Effects of nitrogen-rich wastewater reuse on aerobic fermentation performance of substrates with different carbon-nitrogen ratios

ZHANG Jingmin; XIE Dong; TANG Shizhao; MA Ruichuan; GAO Ming; WU Chuanfu

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202607014

Volume 44 Issue 7

Jul. 2026

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ZHANG Jingmin, XIE Dong, TANG Shizhao, MA Ruichuan, GAO Ming, WU Chuanfu. Effects of nitrogen-rich wastewater reuse on aerobic fermentation performance of substrates with different carbon-nitrogen ratios[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 129-142. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607014

Citation:

ZHANG Jingmin, XIE Dong, TANG Shizhao, MA Ruichuan, GAO Ming, WU Chuanfu. Effects of nitrogen-rich wastewater reuse on aerobic fermentation performance of substrates with different carbon-nitrogen ratios[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 129-142. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607014

Citation:

ZHANG Jingmin, XIE Dong, TANG Shizhao, MA Ruichuan, GAO Ming, WU Chuanfu. Effects of nitrogen-rich wastewater reuse on aerobic fermentation performance of substrates with different carbon-nitrogen ratios[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 129-142. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607014

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Effects of nitrogen-rich wastewater reuse on aerobic fermentation performance of substrates with different carbon-nitrogen ratios

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607014

1. School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China;
2. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Received Date: 2026-04-21
Available Online: 2026-09-01

Abstract

Abstract

Reducing ammonia emissions during the composting process and recovering the lost nitrogen are effective ways to increase the nitrogen content in compost products. As an end-of-pipe odor control technology， the biological trickling filter not only purifies ammonia-containing odors but also retains nitrogen from the odors in the form of various inorganic nitrogen compounds within the trickling filter effluent. Therefore， the reuse of nitrogen-containing trickling filter effluent offers a potential solution for recovering lost nitrogen. However， the impact of reusing nitrogen-containing leachate on the composting process within an appropriate carbon-to-nitrogen ratio range （20.0∶1 to 30.0∶1） remains unclear. This study employed biogas residue， sawdust， food waste， and mushroom residue as composting raw materials. Taking the initial C/N ratio of materials as the controlled variable， four experimental groups were established， including the low C/N ratio compost with recycled nitrogen-containing waste liquid （LRN）， the low C/N ratio compost with recycled deionized water （LRW）， the high C/N ratio compost with recycled nitrogen-containing waste liquid （HRN）， and the high C/N ratio compost with recycled deionized water （HRW）. The effects of simulated nitrogen-containing leachate （2000 mg/L NH⁺₄-N and 2000 mg/L NO^-₂-N） recycling on the degree of humification， nitrogen transformation， and greenhouse gas emissions during aerobic fermentation were investigated. The results indicated that the reuse of nitrogen-containing wastewater did not inhibit the final decomposition degree of the product； the pH and seed germination index of the final compost product both complied with the national standard for organic fertilizers. Furthermore， the cumulative emissions of total greenhouse gases， N₂O and NH₃ in the HRN group were reduced by 20.32% to 30.35%， 0.67% to 53.38%， and 52.14% to 62.15%， respectively， compared to the LRN group and the control group （LRW group）. Although the cumulative emissions of total greenhouse gases and NH₃ in the HRN group were slightly higher than those in the HRW group （increased by 4.56% and 4.99%， respectively）， the nitrogen content of final compost products in the HRN group （4691.27 mg/kg） was higher than that in the HRW group （4514.96 mg/kg）. This was mainly attributed to the sufficient carbon source under high C/N ratio condition， which promoted microbial assimilation and fixation of nitrogen. In contrast， under low C/N condition， insufficient carbon sources led to ammonium-nitrogen accumulation and volatilization as well as incomplete denitrification after nitrogen-containing waste liquid recycling， thereby exacerbating NH₃ and N₂O emissions. Specifically， the emissions in the LRN group increased by 26.43% and 112.99% compared with the LRW group， respectively.
- organic waste,
- composting,
- carbon-to-nitrogen ratio,
- nitrogen-rich waste liquid,
- nitrogen transformation

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References(59)

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