Humedales construidos: una alternativa para el manejo de la polución

Abstract

Municipal wastewaters and urban and agricultural runoffs are important factors of natural waters pollution in Buenos Aires province. The use of constructed wetlands for wastewaters treatment is now a proven and accepted low cost technology, able to improve the quality of great volumes of water. They are used in a wide range of sizes, until 15.000 ha treating 75.000 m3.d-1. The analysis of 159 case studies, ranging from 0.2 to 500 Ha used for wastewater treatment or maturation, conclude that loads of 0.7 – 5 cm. d-1; areas of 2 – 14 ha.1000m-3.d-1 or 5 – 35 m2. pe-1, can improve water quality to almost that of the natural waters of the region. The range width refers to the previous treatment. The use of these recommended loads do not affect wetland’s community structure but improve its capacity to hold wild life and biodiversity. In Buenos Aires province there are many examples of polluted water bodies close to natural wetlands potentially useful to avoid those damages. A few cases are analizad.