Analysis of eutrophication potential of municipal wastewater

Abstract

One of the main factors of the increased eutrophication level of surface waters is the high anthropogenic loads of biogenic substances discharged into water bodies. Municipal wastewaters, containing large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus play one of the key roles in the acceleration of eutrophication intensity. The main direction in the prevention of eutrophication caused by wastewater discharge has become the reduction of nutrient loads introduced to wastewater receivers in accordance with strict legal requirements achievable only in advanced technologies. The treated wastewater quality standards are actually developed for total nitrogen and total phosphorus content, disregarding the fact that eutrophication potential of treated wastewater is determined by the content of non-organic nutrient forms directly bioavailable for water vegetation. That is why the currently used energy-consuming and expensive technologies do not always guarantee effective protection against eutrophication and its consequences. The goal of the study was to analyze the most widely used wastewater treatment technologies for enhanced biological nutrients removal in treated wastewater eutrophication potential. For this purpose, an analysis of the operation of 18 wastewater treatment plants based on different technologies in Finland, Canada, Poland, Russia and the United States was realized. The analysis concluded that the eutrophication potential of treated wastewater to a large extent is conditioned by the applied technology. The results of the research concluded that the eutrophication potential can serve an important criterion for decision-making regarding the proper selection of wastewater treatment technologies aimed at eutrophication mitigation.

Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends Related to Carbon Sources for Nitrogen Removal in Wastewater Treatment

“…Municipal wastewater discharge is a source of nitrogen loads in natural water bodies and is one of the main factors causing water eutrophication (Preisner et al 2020). With societal and economic development, water consumption and wastewater production has increased.…”

Performance of an Innovative Low-Cost Recycled Filling (LCRF) in Anaerobic Treatment of Dairy Effluent—A Pilot-Scale Study

“…The low nitrogen and phosphorus removal rates of AWT are considered to be its biggest drawbacks [ 17 ]. These biogenic substances are the main factors responsible for the rapid eutrophication and degradation of natural water bodies [ 18 ]. Fixation of nitrogen and phosphorus in digesters is driven solely by the growth of bacterial biomass, of which they are important building blocks.…”

Effect of biochar particles applied in bedding course of the innovative permeable pavement on enhancing nitrogen removal

“…Nitrogen management is important for controlling urban non-point-source pollution (Preisner et al 2020). However, it has recently been found that PPs may control nitrogen concentrations in runoff to some degree (Abdollahian et al 2018), but NO 3 À -N is often leached from PPs (Bean et al 2007;Collins et al 2010).…”