Treatment of greenhouse wastewater using constructed wetlands.

Five wetland designs, based on conventional surface flow (SF) and subsurface flow (SSF) approaches, were assessed for nitrogen and phosphorus removal from greenhouse wastewater. Results indicated none of the individual designs assessed was capable of providing the highest treatment effect for all nutrients of concern; however, the SF wetland emerged as the most appropriate design for the treatment of greenhouse wastewater. The highest mean phosphorus reduction of 65% was observed in the unplanted SF wetlands. Peak nitrate reductions of 54% were observed in the 15-cm deep SF wetlands and ammonia removal of 74% was achieved in the unplanted SF wetlands. Nitrate concentration in the greenhouse effluent can be reduced to acceptable levels for the protection of freshwater aquatic life (i.e., less then 40 ppm) using a loading rate of 1.65 g NO3-N/m2/day and a design water depth of 30 cm or greater. Based on available literature and the results of this research project, a multistage design, consisting of an unplanted pre-treatment basin followed by a 25 to 35 cm deep surface flow marsh with open water components, is recommended.     

菖蒲和空心菜在处理微污染河水潜流人工湿地中的应用

为了探讨修复微污染河水的潜流湿地中植物对污染物去除效果的影响及其生长变化,在野外条件下构建2座分别栽种菖蒲和空心菜的水平潜流人工湿地,并以未栽种植物的湿地作空白。分析了湿地中污染物的去除效果,考察了湿地中植物的生物量、根系活力和氮磷含量的变化。植物湿地中污染物净化效果优于空白湿地,菖蒲和空心菜湿地对氨氮(NH+4-N)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)和高锰酸盐指数(CODMn)的平均去除率分别为61.1%和57.5%,31.5%和39.7%,24.7%和25.5%,20.4%和20.7%。实验结果表明,湿地中菖蒲的根系鲜重是空心菜的4.2倍,但其根系活力低于空心菜。2种植物均可在湿地中正常生长,但受湿地中营养盐浓度的限制性影响,移栽后的植物组织氮磷含量与移栽前相比下降了11.8%~20.3%。植物在净化微污染河水的潜流人工湿地中对N、P的去除起重要作用。     

Effect of vegetation in pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands treating sulphate rich groundwater contaminated with a low and high chlorinated hydrocarbon

In order to characterize the effect of vegetation on performance of constructed wetlands (CWs) treating low and high chlorinated hydrocarbon, two pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) CWs (planted with Phragmites australis and unplanted) treating sulphate rich groundwater contaminated with MCB (monochlorobenzene, as a low chlorinated hydrocarbon), (about 10 mg L⁻¹), and PCE (perchloroethylene, as a high chlorinated hydrocarbon), (about 2 mg L⁻¹), were examined. With mean MCB inflow load of 299 mg m⁻² d⁻¹, the removal rate was 58 and 208 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ in the unplanted and planted wetland, respectively, after 4 m from the inlet. PCE was almost completely removed in both wetlands with mean inflow load of 49 mg m⁻² d⁻¹. However, toxic metabolites cis-1,2-DCE (dichloroethene) and VC (vinyl chloride) accumulated in the unplanted wetland; up to 70% and 25% of PCE was dechlorinated to cis-1,2-DCE and VC after 4 m from the inlet, respectively. Because of high sulphate concentration (around 850 mg L⁻¹) in the groundwater, the plant derived organic carbon caused sulphide formation (up to 15 mg L⁻¹) in the planted wetland, which impaired the MCB removal but not statistically significant. The results showed significant enhancement of vegetation on the removal of the low chlorinated hydrocarbon MCB, which is probably due to the fact that aerobic MCB degraders are benefited from the oxygen released by plant roots. Vegetation also stimulated completely dechlorination of PCE due to plant derived organic carbon, which is potentially to provide electron donor for dechlorination process. The plant derived organic carbon also stimulated dissimilatory sulphate reduction, which subsequently have negative effect on MCB removal.     

