Review
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Yuchuan Fan, Jie Zhuang, Michael Essington, Sindhu Jagadamma, John Schwartz, Jaehoon Lee
Summary: This study summarizes 41 types of substrates using a dataset collected from 63 peer-reviewed articles, which include 219 independent denitrifying bioreactor units. The analysis indicates that woodchips and corncobs are the most cost-effective substrates among natural carbon substrates, and multiple materials substrates are recommended as the optimal choice, especially woodchip-based and corncob-based substrates, which have great potential for improvement. This analysis can assist in optimizing the design of denitrifying bioreactors to meet the environmental, economic, and practical requirements of users.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yuchuan Fan, Jie Zhuang, Michael Essington, Xi Zhang, Guanghui Hua, Jehangir Bhadha, Shaopan Xia, Xuanyu Lu, Jaehoon Lee
Summary: In this study, two nonlinear models were developed to characterize the relationship between nitrate removal indices and hydraulic retention time. Experimental results showed that the Mitscherlich model outperformed the developed Michaelis-Menten model and provided the optimal HRT. This study is important for optimizing nitrate removal.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fabio Manca, Carla Wegscheidl, Rhianna Robinson, Suzette Argent, Christopher Algar, Daniele De Rosa, Matthew Griffiths, Fiona George, David Rowlings, Louis Schipper, Peter Grace
Summary: This study trialed different designs of woodchip bioreactors to quantify their NO3- removal performance in sugar cane farms in North Queensland. The results showed that the bioreactors were effective at reducing NO3- runoff to the Great Barrier Reef, with the beds exhibiting a higher NO3- removal rate compared to the wall.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Reza Moghaddam, Greg Barkle, Aldrin Rivas, Louis Schipper
Summary: Denitrifying bioreactors are effective for removing nitrate from non-point wastewater, but nitrate removal may decline over time and low temperature. Adding an external carbon source has been found to enhance nitrate removal rates, but the possible adverse effects of carbon dosing, such as clogging and reduced hydraulic efficiency, need to be investigated.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bryan M. Maxwell, Richard A. Cooke, Laura E. Christianson
Summary: Denitrifying bioreactors are an effective way to reduce nitrate loads in subsurface agricultural drainage. The study examined the performance of paired bioreactors in a large field in Illinois, USA and found that increasing the cross-sectional area improved flow capture, while short hydraulic retention times (HRTs) limited nitrate removal efficiency.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bryan M. Maxwell, Richard A. Cooke, Laura E. Christianson
Summary: The study found that increasing the cross-sectional area of the bioreactor can improve flow capture capacity, but the removal efficiency of nitrogen loads is not significant for large drainage areas. The paired bioreactor design operated as intended, but short hydraulic retention times ultimately limited nitrate removal efficiency.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rasa Vismontiene, Arvydas Povilaitis
Summary: The study demonstrated the potential for improving NO3-N removal by incorporating 20% biochar into woodchips. However, the addition of biochar to woodchips can lead to significant releases of PO4-P and other elements, posing potential adverse effects. The use of biochar in woodchip bioreactors is limited and complicated, emphasizing the importance of determining its retention capacity for relevant substances based on feedstock and properties.
