ISSN:
1573-2932
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
Notes:
Abstract A septic system drainfield that had been in use for 6 yr was instrumented to study the vertical and horizontal movement of N and C. The original system was designed so that the effluent from the septic tank could be deverted to either of two parallel leaching trenches. Each trench contained three precast leaching chambers (1.22 m×2.44 m×0.3 m) placed end to end at a depth of 1.4 m. Since installation each trench had been used alternately for 6 mo periods. In each of the 2 yr of this study, effluent began to pond in the leaching chamber within 24 h after the effluent was directed to that trench. Approximately 100 days were required to develop a quasi steady state with respect to the depth of ponding and concentrations of N and C in the soil solution. In both years of the study about 25% of the influent-N was mineralized. However, in the first year very little nitrification occurred while in the second year essentially all of the NH4 in the soil profile was nitrified and moved without apparent loss to the groundwater. These differences in N transformation appeared to be indirectly controlled by rainfall with 50% less precipitation received in the second than in the first year.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02262529