Application of plant carbon source for denitrification by constructed wetland and bioreactor: review of recent development

Water quality standard for nitrate becomes more and more strict, and the plant carbon source is widely used for denitrification by constructed wetland (CW) and bioreactor. However, the nitrate removal efficiency by different types of plant carbon source are not evaluated comprehensively. Denitrification performance of different plant carbon sources, and the influence of dosing method and pretreatment are thoroughly reviewed in this paper, which aims to investigate the accurate utilization of plant carbon source for nitrogen (as nitrate) removal. It is concluded that plant carbon source addition for all types of CWs and bioreactors can improve the nitrate removal efficiency to some extent, and the dosing method of plant carbon source for denitrification should be further studied and optimized in the future. The popular carbon sources for CW and bioreactor denitrification enhancement are woodchip, chopped macrophytes, crop plants, macrophytes litters, etc. The recommended optimum C:N ratios for CW and bioreactor are 4.0:5.0 and 1.8:3.0, respectively. The physical and biological pretreatments are selected to supply organic carbon for long-term denitrification.     

Treatment of tannery wastewater in a pilot-scale hybrid constructed wetland system in Bangladesh

This paper reports the pollutant removal performances of a hybrid wetland system in Bangladesh for the treatment of a tannery wastewater. The system consisted of three treatment stages: a subsurface vertical flow (VF) wetland, followed by a horizontal flow (HF) and a VF wetland. The wetlands were planted with common reed (Phragmites australis), but employed different media, including organic coco-peat, cupola slag and pea gravel. In the first stage, experimental results demonstrated significant removal of ammonia (52%), nitrate (54%), BOD (78%), and COD (56%) under high organics loading rate (690 g COD m⁻² d⁻¹); simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and organics degradation were attributed to the unique characteristics of the coco-peat media, which allowed greater atmospheric oxygen transfer for nitrification and organic degradation, and supply of organic carbon for denitrification. The second stage HF wetland produced an average PO₄ removal of 61%, primarily due to adsorption by the iron-rich cupola slag media. In the third treatment stage, which was filled with gravel media, further BOD removal (78%) from the tannery wastewater depleted organic carbon, causing the accumulation of NO₃ in the wastewater. Overall, the average percentage removals of NH₃-N, NO₃-N, BOD, COD, and PO₄ were 86%, 50%, 98%, 98% and 87%, respectively, across the whole hybrid system. The results provided a strong evidence to support widespread research and application of the constructed wetland as a low-cost, energy-efficient, wastewater treatment technology in Bangladesh.     

不同C／N下人工湿地的脱氮效果及其强化措施

以人工湿地为研究对象,分析了不同C／N下人工湿地的脱氮效果。结果表明,C／N为10时,TN、NO2-N和COD平均去除率分别为（75．36±10．55）％、（86．34±9．23）％和（67．60±4．10）％,都显著高于其他2组系统（P=0．006、0．001、0〈0．01）;随着C／N的增加,NO3-N去除率呈现出上升的趋势;NH4-N刚好相反,C／N为1时,明显要高于其他2种情况（P=0〈0．05）,平均去除率为（65．42-1-14．31）％。针对C／N为1时人工湿地脱氮效率较低（51．294-14．48）％的情况,对系统进水采取了添加一定量好氧反硝化细菌固定化小球并曝气12h的强化实验措施。结果发现,强化实验条件下TN、NOr-N和N03-N去除率均提高了10％以上,且都要明显高于非强化实验条件（P：0．003、0、0〈0．01）,同时NH4-N和COD去除率没有明显差异,研究结果表明,从微生物角度对系统进水进行前处理有助于提高人工湿地脱氮效率。     

Evaluation of aquatic plants for removing polar microcontaminants: a microcosm experiment