Article
Ecology
Alexander W. Cheesman, Shannon Todd, Liz Owen, Dennis AhKee, Han She Lim, Maureen Masson, Paul N. Nelson
Summary: The performance of Denitrifying woodchip bioreactors installed in open drains in the Wet Tropics of Australia was assessed in this study. Results showed that the bioreactors can reduce nitrate-N concentrations, but their performance is influenced by nitrogen loads and hydraulic context. Therefore, the application of this technology in the Wet Tropics region needs to consider the dynamic changes in nitrate loads.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Paula Sanchez Bustamante-Bailon, Andrew Margenot, Richard A. C. Cooke, Laura E. Christianson
Summary: Denitrifying woodchip bioreactors are effective in removing nitrogen, but their potential for phosphorus removal is influenced by the aluminum and iron content in the woodchips, as well as factors like water matrix and particle size. While woodchip bioreactors may contribute to dissolved phosphorus removal, the mechanisms involved are likely diverse, including chemical sorption and particle purification.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Abdoul Kouanda, Guanghui Hua
Summary: Woodchip bioreactors are effective in reducing nitrate contamination in agricultural drainage, wastewater, and stormwater. By studying the Michaelis-Menten model parameters, it was found that composted woodchip bioreactors had the highest nitrate removal efficiency, and composting woodchips before installation can enhance denitrification performance.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Utsav Thapa, Laurent Ahiablame, Jeppe Kjaersgaard, Christopher Hay
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of four woodchip bioreactors in removing nitrate-nitrogen from subsurface drainage in South Dakota. The results showed that the bioreactors had a good removal rate of 5% to 100% and were influenced by temperature, flow rate, and hydraulic retention time.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Sua Lee, Min Cho, Michael J. Sadowsky, Jeonghwan Jang
Summary: Nitrate (NO3-) is a main nitrogen pollutant leached from agricultural soils, causing environmental and public health problems. Bioreactors containing microbes can convert NO3- to harmless N-2 gas. Woodchip bioreactors (WBRs) are considered a cost-effective strategy for nitrate removal, but research on the microorganisms involved is limited.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Meng Jiang, Yating Wu, Shiyin Hu, Qingxi Li, Shouwen Chen
Summary: This study enriched a high-efficiency denitrification community by gradually shifting the COD/N ratio and assembled a simplified denitrification microbial consortium. The novel consortium achieved a 98.4% total nitrogen removal rate at a COD/N ratio of 3.2 and enhanced the denitrification performance of nitrate-contaminated groundwater under low COD/N ratios.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Reza Moghaddam, Dorisel Torres-Rojas, Louis Schipper
Summary: This study assessed the effects of methanol dosing on nitrate removal rates in mesocosm-scale bioreactors and investigated the changes in sulfate reduction rates and methanol consumption. The results showed that methanol dosing significantly increased the removal rates of nitrate and sulfate.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui Zhang, Lin Song, Xiaolin Chen, Pengcheng Li
Summary: The study showed that using seaweed polysaccharides as stimulant can promote the growth and enhance the nitrate removal efficiency of denitrifying bacteria, which is significant in mitigating soil salinization, improving nitrogen utilization efficiency, and avoiding toxic effects on plants and the environment.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Pete Smith, Jean-Francois Soussana, Denis Angers, Louis Schipper, Claire Chenu, Daniel P. Rasse, Niels H. Batjes, Fenny van Egmond, Stephen McNeill, Matthias Kuhnert, Cristina Arias-Navarro, Jorgen E. Olesen, Ngonidzashe Chirinda, Dario Fornara, Eva Wollenberg, Jorge Alvaro-Fuentes, Alberto Sanz-Cobena, Katja Klumpp
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joshua L. Ratcliffe, David Campbell, Louis A. Schipper, Aaron M. Wall, Beverley R. Clarkson
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shiyang Li, Rabin Bhattarai, Richard A. Cooke, Siddhartha Verma, Xiangfeng Huang, Momcilo Markus, Laura Christianson
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2020)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Christine Lepine, Laura Christianson, David Soucek, Gregory McIsaac, Steven Summerfelt
Summary: The denitrifying woodchip bioreactor is capable of remediating nitrate-rich water, but may leach detrimental woodbound contaminants which could affect the reuse of outflow water. Outflow water quality from two different hardwood species showed minor differences, with concentrations of total ammonia nitrogen and tannins-lignin being influenced by operational phases.
AQUACULTURAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Joshua L. Ratcliffe, David J. Lowe, Louis A. Schipper, Maria J. Gehrels, Amanda D. French, David Campbell
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katharyn A. Duffy, Christopher R. Schwalm, Vickery L. Arcus, George W. Koch, Liyin L. Liang, Louis A. Schipper
Summary: The temperature dependence of global photosynthesis and respiration influences the strength of land carbon sink, with the average temperature of the warmest quarter exceeding the thermal maximum for photosynthesis over the past decade, leading to a potential halving of land sink strength in the future.
