稻鸭共作生态系统中N2O排放及经济效益评价

稻鸭共作技术是中国传统农业的精华,研究稻鸭共作生态系统中N2O排放产生的环境效应并对其经济价值进行评价,为进一步开发利用这一经典农艺提供理论基础和实践依据.采用静态箱技术,研究稻鸭共作生态系统N2O排放规律,并运用增温潜势对稻鸭共作生态系统N2O排放的温室效应及经济效益进行了估算.结果表明,稻鸭共作生态系统N2O排放呈现明显的日变化和季节变化.N2O日变化与鸭子的活动呈现明显的相关性,其排放峰值出现在清晨和16:00;N2O季节变化幅度较大,排放峰值出现在水稻成熟期.在施用等量基肥条件下,稻鸭稻田排放的N2O高于常规稻田,其平均排放通量分别为(149 46±25.81)μg·m-2·h-1和(138.84±25.26)μg·m-2·h-1,产生的温室效应成本分别为283.14yuan·hm-2和265.47yuan·hm-2.除去N2O排放产生温室效应的环境成本,采用稻鸭生态种养技术的经济效益为7687.66yuan·hm-2,比常规不养鸭稻田增加1932.33 yuan·hm-2.可见,稻鸭共作技术仍具有较好的推广价值.     

垃圾填埋场N2O排放通量及测定方法研究进展

氧化亚氮(N₂O)是第三大温室气体和最主要的臭氧层破坏气体.填埋是目前城市生活垃圾处理处置的主要方式,而垃圾填埋场是N₂O的排放源之一.实验室研究和现场测定均表明,生活垃圾填埋场可以有高的N₂O释放通量,但不同填埋场测定数据差异很大.目前,对生活垃圾填埋场N₂O排放量的原位准确测定以及排放机理和重要性的认识仍有很多不足.本文概述了生活垃圾填埋场N₂O排放研究现状,从垃圾堆体和覆土层两部分探讨了传统厌氧卫生填埋场的N₂O产生和排放机理,并就此对新型脱氮型生物反应器填埋场做了相应探讨.最后,就静态箱法、涡度相关法等N₂O通量测定方法在填埋场的适用性进行了讨论,并展望了填埋场N₂O排放的研究方向.     

增温对土壤N2O和CH4排放的影响与微生物机制研究进展

全球变暖已引起人们的广泛关注,大气温室效应气体浓度增加是导致全球变暖的主要因素之一,土壤是温室效应气体的主要来源。反过来,全球变暖对土壤温室气体的排放具有反馈作用。温度升高不仅会影响植物、动物、微生物的生长及其相互作用,还会影响土壤的物质(尤其是氮、碳)循环过程,从而影响土壤温室效应气体的排放。本文主要总结了增温对土壤主要温室气体N₂O和CH₄排放的影响及其微生物机制。总体来看,增温能够促进这两种温室气体的排放,其排放主要与温度对氨氧化细菌(AOB)、反硝化功能基因、甲烷产生菌和甲烷氧化菌的丰度和组成的影响有关。土壤温室气体排放也受到植物的物种特性、养分吸收和群落组成,以及土壤营养元素含量、含水量、pH值等理化性质的影响。未来应更深入地从微生物角度探讨全球变暖对土壤温室气体排放的反馈作用机制,加强不同增温模式对土壤温室气体排放的影响研究,并关注增温与其他环境因子相互作用对土壤温室气体排放的影响等,以期为全球变暖对土壤温室气体排放反馈作用的预测提供理论依据。     

Nitrous oxide fluxes in estuarine environments: response to global change

Nitrous oxide is a powerful, long‐lived greenhouse gas, but we know little about the role of estuarine areas in the global N₂O budget. This review summarizes 56 studies of N₂O fluxes and associated biogeochemical controlling factors in estuarine open waters, salt marshes, mangroves, and intertidal sediments. The majority of in situ N₂O production occurs as a result of sediment denitrification, although the water column contributes N₂O through nitrification in suspended particles. The most important factors controlling N₂O fluxes seem to be dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and oxygen availability, which in turn are affected by tidal cycles, groundwater inputs, and macrophyte density. The heterogeneity of coastal environments leads to a high variability in observations, but on average estuarine open water, intertidal and vegetated environments are sites of a small positive N₂O flux to the atmosphere (range 0.15–0.91; median 0.31; Tg N₂O‐N yr^?1). Global changes in macrophyte distribution and anthropogenic nitrogen loading are expected to increase N₂O emissions from estuaries. We estimate that a doubling of current median NO₃^? concentrations would increase the global estuary water–air N₂O flux by about 0.45 Tg N₂O‐N yr^?1 or about 190%. A loss of 50% of mangrove habitat, being converted to unvegetated intertidal area, would result in a net decrease in N₂O emissions of 0.002 Tg N₂O‐N yr^?1. In contrast, conversion of 50% of salt marsh to unvegetated area would result in a net increase of 0.001 Tg N₂O‐N yr^?1. Decreased oxygen concentrations may inhibit production of N₂O by nitrification; however, sediment denitrification and the associated ratio of N₂O:N₂ is expected to increase.     