Microcosm wetland systems (5 L containers) planted with Salvinia molesta, Lemna minor, Ceratophyllum demersum, and Elodea canadensis were investigated for the removal of diclofenac, triclosan, naproxen, ibuprofen, caffeine, clofibric acid and MCPA. After 38 days of incubation, 40-99% of triclosan, diclofenac, and naproxen were removed from the planted and unplanted reactors. In covered control reactors no removal was observed. Caffeine and ibuprofen were removed from 40% to 80% in planted reactors whereas removals in control reactors were much lower (2-30%). Removal of clofibric acid and MCPA were negligible in both planted and unplanted reactors. The findings suggested that triclosan, diclofenac, and naproxen were removed predominantly by photodegradation, whereas caffeine and naproxen were removed by biodegradation and/or plant uptake. Pseudo-first-order removal rate constants estimated from nonlinear regressions of time series concentration data were used to describe the contaminant removals. Removal rate constants ranged from 0.003 to 0.299 d(-1), with half-lives from 2 to 248 days. The formation of two major degradation products from ibuprofen, carboxy-ibuprofen and hydroxy-ibuprofen, and a photodegradation product from diclofenac, 1-(8-Chlorocarbazolyl)acetic acid, were followed as a function of time. This study emphasizes that plants contribute to the elimination capacity of microcontaminants in wetlands systems through biodegradation and uptake processes.     

潜流人工湿地对微污染河水的净化效果

为了探讨潜流人工湿地对微污染河水的净化效果,在野外条件下构建潜流人工湿地,分析了湿地中pH、氧化还原电位(ORP)和DO的进出水变化,考察了湿地中污染物的净化效果,探讨了温度对湿地净化效果的影响。各湿地进、出水DO浓度相差不大;除美人蕉湿地外,其余湿地出水pH较进水变化较小;植物湿地出水ORP较进水均有所增大。植物湿地对污染物的去除效果均优于空白湿地,且随着气温的升高,NH4+-N、TN和CODMn的去除率逐渐增加,去除率分别可达90%、50%和20%。TP去除率却未随温度发生明显变化,始终波动在30%～60%之间。相关性分析结果表明湿地中NH4+-N和TN的去除率与温度相关,较低的有机物浓度造成CODMn的去除率与温度相关性差,由于湿地对磷的去除主要以颗粒态磷(PP)为主,TP的去除与温度不相关。     

固态碳源去除地下水硝酸盐的模拟实验

选取了5种研究较少的固体材料,棉花、丝瓜络、甘蔗渣、可降解餐盒、木屑作为去除地下水硝酸盐的外加碳源。在锥形瓶中进行反硝化对比实验,研究了不同固态碳源下NO3--N、NO2--N、NH4+-N及pH的变化情况,分析了NO3--N及总氮的去除率。研究结果表明,反硝化过程中pH呈升高趋势,在6.9～8.5范围内浮动。可降解餐盒和丝瓜络相对于其他的固态碳源来说,对NO3--N和总氮有较高的去除率,但丝瓜络的总氮去除率明显低于可降解餐盒。可降解餐盒的硝酸盐去除率达到98.28%,总氮去除率达到93.48%。可降解餐盒能够有效地去除地下水硝酸盐,达到以废治废的效果,是经济有效的最佳固态碳源。     

复合型人工湿地脱氮效能及其水力负荷影响规律

复合型人工湿地越来越多地被应用在面源污染管理中。不同类型的人工湿地对氮素的去除机理和去除性能是不同的。氮素在湿地生态系统中的去除受多种因素的影响和制约,不同的研究中氮素的去除效率变化较大。通过对韩国西部一复合型人工湿地中氮素的去除能力研究,分析了氮素的去除效率以及水力负荷对去除性能的影响,进而分析了人工湿地去除氮素的主要机理。结果表明,氨氮（NH＋4-N）、硝酸盐氮（NO-3-N）、凯式氮（TKN）和总氮（TN）的平均去除效率分别为13%、29%、35.3和26%。其中有机氮的去除是该复合型人工湿地中氮素去除的主要原因。水力负荷和先行干期天数对氮素的去除能力有一定影响。较长的先行干期天数和较低水力负荷可以提高氮素的去除效率。     

Abundance of Alnus incana ssp. rugosa in Adirondack Mountain shrub wetlands and its influence on inorganic nitrogen

The purpose of this research was to determine the abundance of the nitrogen-fixing shrub, Alnus incana ssp. rugosa (speckled alder), in shrub wetlands of the Adirondack Mountain region of New York State and to determine whether its abundance affects the concentration or accumulation of inorganic nitrogen in wetland substrates. Alder/willow wetlands are the second most common wetland type in the Adirondack region. The Adirondack Park Agency's digital GIS database of wetland types was used to determine the areal extent of alder/willow wetlands in the Adirondacks. Randomly selected wetlands were sampled to determine the size and abundance of alder. Alder densities averaged approximately 7000 stems ha(-1) and alder was present in 75% of the wetlands. As an indication of short-term accumulation of NO(3-) and NH4(+) in wetland substrates, ion exchange resins were used to sample ground water in high and low alder density wetlands as well as from wetlands lacking alder and dominated by conifers. Additionally, NO(3-) and NH(4+) concentrations in ground water samples were measured. NH(4+) accumulation levels from exchange resins were low for all wetland types while groundwater NH(4+) concentration was highest in the low-density alder sites. Wetlands with high alder density had approximately six times higher NO(3-) accumulation than other wetlands. Substrate groundwater NO(3-) concentrations in wetlands of high-density alder exceeded by three times levels in low or no alder wetlands, showing the importance of alder to local N budgets. To assess the recovery of shrub wetlands from acidification, future studies should determine the fate of fixed N in wetland systems.     

Constructed treatment wetland: a study of eight plant species under saline conditions

A series of investigations was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using constructed treatment wetlands to remove pollutants from saline wastewater. Eight emergent plants; cattail, sedge, water grass, Asia crabgrass, salt meadow cordgrass, kallar grass, vetiver grass and Amazon, were planted in experimental plots and fed with municipal wastewater that was spiked with sodium chloride (NaCl) to simulate a saline concentration of approximately 14-16 mScm-1. All macrophytes were found tolerant under the tested conditions except Amazon and vetiver grass. Nutrient assimilation of salt tolerant species was in the range of 0.006-0.061 and 0.0002-0.0024 gm-2d-1 for nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. Treatment performances of planted units were found to be 72.4-78.9% for BOD5, 43.2-56.0% for SS, 67.4-76.5% for NH3-N and 28.9-44.9% for TP. The most satisfactory plant growth and nitrogen assimilation were found for cattail (Typha angustifolia) though the plant growth was limited, whereas Asia crabgrass (Digitaria bicornis) was superior for BOD5 removal. Both were evaluated again in a continuous flow constructed wetland system receiving saline feed processing wastewater. A high removal rate regularly occurred in long-term operating conditions. The reduction in BOD5, SS, NH3-N and TP was in the range of 44.4-67.9%, 41.4-70.4%, 18.0-65.3% and 12.2-40.5%, respectively. Asia crabgrass often provided higher removal especially for BOD5 and SS removal. Nutrient enriched wastewater promoted flourishing growth of algae and plankton in the surface flow system, which tended to reduce treatment performance.     

复合垂直流与潜流人工湿地沿程脱氮除磷对比研究

针对复合垂直流和潜流人工湿地对COD、TP、NH_4~+-N、NO~3~--N和TN的沿程去除规律进行了对比研究.结果表明,夏季复合垂直流人工湿地的去除效果均好于潜流人工湿地.对于复合垂直流人工湿地,污染物的去除主要集中在下行流池,且在进水端0～20 cm对COD、TP、NH_4~+-N和TN都有快速降解的过程.对于潜流人工湿地,进水端0～40 cm主要是COD和TP的快速降解沉淀,之后硝化作用逐渐加强,潜流人工湿地沿程均会发生反硝化作用,TN浓度基本呈均匀下降趋势.     

