This study evaluated the ecotoxicological properties of livestock waste water treated by a LID (Low Impact Development) system, using a mixture of bio-reeds and bio-ceramics as suitable bed media for a subsequent treatment process of a livestock wastewater treatment plant. The relationship between the pollutant reduction rate and the ecotoxicity was analyzed with the effluents from the inlet pilot plant, with vegetated swale and wetlands and the batch type of an infiltration trench. Each pilot plant consisted of a bio process using bio-reeds and bioceramics as bed media, as well as a general process using general reeds and a bed as a control group. The results indicated that, after applying the HRT 24 hour LID method, the ecotoxicity was considerably lowered and the batch type pilot plant was shown to be effective for toxicity reduction. The LID method is expected to be effective for water quality management, considering ecotoxicity by not only as a nonpoint source pollution abatement facility but also, as a subsequent treatment process linked with a livestock manure purification facility. It is necessary to take the LID technic optimization study further to apply it as a subsequent process for livestock wastewater treatment.
Recently, a low-impact development (LID) technic such as a wetland has been proposed as a Nature-friendly process for reducing pollutants caused by livestock wastewater. Therefore, the Daphnia magna toxicity was analyzed for livestock wastewater samples, to determine if a wetland system would also be effective in reducing this ecotoxicity. In the present study, acute D. magna toxicity was not significantly dependent on the presence and type of reed, nor type of media. However, when treated with construction wetlands, ecotoxicities decreased as well as TN, TP and COD concentrations. Therefore, it is considered that a construction wetland system with bio reeds and bio-media as well as general reeds would be effective to reduce the ecotoxicity of livestock wastewater. To apply a wetland system as the subsequent treatment process to a livestock waste water treatment facility, it is necessary to perform an integrated evaluation such as treatment efficiency and the ecotoxicity test for various characteristics of livestock wastewater.
This study developed an up-flow wetland providing either an eco-friendly follow-up process of medium-sized public treatment facility for livestock manure or a non-point source pollution controller near livestock farms. The four bench-scale up-flow wetlands were operated with four different bed media sets. The removal efficiencies of the wetland effluent for CODCr, TN, TP, SS were 35.2 %, 29.5 %, 31.2 % and 52.2 % for set 1(Blank, without reed, with bio-ceramic), 40.6 %, 43.4 %, 42.2 % and 55.4 % for set 2(with bio-reed&without bio-ceramic), 45.2 %, 48.7 %, 46.6 % and 66.3 % for set 3(with bio-reed&bio-ceramic), 32.9 %, 27.3 %, 29.3 % and 54.1 % for Set 4(with reed&bio ceramic), respectively. The set 3 condition having a mixture of bio-reed and bio-ceramic showed the highest efficiency in the bench-scale evaluation. This study suggests a mixture of bio-reed and bio-ceramic as suitable bed media in the construction of artificial wetlands near livestock farms. Soils including the bed media were monitored during the evaluation for trace elements. Soil analysis results were satisfied with the Korean Soil Contamination Standard. This study showed that the up-flow constructed wetland was feasible to treat the effluent livestock wastewater treatment facility.