Article
Agronomy
J. P. Goodrich, A. M. Wall, D. Campbell, D. Fletcher, A. R. Wecking, L. A. Schipper
Summary: This study introduces a new approach for evaluating emissions mitigation options by partitioning data by source footprint contribution. Machine learning algorithms are used in conjunction with eddy covariance measurements to estimate annual uncertainties for N2O emissions in temperate grazed grasslands.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chengjin Ma, Laura Christianson, Xiangfeng Huang, Reid Christianson, Richard A. Cooke, Rabin Bhattarai, Shiyang Li
Summary: The study found that the heated tourmaline treatment in woodchip bioreactors can effectively reduce clogging and optimize nitrate removal efficiency. Temperature was identified as the key factor impacting the tourmaline treatment, with heated tourmaline treatment showing the lowest biofilm growth and higher abundance of denitrifying bacteria for increased denitrification efficiency.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Niranga M. Wickramarathne, Laura E. Christianson, Mary E. Foltz, Julie L. Zilles, Reid D. Christianson, Richard A. C. Cooke
Summary: Ash and oak tree species can be used as carbon sources for denitrifying bioreactors, but their effectiveness varies. The study found that EAB-killed ash wood performed similarly to commercially available hardwood chips in nitrate removal, but was not as effective as oak wood chips.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shane W. Stoner, Alison M. Hoyt, Susan Trumbore, Carlos A. Sierra, Marion Schrumpf, Sebastian Doetterl, W. Troy Baisden, Louis A. Schipper
Summary: The study found that long-term phosphorus fertilizer and irrigation treatments can increase carbon storage in grasslands, with increased decomposition rates in fast cycling carbon to offset input increases. Increasing phosphorus fertilization also led to increased decomposition rates in the slow pool.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Paula Sanchez Bustamante-Bailon, Andrew Margenot, Richard A. C. Cooke, Laura E. Christianson
Summary: Denitrifying woodchip bioreactors are effective in removing nitrogen, but their potential for phosphorus removal is influenced by the aluminum and iron content in the woodchips, as well as factors like water matrix and particle size. While woodchip bioreactors may contribute to dissolved phosphorus removal, the mechanisms involved are likely diverse, including chemical sorption and particle purification.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giovani Preza-Fontes, Cameron M. Pittelkow, Kristin D. Greer, Rabin Bhattarai, Laura E. Christianson
Summary: Combining split-N application with cover crops shows promise in reducing nitrate-N losses without negatively impacting crop productivity, thus potentially meeting the statewide interim milestone NO3-N reduction target of 15% by 2025.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gabriel Y. K. Moinet, Manpreet K. Dhami, John E. Hunt, Anastasija Podolyan, Liyin L. Liang, Louis A. Schipper, David Whitehead, Jonathan Nunez, Adriano Nascente, Peter Millard
Summary: The study found that soil microbial communities adapt to long-term warming, but substrate quality and quantity exert a stronger influence on selecting for distinct thermal traits than temperature.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Liyin L. Liang, Miko U. F. Kirschbaum, Vickery L. Arcus, Louis A. Schipper
Summary: Climate warming can reduce global soil carbon stocks by enhancing microbial decomposition. Previous research suggested a negative relationship between carbon quality and temperature sensitivity, implying that recalcitrant carbon is more sensitive to temperature. However, new research indicates that this relationship may be an invalid artifact caused by the arbitrary choice of reference temperature. By using the uncatalysed reaction rate as the carbon quality index, it was found that there is no relationship between carbon quality and temperature sensitivity in enzyme-catalysed reactions. This suggests that the temperature sensitivity of microbial decomposition of soil carbon is similar regardless of its quality, alleviating concerns about the acceleration of warming-induced decomposition of recalcitrant carbon.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
L. E. Christianson, R. A. Cooke, C. H. Hay, M. J. Helmers, G. W. Feyereisen, A. Z. Ranaivoson, J. T. McMaine, R. McDaniel, T. R. Rosen, W. T. Pluer, L. A. Schipper, H. Dougherty, R. J. Robinson, I. A. Layden, S. M. Irvine-Brown, F. Manca, K. Dhaese, V Nelissen, M. von Ahnen
Summary: Denitrifying bioreactors enhance natural denitrification processes practically, treating nitrate-nitrogen in various water sources. They follow USDA-NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 605 in the U.S. and have shown consistent nitrate-N removal efficiencies worldwide, with reported removal rates of around 46%, and installation costs ranging from under $5,000 to $27,000. Monitoring setup and reporting measures are recommended for assessing bioreactor performance.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASABE
(2021)