Abstract
This study is focused on investigating the impacts of organic carbon on the denitrification process of nitrogen transformation and transport. A numerical model, Nitrogen-2D, is modified by considering the impact of organic carbon in the denitrification equation. The modified model is used to simulate the soil nitrogen (including nitrate and ammonium) dynamics under the primary and secondary sewage water irrigation with different organic carbon concentrations. The simulated results of accumulated drainage water amount, soil nitrogen concentration, and nitrogen concentration in the drainage water show that the simulations and measurements are consistent. The comparison of results from the original and improved models shows the necessity to consider the impact of organic carbon. The nitrogen mass balance is calculated to analyze the nitrogen transformation processes quantitatively under different input organic carbon sources. Furthermore, the effect of different input organic carbon sources on the soil nitrogen dynamics is investigated by using the modified Nitrogen-2D model with the calibrated parameters. The input organic carbon source helps to speed up the mineralization and denitrification, which contributes to the slight increase of ammonium concentration and the decrease of nitrate concentration in the shallow soil. Since a large number of soil water and nitrogen transformation and transport parameters are needed when setting up the model, a local sensitivity method is conducted to evaluate the input parameters by the sewage water irrigation case. The results show that the drainage water amount is very sensitive to the exponent n and the coefficient α of the soil water retention function and that the ammonium concentration is very sensitive to the first-order nitrification rate constant, the decomposition rate coefficient in humus pool, and the soil ammonium adsorption coefficient. The nitrate concentration is sensitive to more parameters, especially to the exponent n and the coefficient α in the soil water retention function and to the denitrification rate constant.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bechtold, I., Köhne, S., Youssef, M. A., Lennartz, B., & Skaggs, R. W. (2007). Simulating nitrogen leaching and turnover in a subsurface-drained grassland receiving animal manure in Northern Germany using DRAINMOD-N II. Agricultural Water Management, 93, 30–44.
Bedessem, M. E., Edgar, T. V., & Roll, R. (2005). Nitrogen removal in laboratory model leach fields with organic-rich layers. Journal of Environmental Quality, 34, 936–942.
Bijay-Singh, Ryden, J. C., & Whitchead, D. C. (1988). Some relationships between denitrification potential and fractions of organic carbon in air-dried and field-moist soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 20, 737–741.
Bixio, D., Thoeye, C., De Koning, J., Joksimovic, D., Savic, D., Wintgens, T., & Melin, T. (2006). Wastewater reuse in Europe. Desalination, 187(1–3), 89–101.
Bradbury, N. J., Whitmore, A. P., Hart, P. B. S., & Jenkinson, D. S. (1993). Modelling the fate of nitrogen in crop and soil in the years following application of 15N-labelled fertilizer to winter wheat. Journal of Agriculture Science (Cambridge), 121, 363–379.
Castillo, E., Hadi, A. S., Conejo, A., & Fernández-Canteli, A. (2004). A general method for local sensitivity analysis with application to regression models and other optimization problems. Technometrics, 46(4), 430–444.
Cheng, X., & Xu, D. (2012). Effects of carbon content on transport and transformation discipline of nitrogen in soil with wastewater irrigation. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering (Transactions of the CSAE), 28(14), 85–90 (in Chinese with English abstract).
Dodla, S. K., Wang, J. J., DeLaune, R. D., & Robert, L. C. (2008). Denitrification potential and its relation to organic carbon quality in three coastal wetland soils. Science of the Total Environment, 407, 417–480.
Echersten, H., Hansson, P.-E., & Johnsson, H. (1996). SOILN model user’s manual. Uppsala: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Franko, U., Oelschlägel, B., & Schenk, S. (1995). Simulation of temperature-, water- and nitrogen dynamics using the model CANDY. Ecological Modelling, 81, 213–222.
Gale, P. M., Devai, I., Reddy, K. R., & Graetz, D. A. (1993). Denitrification potential of soils from constructed and natural wetlands. Ecological Engineering, 2, 119–130.
