title: Nitrate removal and denitrification affected by soil characteristics in nitrate treatment wetlands.
abstract: Several small-scale surface flow constructed wetlands unplanted and planted (monoculture) with various macrophytes (Phragmites australis, Typha orientalis, Pennisetum purpureum, Ipomoea aquatica, and Pistia stratiotes) were established to continuously receive nitrate-contaminated groundwater. Soil characteristics and their effects on nitrate removal and soil denitrification were investigated. The results showed that planted wetland cells exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.05) nitrate removal efficiencies (70-99%) and soil denitrification rates (3.78-15.02 microg N2O-N/g dry soil/h) than an unplanted covered wetland cell (1%, 0.11 microg N2O-N/g/h). However, the unplanted uncovered wetland cell showed a nitrate removal efficiency (55%) lower than but a soil denitrification rate (9.12 microg N2O-N/g/h) comparable to the planted cells. The nitrate removal rate correlated closely and positively with the soil denitrification rate for the planted cells, indicating that soil denitrification is an important process for removing nitrate in constructed wetlands. The results of nitrogen budget revealed that around 68.9-90.7% of the overall nitrogen removal could be attributed to the total denitrification. The soil denitrification rate was found to correlate significantly (P < 0.01) with the extractable organic carbon, organic matter, and in situ-measured redox potential of wetland soil, which accordingly were concluded as suitable indicators of soil denitrification rate and nitrate removal rate in nitrate treatment wetlands.
authors: Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC. yflin@ms12.hinet.net
authors: Ying-Feng
authors: YF
authors: Lin
authors: Shuh-Ren
authors: SR
authors: Jing
authors: Der-Yuan
authors: DY
authors: Lee
authors: Yih-Feng
authors: YF
authors: Chang
authors: Kai-Chung
authors: KC
authors: Shih
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000378:metabolism; D009566:Nitrates / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon