Pollution characteristics and environmental risks of ammonia nitrogen in retired nitrogen fertilizer plant sites
CHEN Yun1,2, JIANG Deng-deng1,2, YANG Kun-hua1,2, ZHU Xin1,2, KONG Ling-ya1,2, LI Xu-wei1,2, DENG Shao-po1,2
1. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China; 2. China State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing 210042, China
Abstract:Based on the concentrations of NH4+-N in soil, groundwater, soil gas, and indoor air from abandoned nitrogen fertilizer plants sites, the polluted level and distribution characteristics of NH4+-N in these sites were analyzed, the human health risks for exposure to the NH4+-Nin soil and groundwater were evaluated, and the effects of ammonia volatilization on the risk of irritating odors and indoor air quality, as well as the impact on nearby surface water and downstream groundwater with NH4+-N migration and transformation was also evaluated. The results showed that the concentrations of NH4+-N in the soil and groundwater significantly varied in all four sites. The highest concentrations of NH4+-N in the soil of the four sites were as high as 12700.00, 2420.00, 2920.00, and 2370.00mg/kg, respectively, and the highest concentrations in the groundwater were up to 7550.00, 5100.00, 847.00, and 3760.00mg/L, respectively. The high concentration of NH4+-N was mainly distributed around production and the sewage treatment areas. The vertical distribution of NH4+-N in soil was different in four sites, in which the NH4+-N concentration mainly decreases with the increase of depth in site I, in which the soil is mainly clay, while the NH4+-N concentration generally showed an increasing trend with increasing depth in site II, III and IV that the soil is mainly silt sand or silty clay. The hazard quotient of NH4+-N was calculated in site I with a value of 1.54, which slightly exceeded the acceptable risk level (1.0). The concentrations of NH3 (g) detected in soil gas and indoor air were ≤9.88mg/m3 and ≤0.18mg/m3, respectively, which had no adverse effects on indoor air quality. The concentration of groundwater NH4+-N in site I and II nearby the surface water exceeded 1.05to 409.33times the Category IV (1.5mg/L) standard in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water. The concentrations of groundwater NH4+-N in site III and IV were slightly decreased during four times monitoring and the accumulation of nitrate nitrogen was found in the downstream monitoring wells. The results suggested that the human health risk of NH4+-N in the four sites were low, and the impact on indoor air quality was weak. However, the groundwater NH4+-N in the site was a pollution source for nearby surface water and downstream groundwater environment in the long term, and the nitrate nitrogen transformed by NH4+-N was more likely to migrate downstream.This study provides a scientific basis and practical experience for considering the environmental pollution risks of surface water and groundwater when dealing with NH4+-N in a site of nitrogen fertilizer plants in the future.
李永恒.我国氮肥工业历史回顾与发展趋势[J].化肥工业, 2003,21:21-23. Li Y H. Historical review and development trend of nitrogen fertilizer industry in China[J]. Fertilizer Industry, 2003,21:21-23.
[2]
郭俊,师蓉,张巍,等.中国氮肥工业发展历程回顾[J].化肥工业, 2019,46(6):11-14. Guo J, Shi R, Zhang W, et al. Review of the Development History of China's Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry[J]. Fertilizer Industry, 2019,46(6):11-14.
[3]
Atta M, Yaacob W Z W. The fate of ammonium-nitrogen in leachate contaminated groundwater system[J]. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2015,1678:1-9.
[4]
Verberk M M. Effects of ammonia in volunteers[J]. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1977,39(2):73-81.
[5]
Holness D L, Purdham J T, Nethercott J R. Acute and chronic respiratory effects of occupational exposure to ammonia[J]. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, 1989,50(12):646-650.
[6]
王亘,翟增秀,耿静,等.40种典型恶臭物质嗅阈值测定[J].安全与环境学报, 2015,15(6):348-351. Wang G, Zhai Z X, Geng J, et al. Testing and determination of the olfactory thresholds of the 40kinds of typical malodorous substances[J]. Journal of Safety and Environment, 2015,15(6):348-351.
[7]
Nagata Y. Measurement of Odor Threshold by Triangle Odor Bag Method[J]. Odor Measurement Review, 2003:118-127.
[8]
程谊,黄蓉,余云飞,等.应重视硝态氮同化过程在降低土壤硝酸盐浓度中的作用[J].土壤学报, 2017,54(6):1326-1331. Cheng Y, Huang R, Yu Y F, et al. Role of Microbial assimilation of soil NO3-in reducing soil NO3- concentration[J]. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 2017,54(6):1326-1331.
[9]
George M, Wiklund L, Aastrup M, et al. Incidence and geographical distribution of sudden infant death syndrome in relation to content of nitrate in drinking water and groundwater levels[J]. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2001,31(12):1083-1094.
[10]
Atta M, Yaacob W Z W, Jaafar O Bin, et al. Ammoniacal nitrogen contaminated groundwater at taman beringin ex-landfill site:Implication to health and the environment[J]. Advances in Environmental Biology, 2014,8(15):136-142.
[11]
谢雨呈,谭长银,张朝,等.典型肥料生产场地氨氮分布特征及风险控制目标确定[J].环境科学研究, 2019,32(3):465-474. Xie Y C, Tan C Y, Zhang C, et al. Characteristics of ammonia-nitrogen distribution and determination of risk control targets at an abandoned fertilizer production site[J]. Research of Environmental Sciences, 2019,32(3):465-474.
[12]
徐铁兵,刘思言,阎秀兰,等.某化肥厂污染场地土壤和地下水中氨氮分布特征及其非致癌风险评估[J].环境污染与防治, 2021,43:211-216. Xu T B, Liu S Y, Yan L X, et al. Distribution characteristics and non-carcinogenic risk assessment of ammonia nitrogen in the soil and groundwater polluted by a chemical fertilizer contaminated site[J]. Environmental Pollution&Control, 2021,43:211-216.
