Bednarek A., Szklarek S., Gągała I., Dziedziczak K., Serwecińska L., Zaborowski A., Dziadek J., Mankiewicz–Boczek J. and Zalewski M.
European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
The application of methods based on a denitrification process has created an opportunity to increase the efficiency of groundwater protection in the catchment scale. The aim of the study was to test the efficiency of nitrates removal in denitrifying barriers, composed with different organic carbon sources – harl, mix of: pinus sawdust/straw, lignite/charcoal lime and straw/lignite. Pollution emitted from point and non-point sources ranged respectively from 200 mg/L to 2000 mg/L, and from 50 mg/L to 200 mg/L. Barriers constructed around the point-sources indicated that nitrogen was reduced from 52% to 72% and it was mainly dependent from incoming nitrogen load. The removal of nitrate from diffused sources amounted to 15-56%. In turn, the time of the removal of nitrogen compounds in barriers installed in rural areas was about 6-7 weeks. The results suggest that denitrification barriers, applied around point sources, compared to barriers for nitrates removal from diffused pollution, have the best cost- effectiveness ratio of nitrates removal in the area of intensive farming.
Study supported by the NCRD DP NR14 0061/2009, “GEOFIBROUS” and NCRD, PBS1/A8/5/2012 “MIKRAZO”
Keywords: Denitrifying barrier, carbon substrates, agricultural pollutions.