Reed beds receiving industrial sludge containing nitroaromatic compounds

Goal, Scope and Background Sweden has prohibited the deposition of organic waste since January, 2005. Since 1 million tons of sludge is produced every year in Sweden and the capacity for incineration does not fill the demands, other methods of sludge management have to be introduced to a larger degree. One common method in the USA and parts of Europe is the use of wetlands to treat wastewater and sewage sludge. The capacity of reed beds to affect the toxicity of a complex mixture of nitroaromatics in sludge, however, is not fully elucidated. In this study, an industrial sludge containing explosives and pharmaceutical residues was therefore treated in artificial reed beds and the change in toxicity was studied. Nitroaromatic compounds, which are the main ingredients of many pharmaceuticals and explosives, are well known to cause cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Recently performed studies have also showed that embryos of zebrafish (Danio rerio) are sensitive to nitroaromatic compounds. Therefore, we tested the sludge passing through constructed wetlands in order to detect any changes in levels of embryotoxicity, genotoxicity and dioxin-like activity (AhR-agonists). We also compared unplanted and planted systems in order to examine the impact of the root system on the fate of the toxicants. Methods An industrial sludge containing a complex mixture of nitroaromatics was added daily to small-scale constructed wetlands (vertical flow), both unplanted and planted with Phragmites australis. Sludge with an average dry weight of 1.25%, was added with an average hydraulic loading rate of 1.2 L/day. Outgoing water was collected daily and stored at −20°C. The artificial wetland sediment was Soxhlet extracted, followed by clean-up with multi-layer silica, or extracted by ultrasonic treatment, yielding one organic extract and one water extract of the same sample. Genotoxicity of the extracts was measured according to the ISO protocol for the umu-C genotoxicity assay (ISO/TC 147/SC 5/WG9 N8), using Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 as test organism. Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity were studied using the fish egg assay with zebrafish (Danio rerio) and the dioxin-like activity was measured using the DR-CALUX assay. Chemical analyses of nitroaromatic compounds were performed using Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) and GC-MS. Results Organic extracts of the bed material showed toxic potential in all three toxicity tests after two years of sludge loading. There was a difference between the planted and the unplanted beds, where the toxicity of organic extracts overall was higher in the bed material from the planted beds. The higher toxicity of the planted beds could have been caused by the higher levels of total carbon in the planted beds, which binds organic toxicants, and by enrichment caused by lower volumes of outgoing water from the planted beds. Discussion Developmental disorders were observed in zebrafish exposed directly in contact to bed material from unplanted beds, but not in fish exposed to bed material from planted beds. Hatching rates were slightly lower in zebrafish exposed to outgoing water from unplanted beds than in embryos exposed to outgoing water from planted beds. Genotoxicity in the outgoing water was below detection limit for both planted and unplanted beds. Most of the added toxicants via the sludge were unaccounted for in the outgoing water, suggesting that the beds had toxicant removal potential, although the mechanisms behind this remain unknown. Conclusions During the experimental period, the beds received a sludge volume (dry weight) of around three times their own volume. In spite of this, the toxicity in the bed material was lower than in the sludge. Thus, the beds were probably able to actually decrease the toxicity of the added, sludge-associated toxicants. When testing the acetone extracts of the bed material, the planted bed showed a higher toxicity than the unplanted beds in all three toxicity tests. The toxicity of water extracts from the unplanted beds, detected by the fish egg assay, were higher than the water extracts from the planted beds. No genotoxicity was detected in outgoing water from either planted or unplanted beds. All this together indicates that the planted reed beds retained semi-lipophilic acetone-soluble toxic compounds from the sludge better than the unplanted beds, which tended to leak out more of the water soluble toxic compounds in the outgoing water. The compounds identified by SPME/GC in the outgoing water were not in sufficient concentrations to have caused induction in the genotoxicity test. Recommendations and Perspectives This study has pointed out the benefits of using constructed wetlands receiving an industrial sludge containing a complex mixture of nitroaromatics to reduce toxicity in the outgoing water. The water from planted, constructed wetlands could therefore be directed to a recipient without further cleaning. The bed material should be investigated over a longer period of time in order to evaluate potential accumulation and leakage prior to proper usage or storage. The plants should be investigated in order to examine uptake and possible release when the plant biomass is degraded. This article has been developed on the basis of a presentation given at the Annual meeting of SETAC Europe German Language Branch 2004 in Aachen. ESS-Submission Editor: Dr. Ludek Blaha (blaha@recetox.muni.cz)     

The potential use of constructed wetlands in a recirculating aquaculture system for shrimp culture

