IChemE - Planetary Boundaries Series - Nitrogen

The water sector is a steward of the nitrogen cycle - with a key function in nitrification and nitrogen removal in water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). It remains a significant source of nutrient pollution and increasing requirements for nitrogen removal means significant resources (energy, supplemental carbon) as well as significant risks and opportunites around greenhouse gases (in particular nitrous oxide, covered in Webinar 1 - Climate Change PB). The extent of nitrification and denitrification required in WRRFs is a function of incoming N loads to WRRFs and to water catchments from agricultural fertiliser use and run off. This webinar will provide an overview of the nitrogen cycle in context of the water sector with a focus on emerging and innovative centralised and decentralised approaches to treatment and nitrogen management which support the role the water sector must take in a circular economy, within planetary boundaries.