Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
Published on: October 7, 2020
Nitrogen removal from recycled landfill leachate by ex situ nitrification and in situ denitrification
1State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China. solidwaste@mail.tongji.edu.cn
Abstract:
A three-compartment system, comprising a landfill column with fresh municipal solid waste, a column with a well-decomposed refuse layer as methane producer, and a sequential batch reactor as ex situ nitrifying reactor, was employed to remove nitrogen from municipal solid waste leachate. Since food waste comprised a major portion of refuse collected in Shanghai, an intense hydrolysis reaction occurred and caused the rapid accumulation of ammonia nitrogen (NH(3)-N) and total organic carbon in the leachate. This paper discusses the role of the three mentioned units and the design and operation of the proposed system. With most NH(3)-N being converted to nitrite nitrogen (NO(2)(-)-N) or nitrate nitrogen (NO(3)(-)-N) by the nitrifying reactor, and with the well-decomposed refuse layer transforming most dissolved organic compounds to CO(2), carbonates and methane, it was found that the fresh refuse column could efficiently denitrify the hydrolyzed nitrogen to N(2) gas. The role of the three mentioned units and comments on the design and operation of the proposed system are also discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation
Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Bioremediation
Biological Treatment of Effluent and Waste Water
Microbial Leaching

