[Objective] A pilot study using extremely shallow subsurface flow of constructed wetlands for treating wastewater and amelioration of aeolian sandy soil was simultaneously carried out

in order to give scientific bases for the design

construction and operation of related works.[Methods] Raw water was drawn from a primary sedimentation in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The aeolian sandy soil taken from the Mu Us Desert was used as the substrate of constructed wetlands in which Festuca arundinacea

Lolium perenne and Cynodon dactylon were cultivated respectively. The removal efficiency of pollutants by wetland subsurface flow and the enrichment of flow-carried nutrients in the cultivation soil were studied. [Results] After 15 months' operation

the minimum removal rates of COD

TN and TP of all wetlands were 68.75%

70.09% and 62.74%

respectively. Organic matter and TN content in substrate of wetlands increased significantly(p < 0.05) as compared with the corresponding values of the raw soil. TP content in substrate also got increased but was not pronounced(p > 0.05). Organic matter

TN and TP content increased 10.64 to 18.77

8.74 to 13.98

and 0.34 to 0.55 times against the indices of raw soil

respectively. [Conclusion] It is feasible for using the extremely shallow subsurface flow of constructed wetland to simultaneously treat wastewater and amelioration of aeolian sandy soil

it can not only effectively purify wastewater but also can rapidly improve the fertility of aeolian sandy soil.