Application of the nitrogen-to-argon ratio to understand nitrogen transformation pathways in landfills under in-situ stabilization

The ratio of nitrogen (N₂) to argon (Ar) in landfill gas was compared to the atmospheric gas ratio to quantify the balance between N₂ generating (anaerobic ammonium oxidation, denitrification) and N₂ consuming (nitrogen fixation) processes on three landfills undergoing in-situ stabilization. In the aerated landfills, as much as 22% of the extracted N₂ could be explained by net denitrification, with coexisting aerobic and anaerobic domains fostering nitrification-dependent denitrification. Nitrogen fixation was also occasionally observed. Removal of nitrogen via the gas phase exceeded nitrogen removed via the leachate by up to a factor of 33. Contrastingly, the anaerobic landfill under leachate recirculation showed a net reduction of N₂ in relation to Ar, indicating nitrogen fixation as the dominant mechanism, equivalent up to 28% of the nitrogen in the extracted landfill gas. The balance between denitrification and nitrogen fixation in the aerated sites varied seasonally, likely caused by increased evapotranspiration in the summer, allowing greater air intrusion through the cover soil, resulting in higher NO₃^– and NO₂^– availability for denitrification and anammox. No such variability was observed for the landfill under liquid recirculation. The nitrogen transforming microbial community comprised of species responsible for nitrification, ammonification, denitrification, and anammox, indicating all processes may coexist. The findings show aeration supports nitrogen removal through the gas phase, but also suggest that nitrogen fixation adds nitrogen to the waste body in anaerobic domains. This could delay reaching environmental compliance criteria for leachate nitrogen, both for in-situ treatment by aeration and by leachate recirculation.