Garcia-Montiel, D. C., Melillo, J. M., Steudler, P. A., Cerri, C. C., & Piccolo, M. C. (2003). Carbon limitations to nitrous oxide emissions in a humid tropical forest of the Brazilian Amazon. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 38, 267–272.
Godwin, D. C., & Jones, C. A. (1991). Nitrogen dynamics in soil-plant systems. In J. Hanks & J. T. Ritchie (Eds.), Modeling plant and soil systems (pp. 287–321). Madison: ASA CSSA and SSSA.
Hamby, D. M. (1994). A review of techniques for parameter sensitivity analysis of environmental models. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 32(2), 135–154.
Hansen, S., Jensen, H. E., Nielsen, N. E., & Svendsen, H. (1993). Users guide to the DAISY simulation model. Copenhagen: The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University.
Heinen, M. (2006). Simplified denitrification models: overview and properties. Geoderma, 133, 444–463.
Huwe, B., & Totsche, K. U. (1995). Deterministic and stochastic modelling of water, heat and nitrogen dynamics on different scales with WHNSIM. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 20, 265–284.
Jalali, M., Merikhpour, H., Kaledhonkar, M. J., & van Der Zee, S. E. A. T. M. (2008). Effects of wastewater irrigation on soil sodicity and nutrient leaching in calcareous soils. Agricultural Water Management, 95(2), 143–153.
Lance, J. C., Rice, R. C., & Gilbert, R. G. (1980). Renovation of wastewater by soil columns flooded with primary effluent. Journal - Water Pollution Control Federation, 52(52), 381–388.
Lu, C.Y. (2004). Soil nitrogen dynamics model and simulation under sewage irrigation condition. Dissertation of Doctoral Degree. Wuhan, Wuhan Univ. (in Chinese).
Lu, X. H., Wang, P. F., Zhang, Y. J., & Zhi, D. (2015). Root nitrogen uptake in wastewater-irrigation pepper fields. Journal of Residuals Science & Technology, 12(4), 241–247.
Mackie, A., Woszczynski, M., Farmer, H., Walsh, M. E., & Gagnon, G. A. (2009). Water reclamation and reuse. Water Environment Research, 81(10), 1406–1418.
Marofi, S., Shakarami, M., Rahimi, G., & Ershadfath, F. (2015). Effect of wastewater and compost on leaching nutrients of soil column under basil cultivation. Agricultural Water Management, 158, 266–276.
McIssac, G., Martin, D., & Watts, D. (1993). NITWAT. In T. Engel, B. Klöcking, E. Priesack, & T. Schaaf (Eds.), Simulationsmodelle zur Stickstoffdynamik. Agrarinformatik Band (Vol. 25). Stuttgart: Verlag Eugen Ulmer.
Miller, R. W., & Donahue, R. L. (1995). Soils in our environment (7th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA.
Muyen, Z., Moore, G. A., & Wrigley, R. J. (2011). Soil salinity and sodicity effects of wastewater irrigation in South East Australia. Agricultural Water Management, 99(1), 33–41.
Oliver, L. D., & Christakos, G. (1996). Boundary condition sensitivity analysis of the stochastic flow equation. Advances in Water Resources, 19(2), 109–120.
Rahil, M. H., & Antonopoulos, V. Z. (2007). Simulating soil water flow and nitrogen dynamics in a sunflower field irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. Agricultural Water Management, 92(3), 142–150.
Reiche, E. W. (1994). Modelling water and nitrogen dynamics on catchment scale. Ecological Modelling, 75/76, 371–384.
Rijtema, P. E., & Kroes, J. G. (1991). Some results of nitrogen simulation with the model ANIMO. Fertilizer Research, 27(2–3), 189–198.
