ИСТИНА

The current study aims to develop eco-friendly technologies in wastewater treatment from heavy metal pollution by applying engineering facilities such as constructed wetlands. The distinctive features of this work are the investigations of the efficacy of different variants of constructed wetlands for water purification from Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions; namely different plant species (Typha gracilis and Iris pseudacorus) and types of their planting, the use of artificial roots made of variously shaped carbon fiber as well as the introduction of microorganisms were thoroughly studied. It was discovered that purification from Pb2+ ions using selected plants is five times as intensive as from Cd2+ ones. In spring, Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions exert some positive effect on plant growth and development, in autumn and winter, they inhibit plant growth and result in their demise. The decisive role of the plants’ root system in the water treatment and the positive impact of “brush”-shaped carbon fiber was also shown. The latter result seems to be due to the larger surface area of this fiber type compared to the “ladder”-shaped one. It was also found that the surface area of carbon fiber is more significant than its weight. The expressed microbiological benefits were not confirmed.