Resource recovery of corn stover in water treatment： nitrate removal from simulated groundwater

WANG Lina; CHEN Lirong; MA Kun; JIA Biao; WANG Zhen

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202606015

Volume 44 Issue 6

Jun. 2026

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WANG Lina, CHEN Lirong, MA Kun, JIA Biao, WANG Zhen. Resource recovery of corn stover in water treatment： nitrate removal from simulated groundwater[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(6): 148-157. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606015

Citation:

WANG Lina, CHEN Lirong, MA Kun, JIA Biao, WANG Zhen. Resource recovery of corn stover in water treatment： nitrate removal from simulated groundwater[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(6): 148-157. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606015

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Resource recovery of corn stover in water treatment： nitrate removal from simulated groundwater

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202606015

1. College of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
2. College of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China

Received Date: 2025-08-21
Accepted Date: 2025-09-25
Rev Recd Date: 2025-09-10

Available Online: 2026-07-06

Abstract

Abstract

This study investigated the performance and tissue-specific mechanisms of corn straw as a solid-phase carbon source for nitrate removal from groundwater. Through cyclic heterotrophic denitrification experiments， the denitrification efficiency， sustainability， DOC release characteristics， carbon utilization efficiency， intermediate accumulation， and environmental parameter variations were systematically evaluated across different tissues （leaf， stem pith， stem bark， stem node， husk， and mixed tissue）. Kinetic modeling， correlation analysis， and structural equation modeling were employed to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of denitrification. The systems utilizing mixed tissues and bracts as carbon sources demonstrated the highest denitrification efficiency， exhibiting favorable slow-release characteristics and sustained carbon supply capacity. Across four repeated denitrification experiments， the nitrate removal rates were consistently maintained above 98%， while the concentrations of byproducts such as NO^-₂-N and NH⁺₄-N remained at low levels. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling revealed that carbon source type primarily influenced total nitrogen removal efficiency indirectly by regulating dissolved organic carbon （DOC） release， which subsequently affected system pH， electrical conductivity， and the transformation pathways of three nitrogen species （NO^-₃-N、NO^-₂-N and NH⁺₄-N）. Significant differences were observed among corn stover tissue-based carbon sources in terms of denitrification efficiency， carbon utilization rate， nitrogen transformation pathways， and micro-environmental regulation. Among them， mixed tissues and bracts emerged as superior carbon sources due to their combined efficiency and stability. However， it is noteworthy that bracts tend to release odorous compounds during the reaction process， which may pose challenges in practical applications and necessitate further treatment.
- corn stover,
- solid carbon source,
- denitrification,
- nitrate removal,
- groundwater pollution

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References(25)

References

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