Effect of Fulvic Acid on the Denitrification in Deep Subsurface Wastewater Infiltration System

Abstract

This work aims to explore the impact of fulvic acid (FA) on denitrification within the purification process of sewage in the deep subsurface wastewater infiltration system (DSWIS). In the system, an organic glass column (height = 2.40 m; radius = 0.30 m) was filled with several layers of soil. Simulated domestic wastewater and extracted FA from landfill leachate were used in the experiments. It was found that before and after the addition of FA, COD, and NH4+-N were efficiently removed when a hydraulic load was 8 cm·d-1. Moreover, after FA addition, the removal efficiency of TN was enhanced from 67.74% to 78.01%. Organic matter transformation analysis indicated that in the under part, the shortage of carbon sources limited the denitrification prior to FA addition, resulting in a low TN removal efficiency. However, after adding FA, more FA-like substances were transferred into protein-like matters than before the addition of FA, which has helped produce more easily biodegradable organics for denitrification. So, the addition of FA could enhance the denitrification process in the system of DSWIS.