From 30 years of experience to the next generation of Constructed Wetlands.

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new scientific article in the Chemical Engineering Journal, developed in close collaboration between Dr. Yamini Mittal (Indo-German Postdoctoral Fellow in the J&S team) and the J&S Engineering Team.

The study is based on a pilot-scale electroactive constructed wetland that was designed, built, and operated at one of our long-standing client sites—where a conventional constructed wetland has already been successfully in operation. This allowed the new technology to be tested under real wastewater conditions, embedded within an existing and proven nature-based treatment concept.

What is it about?

The published study investigates an innovative design of an electroactive constructed wetland (EAW) that combines conventional Constructed Wetlands with strategically integrated conductive elements. Instead of filling the entire filter bed with costly conductive materials, the system uses thin conductive layers in key treatment zones as well as vertical conductive channels to enhance electron transfer within the system.

Tested over a full year at pilot scale using real domestic wastewater, the system demonstrated significantly higher removal performance for organic matter and nutrients compared to a conventional constructed wetland—while simultaneously reducing material use and land requirements.

The results confirm that electroactive constructed wetlands are technically robust and economically feasible for practical application.

Key findings of the study

Higher treatment performance

• The electroactive configuration showed consistently higher removal rates for COD, ammonium, and phosphate compared to a conventional vertical flow constructed wetland.

• Improved performance was observed across all seasons—including winter operation.

• Notably, higher nutrient removal was achieved even with lower plant biomass. This indicates that enhanced electron transfer plays a decisive role beyond simple nutrient uptake by plants.

Reduced land requirements

• By accelerating biological and electrochemical processes, electroactive systems can achieve comparable—or even superior—treatment performance on significantly smaller areas.

• This directly addresses one of the key challenges of conventional constructed wetlands: land availability—particularly in urban areas.

Intelligent use of conductive materials

• The innovative concept of conductive channels avoids fully conductive filter beds.

• Compared to fully conductive systems, the design reduces the need for conductive materials by nearly 90%—making the technology significantly more economical and scalable.

Innovation built on 30 years of experience

For more than 30 years, we have been designing, building, and maintaining constructed wetlands. These systems have proven their reliability, robustness, and ecological quality in numerous real-world applications.

This new publication demonstrates how established nature-based solutions can be further developed through targeted innovation and scientific collaboration.

You can access the full article free of charge for the next 50 days here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894726012878?dgcid=author

If you experience any difficulties accessing the article, please contact us—we will be happy to send it to you directly.

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