Nitrous oxide fluxes from savanna (miombo) woodlands in Zimbabwe

Aim We test the hypothesis that land use and climate are important controls of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from savanna ecosystems, and that these emissions can be represented by a mechanistic model of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) transformations. Location Miombo woodlands in Zimbabwe are part of widespread woody savanna formations in southern and central Africa that cover more than 2.7 million km². The rainfall in this region is around 800 mm and is concentrated in the period between November and March. Methods Losses of N₂O were measured along transects in two field areas using static chambers over a period of 1 year. The vegetation in both areas was dominated by Julbernardia globiflora and Brachystegia spiciformis, but had differing management systems (burned and unburned), soil properties and site characteristics (slope and drainage). The effects of simulated rainfall and fertilizer additions were studied in laboratory incubations. Results Patterns of N₂O emissions were strongly linked to rainfall. The highest fluxes at both sites were measured within 18 days of the onset of the first rains in November, with fluxes of up to 42 μg N m^?2 h^?1. During the dry season, fluxes were lower, but a large proportion (R² values between 0.8 and 0.95, P < 0.001) of the N₂O flux could be predicted by variations in soil moisture. Soil columns were set up in the laboratory to which simulated rainwater was added, and the amounts and timing of rainwater addition were varied. Losses of N₂O were highest within the first week of the laboratory study. Altering the amount of rainwater addition did not significantly affect N₂O loss; however, a continuous addition of water resulted in higher losses of N₂O (up to 79 μg N m^?2 h^?1) than periodic addition of the same amount. A model (denitrification–decomposition) was used to simulate N₂O release over a 12 month period, using meteorological data recorded in the vicinity of the field site. The simulations and field data suggest that nitrification was the main process responsible for N₂O release during the dry season but that denitrification was more important during the wet season. Main conclusions The release of N₂O from dryland savannas was shown to constitute an important nutrient flux, and emissions were strongly linked to patterns of rainfall; however, there was evidence to suggest that the magnitude of fluxes is also influenced locally by differences in soil organic matter concentration and drainage.     

黄土高原冬小麦地N2O排放

从2007年7月1日到2009年6月30日对黄土高原冬小麦地氧化亚氮(N₂O)排放采用静态箱气相色谱法进行了为期2a 的监测。设置2个处理,有小麦田(有小麦生长),无小麦田(出芽初期拔去麦苗)。研究结果表明有小麦田、无小麦田N₂O排放量年际变化不大。有小麦田年均的N₂O 排放量为2.05 kg · N₂O · hm^-2 · a^-1,无小麦田年均的N₂O 排放量为2.28 kg · N₂O · hm^-2 · a^-1 。在冻融交替期,施肥后、翻地后和降雨后无小麦田和有小麦田N₂O排放明显增加,N₂O的季节变化受到这些短期事件的显著影响;有小麦田N₂O排放与地温(P<0.01),气温(P<0.01)和WFPS(P<0.05)显著相关,而无小麦田N₂O排放与这些环境土壤因子都不相关;有小麦田和无小麦田两个处理土壤的WFPS通常都低于60%,可以推断在本地区,硝化反应是N₂O的重要生成源。     

