Effective nitrogen removal during different periods of a field-scale bioretention system

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 25; no. 18; pp. 17855 - 17861
• Main Authors: Wan, Zhexi, Li, Tian, Liu, Yutong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; bioretention areas; Composting; Denitrification; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Hydraulic loading; Laboratories; Leaching; Load distribution; Loading rate; Nitrate removal; Nitrates; Nitrates - chemistry; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - chemistry; Nitrogen removal; Nutrient removal; Pollutants; Rain; Research Article; Retention basins; Runoff; species; Stormwater; Stormwater management; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water Purification - methods; Wood; Wood chips; Denitrification; Low impact development; Wet period; Bioretention; Wood chips; Nitrogen leaching
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1954-x

Bioretention systems are designed to manage stormwater, but they are always subject to substantial nitrate leaching. In previous laboratory-scale experiments, nitrate removal was enhanced using wood chips as a medium. However, the ability of field-scale systems to transform and remove nitrogen species is not well understood. Here, we report a wood-chip bioretention system that accepts the natural runoff from an elevated highway. The transformation of different nitrogen species indicates that the field-scale system with wood chips also inhibits nitrogen leaching. Nitrate removal was mainly found during the wet period, and was affected by the hydraulic loading rate of the system. Overall, this study showed that the field performance of the wood-chip bioretention system effectively removes nitrogen. In addition, the main period associated with the nitrogen removal process was identified.