Robertson, W. D., Blowes, D. W., Ptacek, C. J., & Cherry, J. A. (2000). Long-term of performance of in situ reactive barriers for nitrate remediation. Ground Water, 38, 689–695.
Rocca, C. D., Belgiorno, V., & Meri, S. (2005). Cotton-supported heterotrophic denitrification of nitrate-rich drinking water with a sand filtration post-treatment. Water S A, 31(2), 229–336.
Shrestha, R. K., & Ladha, J. K. (2002). Nitrate pollution in groundwater and strategies to reduce pollution. Water Science and Technology, 45(9), 29–35.
Sophocleous, M., Townsend, M. A., Vocasek, F., Ma, L., & Kc, A. (2009). Soil nitrogen balance under wastewater management: field measurements and simulation results. Journal of Environmental Quality, 38(3), 1286–1301.
Starr, R. C., & Gillham, R. W. (1993). Denitrification and organic carbon availability in two aquifers. Ground Water, 31(6), 934–947.
Stevens, D. P., McLaughlin, M. J., & Smart, M. K. (2003). Effects of long-term irrigation with reclaimed water on soils of the Northern Adelaide Plains, South Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 41(5), 933–948.
Strauss, E. A., & Lamberti, G. A. (2000). Regulation of nitrification in aquatic sediments by organic carbon. Limnology and Oceanography, 45(8), 1854–1859.
Su, C., & Puls, R. W. (2006). Removal of added nitrate in cotton burr compost, mulch compost, and peat: mechanisms and potential use for groundwater nitrate remediation. Chemosphere, 66, 91–98.
Sun, H. W., Zhu, Y., Yang, J. Z., & Wang, X. G. (2015). Global sensitivity analysis for an integrated model for simulation of nitrogen dynamics under the irrigation with treated wastewater. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 22(21), 16664–16675. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4860-5.
van Genuchten, M. T. (1980). A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 892–898.
van Rijn, J., Tal, Y., & Schreier, H. J. (2006). Denitrification in recirculating systems: theory and applications. Aquacultural Engineering, 34, 364–376.
Vanclooster, M., Viaene, P., Christiaens, K., & Ducheyne, S. (1996). WAVE water and agrochemicals in soil and vadose environment, Release 2.1. Leuven: Ducheyne Institute for Land and Water Management Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
Wang, L.Y. (2007). Experiment and simulation of transformation and transport of nitrogen and phosphorus in saturated-unsaturated soils. Dissertation of Doctoral Degree. Wuhan, Wuhan Univ. (in Chinese).
Wu, L., & McGechan, M. B. (1998). A review of carbon and nitrogen process in four soil nitrogen dynamics models. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 69, 279–305.
Yang, C. C., Prasher, S. O., Wang, S., Kim, S. H., Tan, C. S., Drury, C. F., & Patel, R. M. (2007). Simulation of nitrate-N movement in southern Ontario, Canada with DRAINMOD-N. Agricultural Water Management, 87, 299–306.
Yang, J., Wang, L., Lu, C., & Jayawardane, N. (2008). Experiment and numerical simulation of nitrogen transport in soils irrigated with treated sewage. Irrigation and Drainage, 57(2), 203–217.
Zhu, S. M., & Chen, S. L. (2001). Effects of organic carbon on nitrification rate in fixed film biofilters. Aquacultural Engineering, 25(1), 1–11.
Zhu, Y., Yang, J. Z., & Wang, L. Y. (2009). Experimental, numerical and sensitive analysis of nitrogen dynamics in soils irrigated with treated sewage. Science in China, Series E Technological Sciences, 52(11), 3279–3286.
Funding
The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through Grants (51409192, 51790533, and 51629901), the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (2016CFB576), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2042017kf0012).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, K., Zhu, Y., Ye, M. et al. Numerical Simulation and Sensitivity Analysis for Nitrogen Dynamics Under Sewage Water Irrigation with Organic Carbon. Water Air Soil Pollut 229, 173 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-018-3832-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-018-3832-z