Influence of solar radiation on nitrogen recovery by the biomass grown in high rate ponds

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of different solar radiation intensities on nitrogen assimilation by a consortium of bacteria and microalgae grown in pilot scale high rate ponds (HRP) treating domestic wastewater. The HRPs received effluent from an anaerobic reactor. The experiment was carried out under tropical climate conditions. A total of five HRPs were used; four of them were covered with shading screens that blocked 9%, 18%, 30% and 60% of the incident solar radiation. Nitrification was the main process for nitrogen removal/transformation in all HRPs and the volatilization of ammonia nitrogen occurred in levels below the expected range due to low pH values. The organic nitrogen concentration followed the same trend of the biomass production, but no statistical difference was found between the 60% screen HRP and the uncovered one, which led to the conclusion that the intensity of the photosynthetically active radiation does not compromise nitrogen assimilation, since the bacterial biomass may develop in conditions that are unfavorable to the growth of microalgae. Moreover, other aspects, such as CO2 addition, may reduce nitrogen losses by volatilization and denitrification, as well as contribute to recover this nutrient through biomass assimilation.