[13]
Moore T A, Xing Y, Lazenby B, et al. Prevalence of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria in contaminated groundwater[J]. Environmental Science and Technology, 2011,45(17):7217-7225.
[14]
Böhlke J K, Smith R L, Miller D N. Ammonium transport and reaction in contaminated groundwater:Application of isotope tracers and isotope fractionation studies[J]. Water Resources Research, 2006, 42(5):1-19.
[15]
Smits T H M, Hüttmann A, Lerner D N et al. Detection and quantification of bacteria involved in aerobic and anaerobic ammonium oxidation in an ammonium-contaminated aquifer[J]. Bioremediation Journal, 2009,13(1):41-51.
[16]
杜青青,尹芝华,左锐,等.某污染场地氨氮迁移过程模拟研究[J].中国环境科学, 2017,37(12):4585-4595. Du Q Q, Yin Z H, Zuo R, et al. Migration process simulation of ammonia nitrogen in contaminated site[J]. China Environmental Science, 2017,37(12):4585-4595.
[17]
HJ/T 166-2004土壤环境监测技术规范[S]. HJ/T 166-2004 The technical specification for soil environmental monitoring[S].
[18]
DB13/T 5216-2020建设用地土壤污染风险筛选值[S]. DB13/T 5216-2020 Screening value of soil pollution risk of construction land[S].
[19]
GB/T 14848-2017地下水质量标椎[S]. GB/T 14848-2017 Standard for groundwater quality[S].
[20]
Wu H, Song X, Zhao X, et al. Accumulation of nitrate and dissolved organic nitrogen at depth in a red soil Critical Zone[J]. Geoderma, Elsevier, 2019,337(July 2018):1175-1185.
[21]
Wang S, Zheng W, Currell M, et al. Relationship between land-use and sources and fate of nitrate in groundwater in a typical recharge area of the North China Plain[J]. Science of The Total Environment, Elsevier, 2017,609:607-620.
[22]
吴宏,刘银宝.土的分类中塑性指数与黏粒含量的关系[J].中国市政工程, 2008,1:62-67. Wu H, Liu Y B, Relationship between plasticity index and clay content in soil classification[J]. China Municipal Engineering, 2008,1:62-67.
[23]
高秀花,陈鸿汉,李海明,等.不同岩性对氨氮吸附影响的实验研究[J].环境与可持续发展, 2006,(5):55-57. Gao X H, Chen H H, Li H M, et al. The study of the effect of different lithologies on the adsorption of ammonia nitrogen[J]. Environment and Sustainability, 2006,(5):55-57.
[24]
赵丽."三氮"在地下水-包气带中的迁移转化及原位修复技术研究概述[J].地下水, 2016,38(3):24-26. Zhao L, Research overview on migration and transformation of ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite in groundwater-vadose zone and in situ remediation technology[J]. Groundwater, 2016,38(3):24-26.
[25]
Chen J. Adsorption and diffusion of ammonium in soils[J]. Weed Science, 1979,27(4):450-455.
[26]
朱影,庄国强,吴尚华,等.农田土壤氨挥发的过程和控制技术研究[J].环境保护科学, 2016,42(5):3-8. ZhuY, Zhuang G Q, Wu S H, et al. Ammonia Volatilization Process and Control Technology of Farmland Soil[J]. Environmental Protection Science, 2016,42(5):3-8.
[27]
杨青,陈小华,孙从军,等.地下水浅埋区某加油站特征污染物空间分布[J].环境工程学报, 2014,8(1):98-103. Yang Q, Chen X Y, Sun C J, et al. Spatial distribution of typical pollutants of gas stations in shallow water-table areas[J]. Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2014,8(1):98-103.
[28]
EPA U. Toxicological Review of Ammonia Noncancer Inhalation[R]. Washington DC:2016.
[29]
GB/T 18883-2002室内空气质量标准[S]. GB/T 18883-2002 Indoor air quality standard[S].
[30]
ATSDR. Toxicological Profile for Ammonia[R]. 2004(September).
[31]
GB 3838-2002地表水环境质量标准[S]. GB 3838-2002 Environmental quality standards for surface water[S].
[32]
Robertson W D, Van Stempvoort D R, Schiff S L. Nitrogen attenuation in septic system plumes[J]. Groundwater, 2021,59(3):369-380.
[33]
Wells N S, Kappelmeyer U, Knöller K. Anoxic nitrogen cycling in a hydrocarbon and ammonium contaminated aquifer[J]. Water Research, 2018,142:373-382.
[34]
Morrissy J G, Currell M J, Reichman S M, et al. Nitrogen contamination and bioremediation in groundwater and the environment:A review[J]. Earth-Science Reviews, Elsevier, 2021, 222:103816.
[35]
黄炜惠,马春子,李文攀,等.我国地表水溶解氧时空变化及其对全球变暖的响应[J].环境科学学报, 2021,41(5):1970-1980. Huang W H, Ma C Z, Li W P, et al. Spatial-temporal variations of dissolved oxygen and their response to global warming in China[J]. Acta Science Circumstantiae, 2021,41(5):1970-1980.
[36]
Maier U, Rügner H, Grathwohl P. Gradients controlling natural attenuation of ammonium[J]. Applied Geochemistry, 2007,22(12):2606-2617.
[37]
Rivett M O, Buss S R, Morgan P, et al. Nitrate attenuation in groundwater:A review of biogeochemical controlling processes[J]. Water Research, 2008,42(16):4215-4232.