Long-term nitrate removal in a denitrification wall

Long, Lauren; Schipper, Louis A.; Bruesewitz, Denise A.

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2011.02.005

Cited by 58 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…Furthermore, wood substrate showed moderate

{NO}_{3}^{-}

removal rates, with almost no adverse effects. As demonstrated in previous studies (Warneke et al, 2011a; Schipper et al, 2010; Robertson, 2010; Long et al, 2011) woodchips provide sustained

{NO}_{3}^{-}

removal due to slow decomposition of wood in the bioreactor.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Nitrate removal, communities of denitrifiers and adverse effects in different carbon substrates for use in denitrification beds

et al. 2011

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Denitrification beds are containers filled with wood by-products that serve as a carbon and energy source to denitrifiers, which reduce nitrate ( NO3−) from point source discharges into non-reactive dinitrogen (N2) gas. This study investigates a range of alternative carbon sources and determines rates, mechanisms and factors controlling NO3− removal, denitrifying bacterial community, and the adverse effects of these substrates. Experimental barrels (0.2 m3) filled with either maize cobs, wheat straw, green waste, sawdust, pine woodchips or eucalyptus woodchips were incubated at 16.8 °C or 27.1 °C (outlet temperature), and received NO3− enriched water (14.38 mg N L−1 and 17.15 mg N L−1). After 2.5 years of incubation measurements were made of NO3−−N removal rates, in vitro denitrification rates (DR), factors limiting denitrification (carbon and nitrate availability, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and concentrations of NO3−, nitrite and ammonia), copy number of nitrite reductase (nirS and nirK ) and nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ ) genes, and greenhouse gas production (dissolved nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane), and carbon (TOC) loss. Microbial denitrification was the main mechanism for NO3−−N removal. Nitrate–N removal rates ranged from 1.3 (pine woodchips) to 6.2 g N m−3 d−1 (maize cobs), and were predominantly limited by C availability and temperature (Q10 = 1.2) when NO3−−N outlet concentrations remained above 1 mg L−1. The NO3−−N removal rate did not depend directly on substrate type, but on the quantity of microbially available carbon, which differed between carbon sources. The abundance of denitrifying genes (nirS, nirK and nosZ ) was similar in replicate barrels under cold incubation, but varied substantially under warm incubation, and between substrates. Warm incubation enhanced growth of nirS containing bacteria and bacteria that lacked the nosZ gene, potentially explaining the greater N2O emission in warmer environments. Maize cob substrate had the highest NO3−−N removal rate, but adverse effects include TOC release, dissolved N2O release and substantial carbon consumption by non-denitrifiers. Wood-chips removed less than half of NO3− removed by maize cobs, but provided ideal conditions for denitrifying bacteria, and adverse effects were not observed. Therefore we recommend the combination of maize cobs and woodchips to enhance NO3− removal while minimizing adverse effects in denitrification beds.

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“…Furthermore, wood substrate showed moderate

{NO}_{3}^{-}

removal rates, with almost no adverse effects. As demonstrated in previous studies (Warneke et al, 2011a; Schipper et al, 2010; Robertson, 2010; Long et al, 2011) woodchips provide sustained

{NO}_{3}^{-}

removal due to slow decomposition of wood in the bioreactor.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Nitrate removal, communities of denitrifiers and adverse effects in different carbon substrates for use in denitrification beds

et al. 2011

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“…Average daily nitrate retention for the Leaf treatment in Emmons Creek (3.0 g NO 3 –N m −3 d −1 ), based on the sediment volume of 0.004 m −3 between the 5‐ and 25‐cm sampling depths, was within the range of nitrate removal rates (1–13 g NO 3 –N m −3 d −1 ) reported for denitrification walls (Schipper et al, 2010). Long‐term evaluations of the efficacy of denitrification bioreactors have shown that nitrate removal can be sustained from at least a couple of years to up to 14 yr after bioreactor construction (Robertson and Merkley, 2009; Moorman et al, 2010; Long et al, 2011; Schmidt and Clark, 2012). Robertson and Merkley (2009) showed that an in‐stream bioreactor, which consisted of wood chips buried beneath the stream bed, removed nitrate through a 2‐yr monitoring period after installation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yearlong Impact of Buried Organic Carbon on Nitrate Retention in Stream Sediments

Stelzer

2015

J. Environ. Qual.

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Carbon supply influences nitrogen transformation in ecosystems, but the longer-term effects of buried organic carbon on nitrogen processing in stream sediments have been rarely addressed. The effects of buried particulate organic carbon (red maple leaves) on net nitrogen retention, net dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production, and pore water dissolved oxygen concentration were assessed for 1 yr in a nitrogen-rich gaining stream (Emmons Creek, WI). Retention of nitrate and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and production of DOC were measured by comparing groundwater fluxes of nutrients at shallow and deeper depths in mesocosms inserted in the sediments. Buried leaves caused large increases in nitrate and TDN retention and DOC production relative to the control (combusted sand) that decreased in magnitude throughout the year. Nitrate and TDN retention occurred throughout the year in unmanipulated (ambient) sediments. Dissolved oxygen approached anoxia in most mesocosms containing buried leaves and ambient sediments, particularly early in the experiment. Collectively, these results indicate that buried leaves had persistent, diminishing effects on nitrate and TDN retention throughout a 1-yr period. The TDN retention in the ambient sediments throughout the year suggests that the deep sediments in Emmons Creek are a nitrogen sink.

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“…Until recently, it was not clear how long denitrifying bioreactors would continue to remove nitrate but three studies have now demonstrated that bioreactors constructed with wood chips or sawdust will remove nitrate for nine years or more (Long et al ; Moorman et al ; Roberston et al ). These studies also estimated the future performance of denitrifying bioreactors by examining decay rates of wood material in denitrification walls and estimated bioreactor material half life as between 4.6 and 37 years in Iowa depending on sample depth (Moorman et al ) and as 11 years in New Zealand (Long et al ). Warneke et al () measured total losses of C from a large denitrification bed and estimated a life time of up to 39 years.…”

Section: Bioreactors For Offsite Nitrogen Removalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial Sinks: Opportunities and Challenges for Managing Offsite Nitrogen Losses

Gold

Addy

David

et al. 2013

Contemporary Water Research

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Advanced control measures are needed after nitrogen (N) leaves agricultural fields and begins to flow through a catchment. Bioreactors – simple, wood‐chip filled trenches – and constructed wetlands afford additional treatment to reduce N from agricultural lands, but their success requires informed adoption and placement. Rates of N removal in field studies of bioreactors vary based on carbon substrate, hydrologic setting, temperature, N loading and hydraulic residence time. From limited measures in constructed wetlands, N removal can be substantial and influenced by seasonality. Additional research is needed to understand uncertainty and variability associated with these systems. Further synthesis of data from research and demonstration sites combined with geospatial tools will help guide the design and siting of these systems at regional and local scales. Professional and student training and web‐based data information exchange will advance the adoption and strategic placement of appropriate bioreactor and constructed wetland designs to remove edge‐of‐field N contributions.

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Long-term nitrate removal in a denitrification wall

Cited by 58 publications

References 87 publications

Nitrate removal, communities of denitrifiers and adverse effects in different carbon substrates for use in denitrification beds

Nitrate removal, communities of denitrifiers and adverse effects in different carbon substrates for use in denitrification beds

Yearlong Impact of Buried Organic Carbon on Nitrate Retention in Stream Sediments

Artificial Sinks: Opportunities and Challenges for Managing Offsite Nitrogen Losses

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