Investigation into ammonia stress on Cyperus alternifolius and its impact on nutrient removal in microcosm experiments.
Ammonia stress on plants has been investigated at discrete ammonia concentrations in constructed wetlands. This study introduced a Gaussian model to simulate the kinetics of ammonia stress and investigated reversible and irreversible ammonia stress on Cyperus alternifolius in wetland-like microcosms. Ammonia stress on plant weight increase and oxygen release potential started at weekly ammonia concentrations of 27 and 28 mg N/L, reached 50% inhibition at 178 and 158 mg N/L, and resulted in lethal effects at 311 and 303 mg N/L, respectively. The stress of one-time ammonia concentrations up to 400 mg N/L could be reversible. Ammonia concentrations constantly above 219 mg N/L exerted irreversible stress. In the microcosms with ammonia concentrations above the 50% inhibition levels, plants played a minor role in nitrogen removal. Nitrogen removal performance was not affected considerably by ammonia stress. Orthophosphate removal was suppressed by ammonia stress due to less plant uptake. Design and operation of constructed wetlands should consider wastewater ammonia concentration so that the integrity of constructed wetland ecosystems can be maintained.
Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. Electronic address: wtao@esf.edu.
Wendong
W
Tao
Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Department of Ecological Technology and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, 100 Haiquan Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201418, China.
Jianqiu
J
Han
Department of Environmental Resources Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Hanyan
H
Li
D000641:Ammonia / Q000633:toxicity*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D029786:Cyperus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater; D053833:Wetlands
D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen; D062065:Wastewater
Ammonia toxicity; Constructed wetland; Cyperus alternifolius; Nutrient uptake; Plant physiology; Umbrella sedge