Forest streams are important sources for nitrous oxide emissions

Streams and river networks are increasingly recognized as significant sources for the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O). N₂O is a transformation product of nitrogenous compounds in soil, sediment and water. Agricultural areas are considered a particular hotspot for emissions because of the large input of nitrogen (N) fertilizers applied on arable land. However, there is little information on N₂O emissions from forest streams although they constitute a major part of the total stream network globally. Here, we compiled N₂O concentration data from low‐order streams (~1,000 observations from 172 stream sites) covering a large geographical gradient in Sweden from the temperate to the boreal zone and representing catchments with various degrees of agriculture and forest coverage. Our results showed that agricultural and forest streams had comparable N₂O concentrations of 1.6 ± 2.1 and 1.3 ± 1.8 µg N/L, respectively (mean ± SD) despite higher total N (TN) concentrations in agricultural streams (1,520 ± 1,640 vs. 780 ± 600 µg N/L). Although clear patterns linking N₂O concentrations and environmental variables were difficult to discern, the percent saturation of N₂O in the streams was positively correlated with stream concentration of TN and negatively correlated with pH. We speculate that the apparent contradiction between lower TN concentration but similar N₂O concentrations in forest streams than in agricultural streams is due to the low pH (<6) in forest soils and streams which affects denitrification and yields higher N₂O emissions. An estimate of the N₂O emission from low‐order streams at the national scale revealed that ~1.8 × 10⁹ g N₂O‐N are emitted annually in Sweden, with forest streams contributing about 80% of the total stream emission. Hence, our results provide evidence that forest streams can act as substantial N₂O sources in the landscape with 800 × 10⁹ g CO₂‐eq emitted annually in Sweden, equivalent to 25% of the total N₂O emissions from the Swedish agricultural sector.     

Effect of ammonium and nitrate application on the NO and N2O emission out of different soils

The effect of nitrate and ammonium application (0, 50, 100 and 150 mg N kg^-1 soil) was studied in an incubation experiment. Four Belgian soils, selected for different soil characteristics, were used. The application of both nitrate and ammonium caused an increase of the NO and N₂O emission. The NO production from nitrate and ammonium was found to be of the same order of magnitude. At low pH the NO production was found to be highest from nitrate, at higher pH values the production was found to be higher from ammonium. This seems to be the result of the negative effect of low pH on nitrification.The ANOVA analysis was carried out to separate the effect of the form of nitrogen, quantily of N applied and soil characteristics. The total production of NO was found to depend for 97% on the soil characteristics and for 3% on the quantity of N added. The total N₂O production depended for 100% on the soil characteristics.Stepwise regression analysis showed that the total NO production was best predicted by a combination of the factors CaCO₃ content and NH₄ ⁺ concentration in the soil. Total N₂O production was best described by a combination of CaCO₃, water soluble carbon (WSC) and sand-content.The N₂O/NO ratio was found to be highly variable, indicating that their productions react differently to changes in conditions, or are partly independent.It may be concluded that to NO and N₂O from soils both nitrification and denitrification may be equally important, their relative importance depending on local conditions such as substrate availability, water content of the soil etc. However, the NO production seems to be more nitrification dependent than the N₂O production. ei]{gnE}{fnMerckx}{edSection editor}     

Environmental factors function as constraints on soil nitrous oxide fluxes in bioenergy feedstock cropping systems

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas and major component of the net global warming potential of bioenergy feedstock cropping systems. Numerous environmental factors influence soil N₂O production, making direct correlation difficult to any one factor of N₂O fluxes under field conditions. We instead employed quantile regression to evaluate whether soil temperature, water‐filled pore space (WFPS), and concentrations of soil nitrate () and ammonium () determined upper bounds for soil N₂O flux magnitudes. We collected data over 6 years from a range of bioenergy feedstock cropping systems including no‐till grain crops, perennial warm‐season grasses, hybrid poplar, and polycultures of tallgrass prairie species each with and without nitrogen (N) addition grown at two sites. The upper bounds for soil N₂O fluxes had a significant and positive correlation with all four environmental factors, although relatively large fluxes were still possible at minimal values for nearly all factors. The correlation with was generally weaker, suggesting it is less important than in driving large fluxes. Quantile regression slopes were generally lower for unfertilized perennials than for other systems, but this may have resulted from a perpetual state of nitrogen limitation, which prevented other factors from being clear constraints. This framework suggests efforts to reduce concentrations of in the soil may be effective at reducing high‐intensity periods—”hot moments”—of N₂O production.     

不同水肥条件下黄河三角洲盐土的N2O排放速率

用室内培养法测定了不同水肥处理下的盐土N2O排放速率.未加氮肥时,从中盐土(ECe=6.4 mS·cm-1)到极盐土(ECe=126.5 mS·cm-1),在各水分条件下(50％WHC,80％ WHC和4 cm深水面),盐土排放N2O的速率都非常低,经常在检测限以下.添加硝酸铵(0.4 mg N·g-1 soil)后,沙质中盐土排放速率在50％ WHC时为41.0 μg N2O·kg-1soil·d-1,在4 cm深水面时为364.6 μg N2O·kg-1soil·d-1,与以往类似处理的非盐土相当.沙质重盐土和极盐土排放速率分别为中盐土的43％～65％和23％ ～48％.相反,壤质盐土排放速率极低(0.91 ～37.1 μg N2O·kg-1 soil·d-1).盐土高的N2O生产潜力及对氮和质地的强烈依赖性表明盐影响N2O排放主要来源于碳、氮供给限制,而较少受微生物因素的直接影响.     

