Heterotrophic bacterial activities and treatment performance of surface flow constructed wetlands receiving woodwaste leachate.

Heterotrophic activities were investigated by measuring 3H-leucine incorporation to bacterial protein and 14C-glucose turnover in surface flow constructed wetlands receiving woodwaste leachate. No significant longitudinal variation was found in heterotrophic activities of bacterioplankton. An open wetland, a vegetated wetland, and a fertilized vegetated wetland were used to examine the effects of vegetation and ammonium nitrate amendment. There was not a significant difference in treatment performance among the three wetlands, except for a significant pH increase and more efficient volatile fatty acids removal in the fertilized wetland. The fertilized wetland had the highest leucine incorporation rate and shortest glucose turnover time accompanied by the lowest glucose mineralization percentage, followed by the open wetland, then the vegetated wetland. Planktonic and sedimentary bacteria contributed to the majority of the total heterotrophic activities; epiphytic bacteria played a minor role. Heterotrophic activities were influenced by the availability of nutrient, electron acceptor, and organic substrate.