A pilot-scale constructed wetland unit, consisting of free water surface (FWS) and subsurface flow (SF) constructed wetlands arranged in series, was integrated into an outdoor recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for culturing Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). This study evaluated the performance of the wetland unit in treating the recirculating wastewater and examined the effect of improvement in water quality of the culture tank on the growth and survival of shrimp postlarvae. During an 80-day culture period, the wetland unit operated at a mean hydraulic loading rate of 0.3 m/day and effectively reduced the influent concentrations of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5, 24%), suspended solids (SS, 71%), chlorophyll a (chl-a, 88%), total ammonium (TAN, 57%), nitrite nitrogen (NO2-N, 90%) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N, 68%). Phosphate (PO4-P) reduction was the least efficient (5.4%). The concentrations of SS, Chl-a, turbidity and NO3-N in the culture tank water in RAS were significantly (P相似文献   

人工湿地净化造纸废水尾水及优势植物筛选

通过象草、灯芯草、水葱、风车草4种植物人工湿地系统对造纸废水的处理,探讨了湿地系统对COD、NH+4-N和TP的去除能力,考察了湿地植物的净化作用与效果。结果表明,植物的引入能显著提高湿地系统对造纸废水的处理效果;植物人工湿地系统中COD、NH+4-N和TP去除率均随水力停留时间的延长而增加;4种植物人工湿地系统对COD去除效果均较好,其中水葱湿地系统最佳,COD去除率可达98%以上;水葱和灯芯草湿地系统对NH+4-N和TP的去除效果较好,其去除率分别可达85%和80%以上。综合比较4种植物的综合净化能力,水葱和风车草最好,灯芯草次之,象草最差,水葱和风车草是人工湿地处理造纸废水的适宜选择。     

Predicting groundwater nitrate concentrations in a region of mixed agricultural land use: a comparison of three approaches.

We investigated whether nitrate-N (NO3(-)-N) concentrations of shallow groundwater (< 30 m from the land surface) in a region of intensive agriculture could be predicted on the basis of land use information, topsoil properties that affect the ability of topsoil to generate nitrate at a site, or the 'leaching risk' at different sites. Groundwater NO3(-)-N concentrations were collected biannually for 3 years at 88 sites within the Waikato Region of New Zealand. The land use was classed as either the predominant land use of the farm where the well or bore was located, or the dominant land use within a 500 m radius of the well or bore. Topsoil properties that affect the ability of soil to generate nitrate were also measured at all the sites, and a leaching risk assessment model 'DRASTIC' was used to assess the risk of NO3(-)-N leaching to groundwater at each site. The concentration of NO3(-)-N in shallow groundwater in the Waikato Region varied considerably, both temporally and spatially. Nine percent of sites surveyed had groundwater NO3(-)-N concentrations exceeding maximum allowable concentrations of 11.3 ppm recommended by the World Health Organisation for potable drinking water which is accepted as a public health standard in New Zealand. Over half (56%) of the sites had concentrations that exceeded 3 ppm, indicating effects of human activities (commonly referred to as a human activity value). Very few trends in NO3(-)-N concentration that could be attributed to land use were identified, although market garden sites had higher concentrations of NO3(-)-N in underlying groundwater than drystock/sheep sites when the land use within 500 m radius of a sampling site was used to define the land use. There was also some evidence that within a district, NO3(-)-N concentrations in groundwater increased as the proportion of area used for dairy farming increased. Compared to pastoral land, market gardens had lower total C and N, potentially mineralisable N and denitrifying enzyme assay. However, none of these soil properties were directly related to groundwater NO3(-)-N concentrations. Instead, the DRASTIC index (which ranks sites according to their risk of solute leaching) gave the best correlation with groundwater NO3(-)-N concentrations. The permeability of the vadose zone was the most important parameter. The three approaches used were all considered unsuitable for assessing nitrate concentrations of groundwater, although a best-fit combination of parameters measured was able to account for nearly half the variance in groundwater NO3(-)-N concentrations. We suggest that non-point source groundwater NO3(-)-N contamination in the region reflects the intensive agricultural practices, and that localised, site-specific, factors may affect NO3(-)-N concentrations in shallow groundwaters as much as the general land use in the surrounding area.     

