Treatment of swine wastewater in constructed wetlands cultivated with Tangola grass

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of constructed wetlands (CWS) cultivated with Tangola grass ( Urochloa purpuracens and Urochloa arrecta ) in the treatment of wastewater from pig farming. The CWS were subjected to an organic loading rate of 300 kg of BOD/(ha·day) from swine wastewater. We analyzed total solids, turbidity, color, total Kjeldahl N, and total P in the influent and effluent to the CWS every 30 days for a duration of 4 months. The whole plot factor was vegetation (CWS with and without Tangola grass). The subplot factor was assessment time (15, 45, 75, and 105 days of CWS operation). There was no statistical difference between CWS with and without in terms of the removal efficiency. After 105 days, average removals of 90–95% turbidity, 79–80% total solids, 76–82% color, 42–70% total Kjeldahl N, and 51–63% total P were obtained in all CWS. While Tangola grass did not enhance the removal efficiency of the parameters assessed in this study, it may be harvested to provide fodder for animals, making it a valuable addition to CWS.