Numerical model as a simulation tool was used to describe the pollutants transformation and degradation process in constructed wetlands (CWs). It can help provide insight into the “black box” and increase the understanding of the complex processes in CWs. In the last few decades, several process-based numerical models were developed to depict the pollutants removal processes in CWs, which include biochemical model, hydraulic model, reactive-transport model, plants model, clogging model, and coupling model combining two or more sub-models. However, there was a long way to go before fully understanding the decontamination mechanisms of CWs. On the one hand, single or a composite model coupling a small number of sub-models cannot fully reveal the decontamination processes. On the other hand, a comprehensive model including all sub-models of current cognition involves numerous parameters, most of which are interaction and cannot quantitatively determined, thus making the model complex and leading to diffuse interaction. Therefore, in order to describe the reaction processes in CWs more accurately, it is expected that all parameters should be quantified as far as possible in the future model. This study aims to provide a review of the numerical models of CWs and to reveal mechanism of decontamination. Based on the advantages and disadvantages of existing models, the study presented the improvement method and future research direction: (1) new detection/monitoring technique or computing method to quantitatively assess the parameters in CWs models, (2) correcting the simulation errors caused by the assumption of Activated Sludge Models (ASMs) and developing a complete biofilm reaction sub-model, (3) simplification of the comprehensive model, and (4) need of emerging pollutants modeling.

Engineering education is increasingly expected to prepare graduates capable of addressing sustainability challenges, public safety concerns, and ethical responsibilities. However, in many civil and environmental engineering curricula, sustainability and ethics are still treated as supplementary topics rather than being systematically embedded in core technical courses. This study reports a sustainability-oriented curriculum reform implemented in a Building Water Supply and Drainage Engineering course, integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) principles into CDIO-aligned project-based learning activities. A single-group pre–post quasi-experimental design was adopted with 100 undergraduate students. Quantitative data were collected using a competency-based questionnaire, and paired-sample t-tests, effect sizes, and 95% confidence intervals were applied to examine changes in students’ self-reported competencies. Qualitative data were obtained from reflective learning reports and analyzed through thematic analysis. The results indicate statistically significant improvements in sustainability awareness, ethical and professional responsibility, human-centered design, and systems thinking, with large effect sizes. These findings provide context-specific descriptive evidence supporting the feasibility of embedding sustainability and ethical responsibility within discipline-specific technical engineering courses. Nevertheless, the absence of a control group and the reliance on self-reported measures limit causal interpretation. Future research is recommended to adopt comparative or longitudinal designs and incorporate more objective performance-based assessments.

Engineering education faces growing demands to prepare graduates capable of addressing complex sustainability challenges, public safety concerns, and ethical responsibilities. However, sustainability and ethical education are often delivered as supplementary content, limiting their integration with core engineering instruction. This study examines and evaluates a curriculum reform of a Building Water Supply and Drainage Engineering course that systematically integrates sustainability, ethical responsibility, and human-centered values into technical teaching through a CDIO-oriented approach. A quasi-experimental pre–post design was employed with a full cohort of 100 undergraduate engineering students. Data were collected using a sustainability-oriented questionnaire, project-based assessment rubrics, and student reflection reports. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests and effect size calculations, while qualitative data were thematically coded to support interpretation of the results. The findings demonstrate statistically significant and practically meaningful improvements in students’ sustainability awareness, ethical responsibility, human-centered design thinking, and systems thinking. Project assessment results further reveal students’ ability to apply sustainability principles and ethical considerations in engineering design tasks. These results provide empirical evidence that value integration within core engineering courses enhances both technical competence and professional responsibility. This study contributes empirical evidence to Education for Sustainable Development in engineering education by demonstrating a transferable pedagogical model that embeds sustainability and ethics into discipline-specific engineering instruction without increasing curricular load.