Removal of added nitrate in the single, binary, and ternary systems of cotton burr compost, zerovalent iron, and sediment: Implications for groundwater nitrate remediation using permeable reactive barriers

Recent research has shown that carbonaceous solid materials and zerovalent iron (Fe(0)) may potentially be used as media in permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) to degrade groundwater nitrate via heterotrophic denitrification in the solid carbon system, and via abiotic reduction and autotrophic denitrification in the Fe(0) system. Questions arise as whether the more expensive Fe(0) is more effective than the less expensive carbonaceous solid materials for groundwater nitrate remediation, and whether there is any synergistic effect of mixing the two different types of materials. We carried out batch tests to study the nature and rates of removal of added nitrate in the suspensions of single, binary, and ternary systems of cotton burr compost, Peerless Fe(0), and a sediment low in organic carbon. Cotton burr compost acted as both organic carbon source and supporting material for the growth of indigenous denitrifiers. Batch tests showed that cotton burr compost alone removed added nitrate at a greater rate than did Peerless Fe(0) alone on an equal mass basis with a pseudo-first-order rate constant k=0.0830+/-0.0031 h(-1) for cotton burr compost and a k=0.00223+/-0.00022 h(-1) for Peerless Fe(0); cotton burr compost also removed added nitrate at a faster rate than did cotton burr compost mixed with Peerless Fe(0) and/or the sediment. Furthermore, there was no substantial accumulation of ammonium ions in the cotton burr compost system, in contrast to the systems containing Peerless Fe(0) in which ammonium ions persisted as major products of nitrate reduction. It is concluded that cotton burr compost alone may be used as an excellent denitrification medium in a PRB for groundwater nitrate removal. Further study is needed to evaluate performance of its field applications.     

Water quality dynamics and hydrology in nitrate loaded riparian zones in the Netherlands

Riparian zones are known to function as buffers, reducing non-point source pollution from agricultural land to streams. In the Netherlands, riparian zones are subject to high nitrogen inputs. We combined hydrological, chemical and soil profile data with groundwater modelling to evaluate whether chronically N loaded riparian zones were still mitigating diffuse nitrate fluxes. Hydraulic parameters and water quality were monitored over 2 years in 50 piezometres in a forested and grassland riparian zone. Average nitrate loadings were high in the forested zone with 87 g NO(3)(-)-N m(-2) y(-1) and significantly lower in the grassland zone with 15 g NO(3)(-)-N m(-2) y(-1). Groundwater from a second aquifer diluted the nitrate loaded agricultural runoff. Biological N removal however occurred in both riparian zones, the grassland zone removed about 63% of the incoming nitrate load, whereas in the forested zone clear symptoms of saturation were visible and only 38% of the nitrate load was removed.     

Simulation modeling for nitrogen removal and experimental estimation of mass fractions of microbial groups in single-sludge system

Nitrification-denitrification in a single-sludge nitrogen removal system (SSNRS; with a sufficient carbon source for denitrification) was performed. With an increase in the mixed liquor recycle ratio (R(m)) from 1 to 2, the total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency at a lower volumetric loading rate (VLR=0.21 NH(4)(+)-N m(-3) d(-1)) increased, but the TN removal efficiency at a higher VLR (0.35 kg NH(4)(+)-N m(-3) d(-1)) decreased. A kinetic model that accounts for the mass fractions of Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter, nitrate reducer and nitrite reducer (f(n1), f(n2), f(dn1), and f(dn2)) in the SSNRS and an experimental approach for the estimation of the mass fractions of nitrogen-related microbial groups are also proposed. The estimated f(dn1) plus f(dn2) (0.65-0.83) was significantly larger than the f(n1) plus f(n2) (0.28-0.32); the f(n1) (0.21-0.26) was larger than the f(n2) (0.05-0.07); and the f(dn1) (0.32-0.45) varied slightly with the f(dn2) (0.33-0.38). At the lower VLR, the f(dn1) plus f(dn2) increased with increasing R(m); however at the higher VLR, the f(dn1) plus f(dn2) did not increase with increasing R(m). By using the kinetic model, the calculated residual NH(4)(+)-N and NO(2)(-)-N in the anoxic reactor and NO(2)(-)-N and NO(3)(-)-N in the aerobic reactor were in fairly good agreement with the experimental data; the calculated NO(3)(-)-N in the anoxic reactor was over-estimated and the calculated NH(4)(+)-N in the aerobic reactor was under-estimated.