Reactivity and chemical characterization of effluent organic nitrogen from wastewater treatment plants determined by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

In advanced wastewater treatment plants that achieve high levels of nitrogen (N) removal, up to one-third of the N in effluent is organic, herein referred to as effluent organic N (EON). While we know that inorganic N is highly labile, it is unclear what fraction of EON is bioavailable. In this study, we demonstrate the utility of a method that can be used to examine the reactivity of EON in natural receiving waters to better understand both the ecosystem response and the potential bioavailability of EON.