Effect of the Combined Use of Denitrifying Bacteria, Calcium Nitrate, and Zirconium-Modified Zeolite on the Mobilization of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Sediments and Evaluation of Its Nitrate-Nitrogen Releasing Risk

Abstract

In this work, the influence of an integrated method based on calcium nitrate, denitrifying bacteria, and zirconium-modified zeolite (CN+DB+ZZ) on the transport and transformation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in sediments was investigated, and the risk of nitrate release from the calcium nitrate-injected sediment was evaluated. The effects of the single calcium nitrate injection (CN), calcium nitrate, and denitrifying bacteria combined treatment (CN+DB) and the combined treatment using calcium nitrate injection and zirconium-modified zeolite capping (CN+ZZ) on the mobilization of N and P in sediment were compared, and the nitrate releasing risk of these methods was also evaluated. The results indicated that although CN treatment could effectively control the P release from the sediment, this method could not effectively control the release of ammonium-nitrogen from sediment and has a high risk of releasing nitrate-nitrogen. The CN+DB combined method not only could effectively control the liberation of sedimentary P but also reduce the risk of nitrate-nitrogen release from the calcium nitrate-injected sediment compared with the single CN method. However, the CN+DB combined method could not effectively control the release of ammonium-nitrogen from the sediment. The CN+ZZ combined treatment not only could effectively prevent the release of sedimentary P but could also greatly reduce the release of ammonium-nitrogen from the sediment. However, the CN+ZZ combined method could result in a substantial release of nitrate-nitrogen from the calcium nitrate-injected sediment. The CN+DB+ZZ combined technology could effectively control the release of P from sediment as well as greatly reduce the risk of ammonium-nitrogen release from the sediment. Furthermore, the CN+DB+ZZ combined method resulted in a significant reduction of nitrate-nitrogen released from the calcium nitrate-injected sediment compared with the CN and CN+ZZ treatment methods. The prevention of the dissolution of the P-bound iron oxide/hydroxide in the sediment, the reduction of redox-sensitive P in sediment, and the improvement of the phosphate and ammonium adsorption abilities of sediment by the CN+DB+ZZ combined method is critical to control the release of phosphorus and ammonium-nitrogen from sediment using this method. Results of this study reveal that the CN+DB+ZZ combined technology could be a promising method for the control of phosphorus and ammonium-nitrogen release from sediments.