A review on the removal of heavy metals and metalloids by constructed wetlands: bibliometric, removal pathways, and key factors

Heavy metals and metalloids (HMMs) pose a serious threat to both environmental and human health. The unique characteristics and environmental toxicity of HMMs make their removal from the environment a major challenge. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are increasingly being used as an eco-friendly system for the removal of HMMs from aqueous environments. In this review, bibliometric analysis was performed using the Scopus database using VOSviewer software to assess the developing use of CWs in recent years. Heavy metal and metalloid (HMM) removal pathways were reviewed (such as precipitation, co-precipitation, adsorption and ion exchange, plant action and microbial action) along with the impact of key factors (pH, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, HMM concentration, and temperature). This review aimed to establish the connections between published results, to help effectively optimize the use of CWs for the removal of HMMs and identify the most critical factors for their effective removal. Important aspects that require further research include assessing the synergistic toxicity between different pollutants and combining the use of CWs with other technologies to optimize pollutant remediation efficiency.

Automated summary

Constructed wetlands are increasingly used as an eco-friendly system for the removal of heavy metals and metalloids from aqueous environments. This review assesses the use of CWs through bibliometric analysis and highlights the importance of key factors such as pH, chemical oxygen demand, and temperature for efficient removal. Further research is needed to evaluate synergistic toxicity between pollutants and optimize pollutant remediation efficiency by combining CWs with other technologies.