Direct emission of methane and nitrous oxide from switchgrass and corn stover: implications for large-scale biomass storage

Little is known about the contributions of biomass feedstock storage to the net greenhouse gas emissions from cellulosic biofuels. Direct emissions of methane and nitrous oxide during decomposition in storage may contribute substantially to the global warming potential of biofuels. In this study, laboratory-scale bales of switchgrass and corn stover were stored under a range of moisture (13.0–32.9%) and temperature (5–35 °C) conditions and monitored for O₂ consumption and CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O production over 8 weeks. Gas concentrations and emissions rates were highly variable within and between experimental groups. Stover bales produced higher CO₂ concentrations (P = 0.0002) and lower O₂ (P < 0.0001) during storage than switchgrass bales. Methane concentrations (1.8–2100 ppm) were inversely correlated with bale moisture (P < 0.05), with emissions rates ranging from 4.4–914.9 μg kg⁻¹ DM day⁻¹. Nitrous oxide concentrations ranged from 0 to 31 ppm, and emissions from switchgrass bales inversely correlated with temperature and moisture (P < 0.0001). Net global warming potential from each treatment (0–2.4 gCO₂e kg⁻¹ DM) suggests that direct emission of methane and nitrous oxide from aerobically stored feedstocks have a small effect on net global warming potential of cellulosic biofuels.     

Nitrous oxide production, its source and distribution in urine patches on grassland on peat soil

Urine patches are considered to be important sites for nitrous oxide (N₂O) production through nitrification and denitrification due to their high concentration of nitrogen (N). The aim of the present study was to determine the microbial source and size of production of N₂O in different zones of a urine patch on grassland on peat soil. Artificial urine was applied in elongated patches of 4.5 m. Four lateral zones were distinguished and sampled for four weeks using an intact soil core incubation method. Incubation of soil cores took place without any additions to the headspace to determine total N₂O production, with acetylene addition to determine total denitrification (N₂O+N₂), and with methyl fluoride to determine the N₂O produced through denitrification.Nitrous oxide production was largest in the centre and decreased towards the edge of the patch. Maximum N₂O production was about 50 mg N m^–2 d^–1 and maximum denitrification activity was 70 mg N m^–2 d^–1. Nitrification was the main N₂O producing process. Nitrous oxide production through denitrification was only of significance when denitrification activity was high. Total N loss through nitrification and denitrification over 31 days was 4.1 g N per patch which was 2.2% of the total applied urine-N.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from grass swards during the eighth year of elevated atmospheric pCO2 (Swiss FACE)

Emissions of N₂O were measured during the growth season over a year from grass swards under ambient (360 μL L^?1) and elevated (600 μL L^?1) CO₂ partial pressures at the Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment, Eschikon, Switzerland. Measurements were made following high (56 g N m^?2 yr^?1) and low (14 g N m^?2 yr^?1) rates of fertilizer application, split over 5 re‐growth periods, to Lolium perenne, Trifolium repens and mixed Lolium/Trifolium swards. Elevated pCO₂ increased annual emissions of N₂O from the high fertilized Lolium and mixed Lolium/Trifolium swards resulting in increases in GWP (N₂O emissions) of 179 and 111 g CO₂ equivalents m^?2, respectively, compared with the GWP of ambient pCO₂ swards, but had no significant effect on annual emissions from Trifolium monoculture swards. The greater emissions from the high fertilized elevated pCO₂Lolium swards were attributed to greater below‐ground C allocation under elevated pCO₂ providing the energy for denitrification in the presence of excess mineral N. An annual emission of 959 mg N₂O‐N m^?2 yr^?1 (1.7% of fertilizer N applied) was measured from the high fertilized Lolium sward under elevated pCO₂. The magnitude of emissions varied throughout the year with 84% of the total emission from the elevated pCO₂Lolium swards measured during the first two re‐growths (April–June 2001). This was associated with higher rainfall and soil water contents at this time of year. Trends in emissions varied between the first two re‐growths (April–June 2001) and the third, fourth and fifth re‐growths (late June–October 2000), with available soil NO₃^? and rainfall explaining 70%, and soil water content explaining 72% of the variability in N₂O in these periods, respectively. Caution is therefore required when extrapolating from short‐term measurements to predict long‐term responses to global climate change. Our findings are of global significance as increases in atmospheric concentrations of CO₂ may, depending on sward composition and fertilizer management, increase greenhouse gas emissions of N₂O, thereby exacerbating the forcing effect of elevated CO₂ on global climate. Our results suggest that when applying high rates of N fertilizer to grassland systems, Trifolium repens swards, or a greater component of Trifolium in mixed swards, may minimize the negative effect of continued increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations on global warming.     

