An innovative approach to minimize excess sludge production in sewage treatment using integrated bioreactors

The present investigation deals with an application of integrated sequential oxic and anoxic bioreactor(SOABR) and fluidized immobilized cell carbon oxidation(FICCO) reactor for the treatment of domestic wastewater with minimum sludge generation. The performance of integrated SOABR-FICCO system was evaluated on treating the domestic wastewater at hydraulic retention time(HRT) of 3 hr and 6 hr for 120 days at organic loading rate(OLR)of 191 ± 31 mg/(L·hr). The influent wastewater was characterized by chemical oxygen demand(COD) 573 ± 93 mg/L; biochemical oxygen demand(BOD5) 197 ± 35 mg/L and total suspended solids(TSS) 450 ± 136 mg/L. The integrated SOABR-FICCO reactors have established a significant removal of COD by 94% ± 1%, BOD5 by 95% ± 0.6% and TSS by 95% ± 4% with treated domestic wastewater characteristics COD 33 ± 5 mg/L; BOD59 ± 0.8 mg/L and TSS 17 ± 9 mg/L under continuous mode of operation for 120 days. The mass of dry sludge generated from SOABR-FICCO system was 22.9 g/m~3. The sludge volume index of sludge formed in the SOABR reactor was 32 mL/g and in FICCO reactor it was 46 mL/g. The sludge formed in SOABR and FICCO reactor was characterized by TGA, DSC and SEM analysis. Overall, the results demonstrated that the integrated SOABR-FICCO reactors substantially removed the pollution parameters from domestic wastewater with minimum sludge production.     

Effect of air-exposed biocathode on the performance of a Thauera-dominated membraneless single-chamber microbial fuel cell (SCMFC)

To investigate the effect of air-exposed biocathode(AEB) on the performance of singlechamber microbial fuel cell(SCMFC), wastewater quality, bioelectrochemical characteristics and the electrode biofilms were researched. It was demonstrated that exposing the biocathode to air was beneficial to nitrogen removal and current generation. In Test 1 of 95%AEB, removal rates of ammonia, total nitrogen(TN) and chemical oxygen demand(COD)reached 99.34% ± 0.11%, 99.34% ± 0.10% and 90.79% ± 0.12%, respectively. The nitrogen removal loading rates were 36.38 g N/m~3/day. Meanwhile, current density and power density obtained at 0.7 A/m3 and 104 m W/m~3 respectively. Further experiments on opencircuit(Test 2) and carbon source(Test 3) indicated that this high performance could be attributed to simultaneous biological nitrification/denitrification and aerobic denitrification, as well as bioelectrochemical denitrification. Results of community analysis demonstrated that both microbial community structures on the surface of the cathode and in the liquid of the chamber were different. The percentage of Thauera, identified as denitrifying bacteria, maintained at a high level of over 50% in water, but decreased gradually in the AEB. Moreover, the genus Nitrosomonas, Alishewanella, Arcobacter and Rheinheimera were significantly enriched in the AEB, which might contribute to both enhancement of nitrogen removal and electricity generation.     

低温对CANON型序批式生物膜反应器脱氮的影响

探究了4种低温水平下基于亚硝化的全程自养脱氮（CANON）型序批式生物膜反应器（SBBR）的运行效果及其氮素转化机制.结果表明,当CANON型SBBR在不同的低温水平下稳定运行后,其脱氮微生物优势菌群发生了不同程度的变化,随之改变了系统的氮素转化途径及其脱氮性能.当温度>15℃时,SBBR中AOB和anammox菌的丰度与活性未受到明显抑制,CANON作用始终是系统脱氮的主要途径,SBBR对TN的平均去除率亦较为理想;而当温度<15℃时,anammox菌的丰度与活性在10,5℃下分别出现不同程度的降低,进而改变了SBBR的氮素转化途径,使其脱氮性能出现不同程度的恶化.在10℃时,NOB的增殖及其活性的提高使硝化/反硝化作用取代CANON作用成为SBBR脱氮的主要途径,此时系统对TN的去除率骤降至（16.87±4.79）%;在5℃时,反硝化过程中第1步还原反应的停滞与反硝化菌对NO₂^--N利用率的提高使SBBR中氮素的去除依赖于CANON作用和短程硝化/反硝化作用的协同,系统对TN的去除率为（54.83±3.68）%.     

