Impact of sand media continuous drying and rewetting cyclic on nutrients transformation performance from reclaimed wastewater effluent at soil aquifer treatment

Abstract Reusing reclaimed wastewater became a practical resource for water utilization in groundwater recharge and irrigation activities. However, the quality of reclaimed wastewater needs improvement to meet the environmental regulations and reduce contamination risks. A laboratory-scale study simulated a soil aquifer treatment (SAT) system, exploring the synergistic effects of wet and dry cycles alongside key physicochemical parameters on pollutant removal efficiency using a glass column filled with quartz sand as the filtration medium. The investigation focused on the cyclic wetting and drying phases to unravel their impact on removing NH4 +, NO3 −, and PO4 3−. The synthetic wastewater introduced into the system exhibited varying pollutant concentrations during wet and dry periods, influenced by dynamic soil water content (WC%), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and oxidation–reduction potential (ORP). The high removal rates of 93% for PO4 3− and 43% for Total N2 demonstrate the system’s capability to reduce concentrations significantly under dynamic alternating between wet and dry conditions. Results unveiled that the wet period consistently yielded higher removal rates for N2 species. Interestingly, for PO4 3−, the dry periods demonstrated a higher removal efficiency. Moreover, the study identified an average NO3 − production during the experimental phases as a byproduct of nitrification. The average NO3 − production in wet periods was 2.5 mg/L, whereas it slightly decreased to 2.2 mg/L in dry periods. These findings underscore the nuanced influence of wet and dry conditions on specific pollutants within SAT systems. Applying the logistic regression model and principal component analysis demonstrated the statistical significance of WC, pH, DO, and ORP in predicting wet/dry conditions, providing quantitative insights into their influential roles on the nutrient dynamic concentrations. This study contributes valuable data to our understanding of SAT systems, offering practical implications for designing and implementing sustainable wastewater treatment practices and pollution management across diverse environmental contexts.