Effluent Organic Nitrogen Produced Within Wastewater Treatment Plants

While biological nutrient removal (BNR) systems can remove a large percentage of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen, it is less effective at removing all of the organic nitrogen. This research evaluated the chemical composition of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) compounds produced from ammonium during wastewater treatment, effluent dissolved organic nitrogen (EDON), and its rate of uptake in receiving waters. The primary goals of this work were to produce 15N isotopically labeled EDON and then supply it as a nutrient source to natural microbial communities and to quantify the ability of microbes in the environment to use it. Published by WE&RF. 34 pages. Online PDF. (2017)

Originally funded as WERF project U1R11.