaluate its performance using other wastewater
Effluent sources, different parameters, other endemic
Seven days Fourteen days hydrophytic grasses, and to consider meteorological and
Influent detention time detention time climatological factors in the design.
Test Number (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)
1 1098 98 232 References
2 2680 87 106 Tchobanoglous G. (1991). Wastewater Engineering:
Treatment, Disposal and Reuse (3rd Edition). Metcalf &
3 2552 111 178
Eddy, Inc., McGraw Hill.
Total 6330 296 516 National Meat Inspection Service (2016, February). NMIS
Mean 2110 98.67 172 sets-up environmental plan for slaughterhouses. Retrieved
from http://nmis.gov.ph/index.php/press-releases-main/
Results showed that the mean efficiency of BOD5 348-2016-news-articles/2016-february-news/1091-nmis-
removal at seven (7) and 14 days detention time were sets-up-environmental-plan-for-slaughterhouses
94.49 percent and 89.31 percent, respectively. Skrzypiec K. and Gajewska M.H. (2017). The use of
Statistical analysis of the BOD5 removal efficiency constructed wetlands for the treatment of industrial
revealed significant difference; which means that higher wastewater. Journal of Water and Land Development. No.
34 p. 233–240. DOI: 10.1515/jwld-2017-0058
BOD5 removal is achieved at seven (7) days detention Ulsido M. (2014). Performance evaluation of constructed
time as compared to 14 days detention time. This can be wetlands: A review of aird and semi-arid climatic region.
attributed to the anaerobic conditions that develop in the Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/23434478/
substrate and to the worms in the substrate that flow out African_Journal_of_Environmental_Science_and_Techno
with the effluent. The presence of worms can be logy_Performance_evaluation_of_constructed_wetlands_
attributed to the slime layer in the wetland substrate A_review_of_arid_and_semi_arid_climatic_region
UN-HABITAT (2008). Constructed Wetlands Manual. UN-
which are significantly consumed or decomposed when
HABITAT Water for Asian Cities Programme Nepal,
the set-up is drained prior to the next feeding. Likewise, Kathmandu. Retrieved from
it will be noted that organic loading affects the https://unhabitat.org/books/constructed-wetlands-manual/

CEST2019_00679