CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS FOR TREATMENT OF LANDFILL LEACHATE – EXPERIENCES FROM SWEDEN AND NORWAY / Konstruerade våtmarker för behandling av lakvatten – erfarenheter fran Sverige och Norge
Constructed wetland systems have attracted attention as suitable methods to treat landfill leachate. Experiences are promising in several European countries and in the North America, but Swedish experiences are limited so far. There is an interest for this solution also in Sweden and a number of constructed systems have recently been established. The aim with this paper was therefore to compile experiences from some Swedish landfill sites and compare with Norwegian experiences; especially with regard to the design parameters filter materials and wet-land species. Three Swedish and two Norwegian systems for leachate treatment were investigated. The results show that different filter materials have been used with varying results. The most common wetland species is Phragmites australis, adapted for plantation in leachate wetlands and the prevailing climate conditions. Further, the results show that Norwegian constructed wetland systems for treatment of landfill have performed well, especially during high-temperature periods, indicating that constructed wetland systems also should be an adequate solution in Sweden. Further research is however needed to increase the knowledge and to demonstrate the technique.