Natural wastewater treatment technology of Western students

Optimizing agricultural production

Recently, Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, a third-year student majoring in Natural Resources and Environment Management at Tra Vinh University, shared with more than 40 lecturers and students at Saxion University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands) about the wastewater treatment technology she is researching.

Kim Anh's research is based on the wetland model system in the treatment of various types of wastewater being studied at Tra Vinh University. This model focuses on the ability to utilize water resources, optimize agricultural production in the context of climate change and protect the environment. Especially in terms of practical application. Kim Anh's solution attracts the attention of Dutch lecturers and students, demonstrating the applicability of this model in Vietnam and European countries.

Nguyen Thi Kim Anh shares her wastewater treatment technology with lecturers and students of Saxion University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands).

According to Kim Anh, the constructed wetlands model is considered an environmentally friendly solution in treating many different types of wastewater. This model does not use artificial filtration systems or industrial products, but only relies on the natural mechanisms of microorganisms, plant roots, and layers of soil and gravel - similar to wetlands, helping to effectively remove organic pollutants.

Domestic wastewater or wastewater is directed through a multi-layered system of sand, gravel, and wetlands planted with aquatic plants. Here, microorganisms and plant roots will treat the pollutants, before the water is used for purposes such as irrigation, landscape improvement, or replenishment of the reuse water storage system. This model can be flexibly applied to many types of wastewater, from domestic, aquaculture, industrial, to surface water - with the design conditions suitable for the characteristics of the water source.

Kim Anh analyzes water samples in the laboratory.

However, it is necessary to design appropriately for each type of wastewater to optimize treatment efficiency. “This system aims to treat wastewater into a standard water source before discharging it into the environment, and can be reused for many different purposes, contributing to improving the landscape and biodiversity. In particular, this system is highly effective in removing organic pollutants, easy to apply and has low investment and operating costs,” Kim Anh shared.

In principle, the wetland system for treating domestic wastewater and reusing it for agriculture from wastewater is led into a holding tank, where part of the solid waste and impurities settle to the bottom. Then, the wastewater is transferred to the wetland system. Here, the water is retained for at least 4 days, allowing microorganisms and plant roots to process harmful pollutants. After the treatment process, the water is used for irrigation in agriculture.

In some systems, when the inlet water quality is too poor, an additional filtration system will be installed after the wetland system to ensure that the outlet water meets the required standards. This system is suitable for rural areas with large areas of land, sun-loving plants, and drought-tolerant plants.

Check out the BluElephant wastewater treatment system

Promote green agriculture

Dr. Tran Thi Ngoc Bich - Deputy Director of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (Tra Vinh University) commented that Kim Anh's wastewater treatment system focuses on developing models for treating and reusing water from many different sources, such as domestic wastewater, surface water, rainwater to convert into agricultural irrigation water or drinking water. At the same time, the solution flexibly combines advanced technologies in the world and natural-based solutions such as wetland systems, creating effective, sustainable models suitable for rural conditions.

Kim Anh had the opportunity to visit and discuss the technical operation of the wastewater treatment system - BluElephant (version 2) in practical application in the Netherlands.

"Kim Anh is pursuing a project that is not only highly practical, but also contributes to strongly inspiring young people in protecting water resources, promoting green agriculture, reducing emissions and moving towards a circular economy," commented Dr. Ngoc Bich.