进水模式对SBBR性能及氮形态转化的影响

通过对4种不同进水模式下序批式生物膜反应器(SBBR)的性能、微生物群落结构以及氮形态转化的差异分析, 比较不同进水模式对SBBR性能和氮形态转化的影响及其产生的机制. 结果表明, 分散式进水模式表现出比一次性进水更好的脱氮效率和更高的抗冲击负荷能力, 在达到相同的处理效率的前提下, 分散式进水模式M₄的COD和氨氮负荷最高可达2 540和540 mg·(L·d)^-1, 而一次性进水模式M₁仅能分别达到2 000和420 mg·(L·d)^-1;分散进水模式能降低一次性进水所带来的冲击性负荷, 将负荷均化分散到周期内的各个时段, 同时也减少了进水对微生物的稀释作用, 使得单位体积内有效微生物的数量相对充足, 从而提高反应器的负荷能力. 在分散进水模式下, 从M₄与M₂、M₃的对比来看, 分散模式的进水规律越接近运行模式的循环规律, 反应器的氮素转化效率就越高, 残留的氮素总量也就越低.     

Inhibitive effects of chlortetracycline on performance of the nitritation-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process and strategies for recovery

The short-and long-term effects of chlortetracycline(CTC) on the nitritation-anaerobic ammonium oxidation(anammox) process were evaluated. The half maximal inhibitory concentration of CTC in the batch tests of the nitritation-anammox process was 278.91 mg/L at an exposure time of 12 hr. The long-term effects of CTC on the process were examined in a continuous-flow nitritation-anammox reactor. Within 14 days, the nitrogen removal rate significantly decreased from 0.61 to 0.25 kg N/m~3/day with 60 mg/L CTC in the influent.The performance suppressed by CTC barely recovered, even after CTC was removed from the influent. Furthermore, the inhibition of CTC also reduced the relative abundance of ammonium oxidizing bacteria(AOB) and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria(An AOB)in the reactor, resulting in both a decreased amount of and an imbalance between AOB and An AOB. When fresh anammox sludge was reseeded into the nitritation-anammox reactor,the nitrogen removal rate recovered to 0.09 ± 0.03 kg N/m~3/day.     

Insight into the distribution of metallic elements in membrane bioreactor: Influence of operational temperature and role of extracellular polymeric substances

The distribution of metallic elements in a submerged membrane bioreactor(MBR) was revealed at different temperatures using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry(ICP-OES), and the role of extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) was probed by integrating scanning electron microscopy(SEM) with confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM) over long-term operation. More metallic elements in the influent were captured by suspended sludge and built up in the fouling layer at lower temperature. The concentration of metallic elements in the effluent was 5.60 mg/L at 10°C operational temperature, far lower than that in the influent(51.35 mg/L). The total contents of metallic elements in suspended sludge and the membrane fouling layer increased to 40.20 and 52.19 mg/g at 10°C compared to 35.14 and 32.45 mg/g at 30°C, and were dominated by the organically bound fraction. The EPS contents in suspended sludge and membrane fouling layer sharply increased to 37.88 and 101.51 mg/g at 10°C, compared to 16.87 and 30.03 mg/g at 30°C. The increase in EPS content at lower temperature was responsible for the deposition of more metallic ions. The strong bridging between EPS and metallic elements at lower temperature enhanced the compactness of the fouling layer and further decreased membrane flux. This was helpful for understanding the mechanism of membrane fouling at different operational temperatures and the role of EPS, and also of significance for the design of cleaning strategies for fouled membranes after long-term operation.     

不同曝气量对SBBR短程硝化微生物特性及氮转化的影响

在实验室规模的序批式生物膜反应器(SBBR)中研究了不同曝气量(7.2、12.0、15.6L·h-1,对应反应器中平均溶解氧浓度分别为0.5、0.8、1.2mg·L-1)下生物膜的生物特性变化及短程硝化过程规律.结果表明:减小曝气量使反应器内溶解氧浓度降低,将导致生物膜的总生物量下降,生物膜中氨氧化菌逐渐成为优势菌,无论数量还是生物活性均高于亚硝酸氧化菌,利于亚硝酸盐积累;在一个反应周期中,生物膜对溶解氧需求的分配是不同的,曝气初期溶解氧主要用于异氧菌对COD的降解,其后用于氨氮转化.根据上述规律,提出在短程硝化过程中采用"梯级递减式曝气"供氧新策略,即在反应初期保持一种较大的曝气量,提高反应器溶解氧浓度,促进COD快速降解,随后保持一种小曝气量使反应器中溶解氧维持较低的浓度,从而促进亚硝酸盐积累及优化供氧效率.     

