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Vertical flow constructed wetlands for the treatment of inorganic ...

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<strong>inorganic</strong> carbon (i.e. CO2 or HCO3 - ) into biomass. They are also aerobic, usually<br />

employing O2 as final electron acceptor. This sole energy source is used <strong>for</strong> carbon<br />

fixation, assimilation <strong>of</strong> monomers into precursor metabolites and subsequent<br />

polymerization <strong>of</strong> building blocks and macromolecules (Hagopian and Riley 1998).<br />

Bacteria derive only a small amount <strong>of</strong> energy from <strong>the</strong> combined processes <strong>of</strong><br />

nitrification, only 0.17 g <strong>of</strong> dry weight biomass is produced when 1g <strong>of</strong> NH3-N is<br />

oxidised (USEPA, 1993). The first exogenous reaction (2.11) releases more than four<br />

times more energy than <strong>the</strong> second (2.15) (Gibbs and Schiff, 1960).<br />

2.4.2.2 Denitrification (dissimilatory nitrate reduction, nitrate dissimilation, nitrate<br />

respiration)<br />

Under anoxic conditions and when easily biodegradable carbon is available<br />

heterotrophic organisms reduce NO3 - � NO2 - � NO � N2O � N2 according to<br />

equations below, acetate is used as <strong>the</strong> electron donor in this case (Third, 2003):<br />

8NO3 - (aq) + 2CH3COOH � 8NO2 - (aq) + 4CO2 + 4H2O (2.16)<br />

8NO2 - (aq) + CH3COOH + 2 H2O � 8NO (g) + 2CO2 + 8OH - (2.17)<br />

8NO (g) + CH3COOH � 4N2O (g) + 2CO2 + 2H2O (2.18)<br />

4N2O (g) + CH3COOH � 4N2(g) + 2CO2 + 2H2O (2.19)<br />

8NO3 - (aq) + 5CH3COOH � 4N2 (g) + 10CO2 + 6H2O + 8OH - (2.20)<br />

The ability to denitrify is widespread among bacteria <strong>of</strong> unrelated systematic<br />

affiliations, most likely due to lateral gene transfer in evolution (Bo<strong>the</strong> et al., 2000).<br />

Also o<strong>the</strong>r organisms such as Archaea (Zumft, 1997), <strong>the</strong> mitochondria <strong>of</strong> some fungi<br />

(Kobayashi et al., 1996) and even Nitrosomonas (Bock et al., 1995) have been reported<br />

to denitrify. As seen in equation 2.20, alkalinity (OH-) is produced during denitrification.<br />

Because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> opposing oxygen requirements <strong>for</strong> nitrification and<br />

denitrification, <strong>the</strong>se processes are usually separated by space (activated sludge) or<br />

time (sequencing batch reactors) in conventional municipal wastewater <strong>treatment</strong><br />

plants (Third, 2003). Denitrification requires an organic carbon source which is usually<br />

lacking at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nitrification stage where organic matter has already been<br />

20

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