Potential and influencing factors of nutrient retention in a headwater stream predominated by wastewater treatment plant effluent
LI Ru-zhong1, WU Zheng-hua1, GAO Su-di2, LUO Yue-ying2, WEI Lin1
1. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China; 2. Collage of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Anhui Xinhua University, Hefei 230088, China
Abstract：To investigate the effects of wastewater treatment plant effluent on nutrient retention in streams, a case study in Modian Creek, which is a typical first-order stream of Ershibu River in Nanfei River basin and predominated by wastewater treatment plant effluent, was conducted. Potentials of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) retention were evaluated quantitatively by nutrient spiraling metrics and its influencing factors were identified by means of regression analysis based on tracer experiments and modeling of models. Results showed that the first-order uptake coefficients of NH4+-N and SRP in the main channel (λ) were an order of magnitude higher than those in the transient storage zone (λs), while the values of λ-NH4+-N and λs-NH4+-N were similar to λ-SRP and λs-SRP values, respectively. The mean values of Sw-NH4, Sw-SRP and Sw-NO3 were significantly larger than the whole length of Modian Creek, suggesting that the studied stream had no any ability to retain or remove nitrogen and phosphorus. Since the uptake lengths of both NH4+-N and SRP were longer than that of NO3--N, but their uptake velocities were all lower than that of NO3--N, indicating that NO3--N retention potential was greater than those of NH4+-N and SRP. Moreover, significantly adverse impacts of wastewater treatment plant effluent on nitrogen and phosphorus retention were not found through comparison with the published literature of nutrient spiraling studies in the studied stream. Regression analysis suggested that hydrological condition was key drivers influencing nutrient retention in the Modian Creek. Transient storage was significantly correlated with Vf-SRP and U-SRP (both P<0.05), but was independent on NH4+-N and NO3--N.
Arnon S, Avni N, Gafny S. Nutrient uptake and macroinvertebrate community structure in a highly regulated Mediterranean stream receiving treated wastewater[J]. Aquatic Science, 2015,77(4):623-637.
[2]
Rahm B G, Hill N B, Shaw S B, et al. Nitrate dynamics in two streams impacted by wastewater treatment plant discharge:Point sources or sinks?[J]. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 2016,52(3):592-604.
[3]
Carey R O, Migliaccio K W. Contribution of wastewater treatment plant effluents to nutrient dynamics in aquatic systems:A review[J]. Environmental Management, 2009,44(2):205-217.
[4]
Dyachenko A, Mitchell J, Arsem N, et al. Extraction and identification of microplastic particles from secondary wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent[J]. Analytical Methods, 2017,9(9):1412-1418.
[5]
Ruggiero A, Solimini A G, Carchini G. Effects of a waste water treatment plant on organic matter dynamics and ecosystem functioning in a Mediterranean stream[J]. International Journal of Limnology, 2006,42(2):97-107.
[6]
Santos I R, Costa R C, Freitas U, et al. Influence of effluents from a wastewater treatment plant on nutrient distribution in a coastal creek from southern Brazil[J]. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 2008,51(1):153-162.
[7]
Sánchez-Pérez J-M, Gerino M, Sauvage S, et al. Effects of wastewater treatment plant pollution on in-stream ecosystems functions in an agricultural watershed[J]. International Journal of Limnology, 2009,45(2):79-92.
[8]
Solimini A G, Carchini G. Effects of a waste water treatment plant on organic matter dynamics and ecosystem functioning in a Mediterranean stream[J]. International Journal of Limnology, 2006,42(2):97-107.
[9]
Merbt S N, Auguet J-C, Blesa A, et al. Wastewater treatment plant effluents change abundance and composition of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in Mediterranean urban stream biofilms[J]. Microbial Ecology, 2015,69(1):66-74.
[10]
Wakelin S A, Colloff M J, Kookana R S. Effect of wastewater treatment plant effluent on microbial function and community structure in the sediment of a freshwater stream with variable seasonal flow[J]. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2008,74(9):2659-2668.
[11]
Martí E, Aumatell J, Godé L, et al. Nutrient retention efficiency in streams receiving inputs from wastewater treatment plants[J]. Journal of Environmental Quality, 2004,33(1):285-293.
[12]
Haggard B E, Storm D E, Stanley E H, et al. Effect of a point source input on stream nutrient retention[J]. Journal of the American Water Resources, 2001,37(5):1291-1299.
[13]
Haggard B E, Stanley E H, Storm D E, et al. Nutrient retention in a point-source-enriched stream[J]. Freshwater Science, 2005,24(1):82-100.
[14]
Merseburger G C, Martí E, Sabater F. Net changes in nutrient concentrations below a point source input in two streams draining catchments with contrasting land uses[J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2005,347(1-3):217-229.
[15]
Drummond J D, Bernal S, Schiller D V, et al. Linking in-stream nutrient uptake to hydrologic retention in two headwater streams[J]. Freshwater Science, 2016,35(4):1176-1188.
[16]
García V J, Hegoburn C, Feijoó C, et al. High nutrient retention in chronically nutrient-rich lowland streams[J]. Freshwater Science, 2017,36(1):26-40.
Peterson B J, Wollheim W M, Mulholland P J, et al. Control of nitrogen export from watersheds by headwater streams[J]. Science, 2001,292(5514):86-90.
[23]
Gasiūnas V, Lysovien? J. Nutrient retention efficiency of small regulated streams during the season of low-flow regime in central Lithuanian lowland[J]. Hydrology Research, 2014,45(3):357-367.
Runkel R L. One-dimensional transport with inflow and storage (OTIS):A solute transport model for streams and rivers:U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report, 98-4018[R]. 1998:73-78.
[26]
Ensign S H, Doyle M W. Nutrient spiraling in streams and river networks[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2006, 111, G04009, doi:10.1029/2005JG000114.
[27]
Argerich A, Marti E, Sabater F, et al. Influence of transient storage on stream nutrient uptake based on substrata manipulation[J]. Aquatic Sciences, 2011,73(3):365-376.
[28]
Wagner B J, Harvey J W. Experimental design for estimating parameters of rate-limited mass transfer:Analysis of stream tracer studies[J]. Water Resources Research, 1997,33(7):1731-1741.
[29]
Jin H S, Ward G M. Hydraulic characteristics of a small Coastal Plain stream of the southeastern United States:effects of hydrology and season[J]. Hydrological Processes, 2005,19(20):4147-4160.
[30]
O'Connor B L, Hondzo M, Harvey J W. Predictive modeling of transient storage and nutrient uptake:implications for stream restoration[J]. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 2010,136(12):1018-1032.
[31]
Stutter M I, Demars B O L, Langan S J, et al. River phosphorus cycling:Separating biotic and abiotic uptake during short-term changes in sewage effluent loading[J]. Water Research, 2010, 44(15):4425-4436.
