Kinetics of phosporus removal from laundry wastewater in constructed wetlands with Equisetum hymale

The objective of this study was to determine the capacity, process, and kinetics of phosphorus (PO₄-P) nutrients pollutant removal in constructed wetlands with Equisetum hymale plants. This research was conducted by using a batch system constructed wetlands with detention time variation of 1-5 days and using gravel, sand, and soil as the media. The laundry wastewater used for this research was collected from commercial activity in Surabaya city. The results of this research showed that the removal efficiency of PO₄-P using the constructed wetlands with Equisetum hymale was between the range of 95.49-99.43%. The removal process was done by screening-adsorption, and the sedimentation mechanisms from the media, and the biosorpsion by the plants was shown by the increasing content of PO₄-P in soil and plants, which amounted to 14.80% and 9.23% respectively. The removal kinetics of PO₄-P was according to the second-order model with value of R2 = 0.99.