The effluents of the RVFCW were of high
quality even when operated without the soil-plant
component of the bed, and conformed to Israeli
regulations for urban landscape irrigation. Kinetic
studies showed that high quality effluents can be
achieved within less than 6 h of treatment. Thus,
the potential organic load capacity observed in
this study is superior to that reported previously.
The contribution of the soil-plant component to
the removal of organic matter remains undetermined and requires further investigation. Nitrogen was converted to nitrate with relatively small
losses. The nitrate in the effluents partially fulfils
plant nutrient requirements, reducing the need for
fertilizer, providing environmental and economic
benefits