Author(s)

Yaxi Du

Corresponding Author

Yaxi Du

Abstract

Understanding the sources and the impacts of agricultural non-point source pollution (NPSP) will be essential to implementing more sustainable practices and systems. Constructed wetlands have become a popular topic in mitigating NPSP, especially the removal of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This review examined the performance of constructed wetlands in N and P removals through various published peer-reviewed articles. The performance of constructed wetlands in removing pollutants varies among different countries. The N and P removal mechanisms were also discussed in this article, such as the denitrification and P adsorption processes. Additionally, this paper explored the impact factors influencing the performance of constructed wetlands, including temperature, hydraulic residence time, vegetation, and input concentrations. In general, constructed wetlands would be more effective in regions with higher temperatures and vegetation with larger root biomass. Future studies should focus more on improving the performance of constructed wetlands in colder areas, and other more detailed parameters, such as specific beneficial microorganisms, should be researched.

Keywords

Agricultural non-point source pollution, NPSP, constructed wetlands, nitrogen, phosphorus