Browsing by Author "Arévalo Durazno, María Belén"

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Evaluación de la planta de depuración de agua residual que sirve a la parroquia Tarqui, cantón Cuenca, provincia del Azuay
(2010) Arévalo Durazno, María Belén; Morocho Soria, Paúl Fernando; Novillo Alulema, Patricia Elizabeth; Ordóñez Espinosa, Galo
Modified First Stage of French Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands performance during extreme operation conditions
(INRAE, INSA, 2022) Arévalo Durazno, María Belén; García Zumalacarregui, Jorge Alejandro; Ho, Long; Narváez, Andrea; Alvarado, Andrés
This study applied two Modified First Stage of French Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands pilots for the treatment of sewage coming from a combined sewer system under extreme hydraulic loads and medium temperatures at high altitude. Particularly, the pilot-scale experiment was conducted within nine months after their start-up period of four months. During this period, two different high hydraulic loading rates (0.94 m d-1 and 0.56 m d-1) representing 2.5 and 1.5 times the design values respectively, were applied to investigate the impact of HLRs on the performance of the treatment system. The observed performances for COD and TSS removals were satisfactory, with average values of 53% and 66% respectively. Moreover, reducing the HLR resulted in higher removal efficiency for COD (from 46% to 64%) but not for TSS (from 67% to 64%). From these findings, it is suggested that high HLRs can be applied for the First Stage of the French System without compromising the operation of the units and obtaining satisfactory results, especially in case of diluted wastewater and severe area restrictions.
Towards an efficient and functional design of constructed wetlands systems for wastewater and sludge treatment in high altitude tropical regions
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2024-09-05) Arévalo Durazno, María Belén; Alvarado Martínez, Andrés Omar
The treatment of wastewater and sludge through decentralised natural systems, such as the French System, represents a sustainable and effective strategy. This system uses two stages of vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) to treat raw wastewater, eliminating sludge generation. Despite its extensive use in France, its application in Latin America, particularly in high-altitude Andean regions, has been limited. The main objective of this thesis was to investigate the feasibility of applying the French System for the treatment of domestic wastewater and septic sludge under the climatic conditions of the Andean Region, at 2500 meters above sea level, through a pilot study in Cuenca, Ecuador. Results showed that VFCWs can continuously handle extreme hydraulic loads of diluted wastewater, with proper feeding and resting periods, reducing the required treatment area and minimizing sludge accumulation. It was also determined that septic tanks remain common in both urban and rural areas, making the treatment of fecal sludge necessary. By using VFCWs for this type of sludge, it was observed that the use of multiple beds allows for adequate treatment, and that retaining the percolate for seven days significantly improves the removal of COD and TS without increasing the treatment area. The French System shows great potential for use in areas with climates similar to the Andean region for the treatment of domestic wastewater and septic sludge.