Removal of chlorpyrifos and its hydrolytic metabolite in microcosm-scale constructed wetlands under soda saline-alkaline condition: Mass balance and intensification strategies

Highlights: • Main fates of CP in SSBCWs were alkaline hydrolysis and microbial degradation. • Ferric-carbon amendment increased 35% CP removal and reduced ~70% TCP concentration during day 1–4. • Addition of liquid microbial agent shortened HRT from over 8 d to 4 d for thorough degradation of TCP. • Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas in liquid microbial agent can adapt to environment with CP and SSA. Chlorpyrifos (CP) is a typical organophosphorus insecticide, which poses serious threats to the natural environment and human health. Strategies for the fast elimination of CP and its toxic hydrolytic metabolite 3,5,6-trichloro-2(1H)-pyridianol (TCP) in drainage water are urgently needed. The fate of CP and TCP in microcosm-scale subsurface batch constructed wetlands (SSBCWs) was quantified with different macrophyte species under soda saline-alkaline (SSA) condition and effective intensification strategies were developed. The macrophyte species Canna indica outperformed Phragmites australis and Typha orientalis for CP and TCP removal in SSBCWs. Mass balance calculation indicates the fate of CP in SSBCWs was residue in water (≤8%), alkaline hydrolysis (18.93–57.42%), microbial degradation (37.75–61.91%), substrate adsorption (~4–14%), and macrophyte uptake (≤3%). The addition of ferric-carbon (Fe-C) as a substrate amendment in SSBCWs increased the CP removal percentage by 35% and reduced the effluent TCP concentration by ~70% during Day 1–4 on average compared with the unintensified control. Fe-C addition simplified the microbial community diversity, while increasing the relative abundance of Proteobacteria which tolerates the microelectrolytic environment. A single application of liquid microbial agent improved CP removal percentage by 84% and decreased the effluent TCP concentration by two orders of magnitude during Day 1–4. The hydraulic retention time for thorough removal of TCP reduced from over 8 d to 4 d. Although only two dominant microbial genera (i.e., Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas) adapted to the environment with CP and SSA, they accelerated CP and TCP degradation via their own metabolism and co-metabolism with other indigenous microorganisms.