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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Design and Construction of an Experimental Setup to Enhance Mineral Weathering through the Activity of Soil Organisms
Published on: November 10, 2023
Enhancing pyrite-based bioretention systems under complex stormwater conditions using a mixed carbon source strategy:
Hao Zheng1, Haiyuan Ma1, Zheng Kong2
1State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China.
None:
Pyrite-based bioretention systems hold substantial promise for the simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from stormwater runoff. However, their performance under high-frequency and high-intensity rainfall conditions is often limited by the low electron-supply capacity of pyrite. To address this limitation, a mixed carbon source strategy was developed to enhance nutrient removal under complex rainfall conditions. Four bioretention systems, including the mixed carbon source-pyrite system (WCP), woodchip-pyrite system, corncob-pyrite system, and pyrite-only system, were constructed and systematically evaluated under simulated rainfall events with varying intensities and frequencies. Among all systems, WCP consistently achieved the best performance, with removal efficiencies of 88.1 ± 1.3% for ammonium, 86.6 ± 1.9% for nitrate, 87.0 ± 2.0% for total dissolved nitrogen, and 83.3 ± 4.3% for total dissolved phosphorus. Mechanistic analyses revealed that readily biodegradable carbon released from corncob promoted rapid heterotrophic denitrification during rainfall events, whereas recalcitrant carbon released from woodchips sustained pyrite-driven autotrophic denitrification during drying periods. Their complementary carbon-release characteristics synergistically enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal. In addition, mixed carbon sources reshaped the microbial community, enhanced cooperation between autotrophic and heterotrophic functional groups, and improved nitrogen transformation and electron transfer efficiency. Media characterization further showed that mixed carbon sources promoted FeS/FeS2 cycling, thereby facilitating pyrite regeneration and supporting long-term operational stability. Overall, this study elucidates a multi-dimensional enhancement mechanism driven by mixed carbon sources-complementary carbon release, microbial restructuring, and pyrite regeneration-and provides a robust and sustainable strategy for nutrient control in stormwater bioretention systems under complex rainfall conditions.
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