Initially, the two RVFCWs were operated
without an upper soil-plant component. The
DWW was applied daily in three 100 L batches at
9 AM, 1 PM and 8 PM (to simulate peak household DWW output), was recirculated through the
bed at a recirculation flow rate (RFR) of 4.5
m
3
h
!1
and was sampled routinely 12 h after the
addition of the last batch. For the determination
of the treatment kinetics samples were taken
immediately after a raw wastewater batch was
introduced (time 0) and after 0.5, 1, 2, 3.5 and 5 h
of treatment. Following the kinetic experiments,
the DWW loading regime was changed to a
single daily batch of 300 L at 9 AM, which was
sampled 6 h later.