Applying the ¹⁵N labelling technique to material derived from a landfill simulation experiment to understand nitrogen cycle processes under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Abstract

Reactive nitrogen (N) species, such as ammonium (NH₄⁺), nitrate (NO₃) and gaseous nitrous oxide (N₂O), are released into the environment during the degradation of municipal solid waste (MSW), causing persistent environmental problems. Landfill remediation measures, such as in-situ aeration, may accelerate the degradation of organic compounds and reduce the discharge of ammonium via leachate. Nonetheless, the actual amount of N in the waste material remains relatively constant and a coherent explanation for the decline in leachate ammonium concentrations is still lacking. Hence, the present study aimed to elucidate the dynamics of N and its transformation processes during waste degradation. To this end, the gross rates of organic N mineralization and nitrification were measured using ¹⁵N pool dilution in waste material derived from a landfill simulation reactor (LSR) experiment. The results revealed a high potential for N mineralization and nitrification, the latter of which declined with the diminishing amount of extractable ammonium (after aeration). The analysis of the concentration and isotopic composition of N₂O formed confirmed incomplete denitrification as the main source for N₂O. Moreover, the natural abundance of ¹⁵N was investigated in various waste N pools to verify the conclusions drawn from the ¹⁵N tracing experiment. δ¹⁵N values of total waste N increased during aeration, indicating that nitrification is the major driver for N losses from aerated waste. The application of stable isotopes thereby allowed unprecedented insights into the complex N dynamics in decomposing landfill waste, of their response to aeration and their effect on hydrological versus gaseous loss pathways.