Nitrogen fixation in an aerated stabilization basin treating bleached kraft mill wastewater

Pulp and paper mill wastewaters normally contain very low concentrations of nitrogen, but many pulp mill aerated stabilization basin (ASB) treatment systems are operated with no supplemental nitrogen, while achieving high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) removal. A nutrient mass-balance study, undertaken across one of the aerated lagoons in such an ASB system, found that a substantial input of nitrogen was occurring within this pond, amounting to approximately 600 kg nitrogen per day. Direct measurement of acetylene reduction (nitrogen fixation), both in the pond and in a laboratory simulation, showed that bacterial nitrogen fixation was responsible for the input of nitrogen. Most of the nitrogen for bacterial growth within the lagoon was supplied by atmospheric nitrogen fixation, and, consequently, nitrogen fixation was critical to overall system effectiveness. It appears that elevated dissolved oxygen concentrations may inhibit fixation. This may be an important constraint on the operation of such ASB systems, especially for the first lagoon, and represents a potential change to current thinking. The implications of bacterial nitrogen fixation, with respect to the effective operation and control of kraft mill ASB systems, are discussed.