Mechanism studies on nitrogen removal when treating ammonium-rich leachate by sequencing batch biofilm reactor

The nitrogen removal mechanism was studied and analyzed when treating the ammonium-rich landfill leachate by a set of sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs), which was designed independently. At the liquid temperature of (32 ± 0.4)°C, and after a 58-days domestication period and a 33-days stabilization period, the efficiency of ammonium removal in the SBBR went up to 95%. Highly frequent intermittent aeration suppressed the activity of nitratebacteria, and also eliminated the influence on the activity of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) bacteria and nitritebacteria. This influence was caused by the accumulation of nitrous acid and the undulation of pH. During the aeration stage, the concentration of dissolved oxygen was controlled at 1.2–1.4 mg/L. The nitritebacteria became dominant and nitrite accumulated gradually. During the anoxic stage, along with the concentration debasement of the dissolved oxygen, ANAMMOX bacteria became dominant; then, the nitrite that was accumulated in the aeration stage was wiped off with ammonium simultaneously. Translated from Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 2006, 26(1): 55–60 [译自: 环境科学学报]     

挂膜方法对生物膜特性及生化尾水深度处理的影响

为探索低浓度生化尾水生物深度处理的快速挂膜方法,采用4种方法（投加壳聚糖法、投加铁离子法、接种排泥法和自然挂膜法）进行挂膜,考察其对生物膜主要特性（生物膜量MLSS、胞外聚合物（EPS））和废水处理效果的影响.结果表明：在挂膜期间,投加壳聚糖法有利于生物膜量、EPS迅速增加,两者平均含量达到4种方法中的最大值,分别为（9.26 ±3.30） mg/cm³和（42.51 ±33.49） mg/（gSS）,但其生物膜活性f值最低,污染物的去除效果不是最佳;投加铁离子成膜时,生物膜特性稳定,活性高,污染物去除效果最佳,COD_Cr、NH₄⁺-N、TP去除率分别较快稳定在（66.13 ±2.30）%、（92.03 ±7.72）%和（62.75 ±4.41）%;接种排泥法的生物膜量、EPS均含量、污染物去除效果比投加壳聚糖、铁离子法稍低;自然挂膜法前期对污染物去除率低,稳定时间较长,除TP外,COD_Cr、NH₄⁺-N去除率在挂膜后期与投加壳聚糖法、接种排泥法相差不大.综合地看,投加铁离子法,虽然生物膜量、EPS含量略低于投加壳聚糖法,但生物膜活性高、污染去除效果好,是低浓度尾水挂膜的最佳方法.     

Performance of completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite process under different aeration modes and dissolved oxygen

In this study, three sequential batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) were operated for 155 days to evaluate the performance of completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process under different aeration modes and dissolved oxygen (DO). Synthetic wastewater with 160-mg NH4 ⁺-N/L was fed into the reactors. In the continuously-aerated reactor, the efficiency of the ammonium nitrogen conversion and total nitrogen (TN) removal reached 80% and 70%, respectively, with DO between 0.8–1.0 mg/L. Whereas in the intermittently-aerated reactor, at the aeration/non-aeration ratio of 1.0, ammonium was always under the detection limit and 86% of TN was removed with DO between 2.0–2.5 mg/L during the aeration time. Results show that CANON could be achieved in both continuous and intermittent aeration pattern. However, to achieve the same nitrogen removal efficiency, the DO needed in the intermittently-aerated sequential batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) during the aeration period was higher than that in the continuously-aerated SBBR. In addition, the DO in the CANON system should be adjusted to the aeration mode, and low DO was not a prerequisite to CANON process.     

