The Study of Nitrogen Transformation in Fresh Water: Experiments and Mathematical Modeling

Leonov, A.V. & Toth, D. (1981). The Study of Nitrogen Transformation in Fresh Water: Experiments and Mathematical Modeling. IIASA Collaborative Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: CP-81-024

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Abstract

Two main transformations occur in water environments -- one due to the effect of microorganisms and the other due to chemical reactions. Both transformations are very closely interwoven. Of the transformation processes in the water environment, nitrogen transformation is perhaps the most interesting because nitrogen and its compounds (both organic and mineral), affect the development of practically all aquatic microorganisms and therefore determine the trophic state and the quality of a water environment. Nitrogen compounds are present in sewage and other waste water discharged into water bodies. Therefore, it is quite understandable why during the last few years nitrogen transformation is the subject of study at descriptive and experimental levels, as well as by mathematical modeling techniques. This paper reports on the results of a collaborative study between IIASA and the Institute of Experimental Biology and Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, on nitrogen transformations. The data of twelve experiments covering a broad set of initial conditions in nitrogen concentrations and at two temperatures (180 degrees Celsius and 120 degrees Celsius) are presented in this report. These experimental data were analyzed with the help of the mathematical model developed at IIASA (WP-80-86) and intended for understanding processes of nitrogen transformation in water environments. The results of model description of nitrogen compound dynamics are evaluated by statistics to find a quantitative criteria in model assessment. In the discussion of simulation results, attention was focused on the analysis of bacterial activities in the conversion of organic as well as mineral nitrogen forms. The results reported here are considered to be the basis for the simulation of nitrogen dynamics in water bodies and for studying various aspects of ecology and aquatic ecosystem behavior.

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