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Articles | Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology | Volume 4 - Issue 1 - 2026 | 11−19 | https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v4i1.991
© 2026 by the author(s), and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License

Comparison of Piggery Wastewater Treatment after the Biogas Process by Cyperus alternifolius and Ipomoea aquatica in a Vertical Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland System in Vietnam

Author(s): Bui Thi Van Nga , Chao Rong ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9813-6693
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East Asia University of Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam

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Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology

Volume 4 - Issue 1 - 2026

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Vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands (VSF CWs) have been widely applied as an eco-friendly solution for treating livestock wastewater. This study compared the treatment performance of Cyperus alternifolius and Ipomoea aquatica planted in VSF CWs treating piggery wastewater after biogas digestion. Two laboratory-scale VSF CW systems (50 × 50 × 50 cm) with identical media configuration and operational conditions were operated in an intermittent mode with a hydraulic retention time of 3 days over 20 treatment cycles. The VSF CW planted with C. alternifolius consistently exhibited higher removal efficiencies for all monitored parameters compared with the system planted with I. aquatica (p < 0.05). The average removal efficiencies of the papyrus-based system reached 74.2 ± 3.1% for COD, 85.8 ± 3.4% for TSS, 70.9 ± 4.1% for TN, 75.1 ± 5.5% for NH₄⁺–N, and 64.7 ± 7.9% for TP, with most effluent concentrations complying with the Vietnamese discharge standard QCVN 62:2025/BTNMT (Column B). In contrast, the VSF CW planted with water spinach achieved lower treatment efficiencies, with average removal rates of 53.9 ± 2.6% for COD, 80.5 ± 5.6% for TSS, 54.6 ± 5.6% for TN, 57.0 ± 8.6% for NH₄⁺–N, and 44.5 ± 13.1% for TP, and did not consistently meet discharge limits for nitrogen and phosphorus.

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SUBMITTED: 09 January 2026
ACCEPTED: 16 February 2026
PUBLISHED: 25 February 2026
SUBMITTED to ACCEPTED: 38 days
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v4i1.991

Cite this article
Nga, B. T. V. ., & Rong, C. . (2026). Comparison of Piggery Wastewater Treatment after the Biogas Process by Cyperus alternifolius and Ipomoea aquatica in a Vertical Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland System in Vietnam. Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology, 4(1), 11−19. https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v4i1.991
Keywords
Vertical subsurface flow constructed wetlands Cyperus alternifolius Ipomoea aquatica piggery wastewater Vietnam
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