Carbohydrate-rich supplements can improve nitrogen use efficiency and mitigate nitrogenous gas emissions from the excreta of dairy cows grazing temperate grass

Temperate pasture species constitute a source of protein for dairy cattle. On the other hand, from an environmental perspective, their high N content can increase N excretion and nitrogenous gas emissions by livestock. This work explores the effect of energy supplementation on N use efficiency (NUE) and nitrogenous gas emissions from the excreta of dairy cows grazing a pasture of oat and ryegrass. The study was divided into two experiments: an evaluation of NUE in grazing dairy cows, and an evaluation of N-NH₃ and N-N₂O volatilizations from dairy cow excreta. In the first experiment, 12 lactating Holstein × Jersey F1 cows were allocated to a double 3 × 3 Latin square (three experimental periods of 17 days each) and subjected to three treatments: cows without supplementation (WS), cows supplemented at 4.2 kg DM of corn silage (CS) per day, and cows supplemented at 3.6 kg DM of ground corn (GC) per day. In the second experiment, samples of excreta were collected from the cows distributed among the treatments. Aliquots of dung and urine of each treatment plus one blank (control – no excreta) were allotted to a randomized block design to evaluate N-NH₃ and N-N₂O volatilization. Measurements were performed until day 25 for N-NH₃ and until day 94 for N-N₂O. Dietary N content in the supplemented cows was reduced by 20% (P < 0.001) compared with WS cows, regardless of the supplement. Corn silage cows had lower N intake (P < 0.001) than WS and GC cows (366 v. 426 g/day, respectively). Ground corn supplementation allowed cows to partition more N towards milk protein compared with the average milk protein of WS cows or those supplemented with corn silage (117 v. 108 g/day, respectively; P < 0.01). Thus, even though they were in different forms, both supplements were able to increase (P < 0.01) NUE from 27% in WS cows to 32% in supplemented cows. Supplementation was also effective in reducing N excretion (761 v. 694 g/kg of N_intake; P < 0.001), N-NH₃ emission (478 v. 374 g/kg of N_milk; P < 0.01) and N-N₂O emission (11 v. 8 g/kg of N_milk; P < 0.001). Corn silage and ground corn can be strategically used as feed supplements to improve NUE, and they have the potential to mitigate N-NH₃ and N-N₂O emissions from the excreta of dairy cows grazing high-protein pastures.     

Nitrous oxide emissions following application of residues and fertiliser under zero and conventional tillage

Emissions of N₂O were measured following combined applications of inorganic N fertiliser and crop residues to a silt loam soil in S.E. England, UK. Effects of cultivation technique and residue application on N₂O emissions were examined over 2 years. N₂O emissions were increased in the presence of residues and were further increased where NH₄NO₃ fertiliser (200 kg N ha^–1) was applied. Large fluxes of N₂O were measured from the zero till treatments after residue and fertiliser application, with 2.5 kg N₂O-N ha^–1 measured over the first 23 days after application of fertiliser in combination with rye (Secale cereale) residues under zero tillage. CO₂ emissions were larger in the zero till than in the conventional till treatments. A significant tillage/residue interaction was found. Highest emissions were measured from the conventionally tilled bean (Vicia faba) (1.0 kg N₂O-N ha^–1 emitted over 65 days) and zero tilled rye (3.5 kg N₂O-N ha^–1 over 65 days) treatments. This was attributed to rapid release of N following incorporation of bean residues in the conventionally tilled treatments, and availability of readily degradable C from the rye in the presence of anaerobic conditions under the mulch in the zero tilled treatments. Measurement of ¹⁵N-N₂O emission following application of ¹⁵N-labelled fertiliser to microplots indicated that surface mulching of residues in zero till treatments resulted in a greater proportion of fertiliser N being lost as N₂O than with incorporation of residues. Combined applications of ¹⁵N fertiliser and bean residues resulted in higher or lower emissions, depending on cultivation technique, when compared with the sum of N₂O from single applications. Such interactions have important implications for mitigation of N₂O from agricultural soils.     

