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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Water Quality Management
  • Agricultural Science

Background:

  • Denitrifying woodchip bioreactors are crucial for removing nitrate-nitrogen (N) from agricultural runoff.
  • Flow variability in subsurface drainage systems can limit bioreactor efficiency.
  • Few studies have assessed field-scale pumping configurations in bioreactors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of a solar-powered pumping system on a denitrifying woodchip bioreactor's performance.
  • To assess nitrate-nitrogen removal rates and efficiencies with and without pumping.
  • To determine the benefits and drawbacks of retrofitting bioreactors with pumping systems.

Main Methods:

  • A field-scale "ditch diversion" bioreactor was retrofitted with a solar-powered pump.
  • The pumped bioreactor was monitored for 29 days in 2022 and 93 days in 2023.
  • Performance was compared to historic data from the non-pumped period (2019-2021).

Main Results:

  • The pumped bioreactor achieved average N removal rates of 7.5 g N/m³-d (2022) and 5.2 g N/m³-d (2023).
  • N removal efficiencies were 50% (2022) and 61% (2023), generally improving upon non-pumped periods.
  • The diurnal batch operation from solar pumping led to increased overnight water temperatures, potentially boosting performance.

Conclusions:

  • Pumping can enhance bioreactor performance, particularly for underloaded systems, by stabilizing flow.
  • The addition of a pump showed a slight improvement in N load removal compared to conventional bioreactors.
  • The increased complexity and cost associated with pumping systems must be carefully weighed against performance benefits.