[en] Constructed wetlands (CWs) technology is an established green multi-purpose option for water management and wastewater (WW) treatment, with numerous effectively proven applications around the world and multiple environmental and economic advantages. Their adaptability and low operation and maintenance (O&M) requirements make them a sustainable and cost-effective choice for various WW treatment applications. CWs have been widely applied for over 50 years, initially for municipal wastewater and later for industrial and agricultural wastewater, livestock farm effluent, landfill leachate, and stormwater runoff. Industrial wastewater often requires pre-treatment due to its distinct composition. The introduction of oxygen in CWs, known as aerated CWs, enhances treatment efficiency, especially for nitrification and denitrification processes. These systems can be operated intermittently to improve total nitrogen removal. Aeration strategies can vary in intensity, making aerated CWs flexible and effective in removing nitrogen and organic matter. The primary objective of this thesis is to investigate and optimise various factors affecting WW treatment in aerated CWs, encompassing urban and industrial WW, with the aim of enhancing the design parameters and future implementation of these systems. Additionally, the thesis seeks to evaluate the feasibility of employing the hydrolitc upflow sludge blanket (HUSB) reactor followed by CWs configuration for treating diverse sources of WW, including urban, food industry, and winery WW, and to assess the impact of design and operational parameters on treatment efficiency. Research findings are intended to enhance the understanding of guidelines for CWs design, operation, and maintenance. Being carried out at outdoors pilot and full scale systems, the study spans several years and focuses on crucial factors such as unit performance, phosphorus removal, HUSB reactor for pre-treatment to prevent clogging risks in CWs, the influence of bed depth in aerated CWs, and treatment efficiency. This research holds significant relevance in improving the design of efficient and cost-effective aerated CWs systems. It addresses the need for a better understanding of the internal processes involved in these systems and seeks to provide valuable performance data and information to guide the design and operation of aerated CWs.

[gl] A tecnoloxía de humedais artificiais (CWs) é unha opción ecolóxica polivalente para a xestión da auga e o tratamento das augas residuais, con numerosas aplicacións probadas en todo o mundo e múltiples ventaxas medioambientais e económicas. A súa adaptabilidade e os seus reducidos requisitos de operación e mantemento convértenos nunha opción sostible e rendible para diversas aplicacións de tratamento de augas residuais. As plantas de tratamento de augas levan máis de 50 anos aplicándose de forma xeneralizada, inicialmente ás augas residuais municipais e máis tarde aos efluentes industriais, as augas residuais agrícolas, os efluentes de explotacións gandeiras, os lixiviados de entulleira e as augas pluviais de escorrentía. As augas residuais industriais adoitan requirir pretratamiento debido á súa distinta composición. A introdución de osíxeno nas CW, coñecidas como CW aireadas, mellora a eficacia do tratamento, especialmente nos procesos de nitrificación e desnitrificación. Estes sistemas poden funcionar de forma intermitente para mellorar a eliminación total de nitróxeno. As estratexias de aireación poden variar en intensidade, facendo que os CWs aireados sexan flexibles e efectivos na eliminación de nitróxeno e materia orgánica. O obxectivo principal desta tese é investigar e optimizar diversos factores que afectan o tratamento de augas residuais en CWs aireadas, abarcando as augas residuais urbanas e industriais, co fin de mellorar os parámetros de deseño e a futura implementación destes sistemas. Ademais, a tese pretende avaliar a viabilidade de empregar a configuración híbrida do reactor de manto de lodos de fluxo ascendente (HUSB) seguida de CWs para tratar diversas fontes de WW, incluíndo WW urbanas, da industria alimentaria e de adegas, e avaliar o impacto dos parámetros de deseño e operación na eficiencia do tratamento. Os resultados da investigación pretenden mellorar a comprensión das directrices para o deseño, funcionamento e mantemento dos CW. O estudo abarca varios anos e céntrase en factores cruciais como o rendemento da unidade, a eliminación de fósforo, o reactor HUSB para o pretratamiento co fin de previr os riscos de obstrución nas CW, a influencia da profundidade do leito nas CW aireadas e a eficiencia do tratamento. Esta investigación é de gran relevancia para mellorar o deseño de sistemas de CWs aireados eficientes e rendibles. Aborda a necesidade dunha mellor comprensión dos procesos internos implicados nestes sistemas e trata de proporcionar valiosos datos de rendemento e información para guiar o deseño e o funcionamento dos CW aireados.