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Nitrogen removal in a wastewater treatment plant through biofilters: nitrous oxide emissions during nitrification and denitrification

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Abstract

In order to estimate N2O emissions from immersed biofilters during nitrogen removal in tertiary treatments at urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), a fixed culture from the WWTP of “Seine Centre” (Paris conurbation) was subjected to lab-scale batch experiments under various conditions of oxygenation and a gradient of methanol addition. The results show that during nitrification, N2O emissions are positively related to oxygenation (R 2 = 0.99). However, compared to the rates of ammonium oxidation, the percentage of emitted N2O is greater when oxygenation is low (0.5–1 mgO2 L−1), representing up to 1% of the oxidized ammonium (0.4% on average). During denitrification, the N2O emission reaches a significant peak when the quantity of methanol allows denitrification of between 66% and 88%. When methanol concentrations lead to a denitrification of close to 100%, the flows of N2O are much lower and represent on average 0.2% of the reduced nitrate. By considering these results, we can estimate, the emissions of N2O during nitrogen removal, at the “Seine Centre” WWTP, to approximately 38 kgN-N2O day−1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SIAAP/DRD, 82, Av. Kléber, 92700, Colombes, France

    Gaëlle Tallec & Michel Gousailles

  2. UMR Sisyphe 7619, Fonctionnement des Hydrosystèmes, Université P&M. Curie-CNRS, Boite 105, Tour 26, Etage 5, 4 place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France,

    Gaëlle Tallec & Josette Garnier

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  1. Gaëlle Tallec
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  2. Josette Garnier
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  3. Michel Gousailles
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Correspondence to Gaëlle Tallec.

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Tallec, G., Garnier, J. & Gousailles, M. Nitrogen removal in a wastewater treatment plant through biofilters: nitrous oxide emissions during nitrification and denitrification. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 29, 323–333 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-006-0081-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-006-0081-0

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