Work

Characteristics and transformations of dissolved organic nitrogen in municipal biological nitrogen removal wastewater treatment plants

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents most of the dissolved nitrogen in the effluent of biological nitrogen removal (BNR) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The characteristics of wastewater-derived DON in two different WWTPs were investigated by several different methods. The major removals of DON and biodegradable dissolved organic nitrogen (BDON) along the treatment train were observed in the anaerobic process. Dissolved combined amino acids (DCAA) and dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) in the effluent accounted approximately for less than 4% and 1% of the effluent DON, respectively. Approximately half of wastewater-derived DON was capable of passing through a 1 kDa ultrafilter, and low MW DON cannot effectively be removed by BNR processes. More than 80% of effluent DON was composed of hydrophilic compounds, which stimulate algal growth. The study provided important information for future upgrading of WWTPs or the selection of DON removal systems to meet more demanding nitrogen discharge limits.

Source: Environmental Research Letters

DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/8/4/044005

Authors: Shouliang Huo, Beidou Xi, Honglei Yu, Yanwen Qin, Fengyu Zan, Jingtian Zhang

Institution: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal

Subfield: Pollution

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,045