Fuzzy Modeling for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal Estimation in Free-Water Surface Constructed Wetlands

摘要

Modeling nutrient behavior and estimating nutrient removal in constructed wetland systems appears essential for their effective design and operation. In this work, a fuzzy logic model has been developed and applied to predict nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency in free-water surface (FWS) constructed wetlands (CWs). Fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic models have been widely used to model uncertainty when applied to complex systems and phenomena, not easily described by traditional mathematics. In order to develop and validate a fuzzy-logic model, experimental data regarding nitrogen and phosphorus removal obtained from a two-year experiment were used. Predicted values (model) fitted well the experimental data, and this also applied for independent data from several other CWs with different design and operating conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that this methodology constitutes a satisfactory modeling tool for nitrogen and phosphorus removal estimation in free-water surface constructed wetlands.