Widespread production of nonmicrobial greenhouse gases in soils

Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) are the three most important greenhouse gases (GHGs), and all show large uncertainties in their atmospheric budgets. Soils of natural and managed ecosystems play an extremely important role in modulating their atmospheric abundance. Mechanisms underlying the exchange of these GHGs at the soil–atmosphere interface are often assumed to be exclusively microbe‐mediated (M‐GHGs). We argue that it is a widespread phenomenon for soil systems to produce GHGs through nonmicrobial pathways (NM‐GHGs) based on a review of the available evidence accumulated over the past half century. We find that five categories of mechanistic process, including photodegradation, thermal degradation, reactive oxidative species (ROS) oxidation, extracellular oxidative metabolism (EXOMET), and inorganic chemical reactions, can be identified as accounting for their production. These pathways are intricately coupled among themselves and with M‐GHGs production and are subject to strong influences from regional and global change agents including, among others, climate warming, solar radiation, and alterations of atmospheric components. Preliminary estimates have suggested that NM‐GHGs could play key roles in contributing to budgets of GHGs in the arid regions, whereas their global importance would be enhanced with accelerated global environmental changes. Therefore, more research should be undertaken, with a differentiation between NM‐GHGs and M‐GHGs, to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms, to investigate the impacts of various global change agents, and to quantify their contributions to regional and global GHGs budgets. These efforts will contribute to a more complete understanding of global carbon and nitrogen cycling and a reduction in the uncertainty of carbon‐climate feedbacks in the Earth system.     

Nitrous oxide production in autotrophic nitrogen removal granular sludge: A modeling study

The sustainability of autotrophic granular system performing partial nitritation and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) for complete nitrogen removal is impaired by the production of nitrous oxide (N₂O). A systematic analysis of the pathways and affecting parameters is, therefore, required for developing N ₂O mitigation strategies. To this end, a mathematical model capable of describing different N ₂O production pathways was defined in this study by synthesizing relevant mechanisms of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, heterotrophic bacteria (HB), and anammox bacteria. With the model validity reliably tested and verified using two independent sets of experimental data from two different autotrophic nitrogen removal biofilm/granular systems, the defined model was applied to reveal the underlying mechanisms of N ₂O production in the granular structure as well as the impacts of operating conditions on N ₂O production. The results show that: (a) in the aerobic zone close to the granule surface where AOB contribute to N ₂O production through both the AOB denitrification pathway and the NH ₂OH pathway, the co-occurring HB consume N ₂O produced by AOB but indirectly enhance the N ₂O production by providing NO from NO ₂ ⁻ reduction for the NH ₂OH pathway, (b) the inner anoxic zone of granules with the dominance of anammox bacteria acts as a sink for NO ₂ ⁻ diffusing from the outer aerobic zone and, therefore, reduces N ₂O production from the AOB denitrification pathway, (c) operating parameters including bulk DO, influent NH ₄ ⁺, and granule size affect the N ₂O production in the granules mainly by regulating the NH ₂OH pathway of AOB, accounting for 34–58% of N ₂O turnover, and (d) the competition between the NH ₂OH pathway and heterotrophic denitrification for nitric oxide leads to the positive role of HB in reducing N ₂O production in the autotrophic nitrogen removal granules, which could be further enhanced in the presence of a proper level of influent organics.     

Effect of oxic and anoxic conditions on nitrous oxide emissions from nitrification and denitrification processes

A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor fed with real municipal wastewater was used to study nitrous oxide (N(2)O) emissions from simulated wastewater treatment processes. The experiments were performed under four different controlled conditions as follows: (1) fully aerobic, (2) anoxic-aerobic with high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, (3) anoxic-aerobic with low DO concentration, and 4) intermittent aeration. The results indicated that N(2)O production can occur from both incomplete nitrification and incomplete denitrification. N(2)O production from denitrification was observed in both aerobic and anoxic phases. However, N(2)O production from aerobic conditions occurred only when both low DO concentrations and high nitrite concentration existed simultaneously. The magnitude of N(2) O produced via anoxic denitrification was lower than via oxic denitrification and required the presence of nitrite. Changes in DO, ammonium, and nitrite concentrations influenced the magnitude of N(2)O production through denitrification. The results also suggested that N(2)O can be produced from incomplete denitrification and then released to the atmosphere during aeration phase due to air stripping. Therefore, biological nitrogen removal systems should be optimized to promote complete nitrification and denitrification to minimize N(2)O emissions.