Journal article

Publication year: 1995

Pages: 419-422

Journal: Experientia : interdisciplinary journal for the life sciences

Volume number: 51

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 0014-4754

Publisher: Birkhäuser

Abstract: 
Waste water purification is characterized by intensive mineralization and nitrification processes. Because of the high O-2 demand, temporarily anaerobic conditions may be produced. and denitrification by nitrifying organisms as well as hetertropic denitrification may contribute to N2O release. In situ measurements (1993-1994) suggest that N2O is released from activated sludge in a domestic waste water treatment plant at an average rate of 1040 mu g m(-2) h(-1) with a range between zero and 6198 mu g m(-2) h(-1). The production of N2O seems to be related to the concentration of NO2- and NO3- as well as to the pH. In the waste water about 75-200 mu g N2O l(-1) is dissolved. This N2O is released after discharge into the receiving waters. The N2O is produced essentially by nitrification rather than by heterotropic denitrification. On a long-term scale the increasing use of mechanical-biological waste water purification plants world-wide may add increasingly to the anthropogenic production of N2O, although the present amount of N2O produced is negligible compared to its global terrestrial production.

Harvard Citation style: SUMER, E., WEISKE, A., BENCKISER, G. and OTTOW, J. (1995) INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL-CONDITIONS ON THE AMOUNT OF N2O RELEASED FROM ACTIVATED-SLUDGE IN A DOMESTIC WASTE-WATER TREATMENT-PLANT, Experientia : interdisciplinary journal for the life sciences, 51(4), pp. 419-422

APA Citation style: SUMER, E., WEISKE, A., BENCKISER, G., & OTTOW, J. (1995). INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL-CONDITIONS ON THE AMOUNT OF N2O RELEASED FROM ACTIVATED-SLUDGE IN A DOMESTIC WASTE-WATER TREATMENT-PLANT. Experientia : interdisciplinary journal for the life sciences. 51(4), 419-422.