Assessing denitrification rate limiting factors in a constructed wetland receiving landfill leachate

The focus of this research was to investigate denitrification in constructed wetlands to improve the nitrogen treatment capabilities of these systems. A free water surface flow constructed wetland located at the New Hanover County Solid Waste Management Facility, near Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, was used for this research. Field water sampling in conjunction with a laboratory acetylene block method was used to quantify nitrogen removals in the wetland. Background denitrification rates as well as potential denitrification rates using sodium acetate and sodium phosphate were measured in the laboratory. According to field measurements, average nitrate nitrogen loading and removal rates in the constructed wetland during 1997 were 11.1 +/- 3.4 g N/m(3)/d and 4.5 +/- 2.2 g N/m(3)/d, respectively. Denitrification rates measured in the laboratory with the addition of sodium acetate were higher than background denitrification rates while the addition of sodium phosphate had no effect on the denitrification rates. Results suggested denitrification in the wetland was limited by the availability of easily degradable sources of organic carbon. Background denitrification rates measured using the laboratory method were comparable to the nitrate nitrogen removal rates measured by field water sampling. (C) 1999 IAWQ Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.