中试MBBR装置强化氨氮去除速率的影响条件研究

采用中试MBBR组合工艺处理深圳市布吉河道的城镇污水,进水平均氨氮浓度为(25.88±7.73)mg/L,出水平均为(1.11±1.93)mg/L.单因素小试研究表明,反应器中挂有生物膜的悬浮填料具有强化氨氮去除的效果,投加该填料时获得的比氨氧化速率比采用活性污泥进行反应提高了25.5%;试验条件下通过投加甲醇将COD从139mg/L提高至587mg/L,比氨氧化速率从2.55mg/(gMLVSS·h)下降至1.91mg/(gMLVSS·h);当MLVSS浓度从0.45g/L逐步提高到4.05g/L时,容积氨氧化速率从3.68mg/(L·h)线性增加至7.82mg/(L?h),拟合度R2为0.967,但比氨氧化速率随MLVSS浓度的提高反而逐渐下降,从8.24mg/(gMLVSS·h)降至1.93mg/(gMLVSS·h);当温度从5℃升高到35℃,比氨氧化速率从0.99mg/(gMLVSS·h)提高至2.89mg/(gMLVSS·h),采用Arrhenius经验方程描述时,拟合度R2为0.970;当DO浓度从0.5mg/L逐步增加至4.0mg/L时,比氨氧化速率从0.62mg/(gMLVSS·h)提高至2.28mg/(gMLVSS·h),Monod方程可以很好的描述DO浓度与比氨氧化速率之间的关系,拟合度R2为0.994,氨氧化半饱和常数值为3.0mg O2/L.     

Mn2+促进载体挂膜的机理研究

通过向自制固定床生物膜反应器(FBBR)中投加氯化锰,考察了Mn~(2+)对生物膜量、形态结构、降解性能及其胞外聚合物(EPS)组分的影响,并探究了Mn~(2+)在生物膜形成中的作用、影响规律及其对生物膜反应器运行效能的影响.结果表明,投加Mn~(2+)有助于生物膜形成,增强生物膜致密性,并促进生物膜生长;在生物膜成熟期连续投加10 mg·L~(-1)Mn~(2+)对一个周期内生物膜的降解活性影响很小,反应器COD和NH_4~+去除率分别达到85.4%±1.5%和76.3%±1.9%;生物膜不同类型EPS含量的变化表明,Mn~(2+)不仅加速了生物膜的成熟和增强了生物膜去除有机物的稳定性,而且还会刺激生物膜分泌产生更多的紧密粘附型EPS,其中的蛋白质和多糖能够保护微生物免受Mn~(2+)伤害.     

Response of “Alamo” switchgrass tissue chemistry and biomass to nitrogen fertilization in West Tennessee,USA

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a perennial, warm-season grass that has been identified as a potential biofuel feedstock over a large part of North America. We examined above- and belowground responses to nitrogen fertilization in “Alamo” switchgrass grown in West Tennessee, USA. The fertilizer study included a spring and fall sampling of 5-year old switchgrass grown under annual applications of 0, 67, and 202 kg N ha^?1 (as ammonium nitrate). Fertilization changed switchgrass biomass allocation as indicated by root:shoot ratios. End-of-growing season root:shoot ratios (mean ± SE) declined significantly (P ≤ 0.05) at the highest fertilizer nitrogen treatment (2.16 ± 0.08, 2.02 ± 0.18, and 0.88 ± 0.14, respectively, at 0, 67, and 202 kg N ha^?1). Fertilization also significantly increased above- and belowground nitrogen concentrations and decreased plant C:N ratios. Data are presented for coarse live roots, fine live roots, coarse dead roots, fine dead roots, and rhizomes. At the end of the growing season, there was more carbon and nitrogen stored in belowground biomass than aboveground biomass. Fertilization impacted switchgrass tissue chemistry and biomass allocation in ways that potentially impact soil carbon cycle processes and soil carbon storage.     

Nitrifying population dynamics in a redox stratified membrane biofilm reactor (RSMBR) for treating ammonium-rich wastewater

Nitrogen removal performance and nitrifying population dynamics were investigated in a redox stratified membrane biofilm reactor (RSMBR) under oxygen limited condition to treat ammonium-rich wastewater. When the NHt₄⁺-N loading rate increased from 11.1±1.0 to 37:2 ± 3:2 gNHt₄⁺-N·m⁻²·d⁻¹, the nitrogen removal in the RSMBR system increased from 18.0±9.6 mgN·d⁻¹ to 128.9±61.7 mgN·d⁻¹. Shortcut nitrogen removal was achieved with nitrite accumulation of about 22:3 ± 5:3 mgNO₂⁻-N·L⁻¹. Confocal micrographs showed the stratified distributions of nitrifiers and denitrifiers in the membrane aerated biofilms (MABs) at day 120, i.e., ammonia and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (AOB and NOB) were dominant in the region adjacent to the membrane, while heterotrophic bacteria propagated at the top of the biofilm. Real-time qPCR results showed that the abundance of amoA gene was two orders of magnitude higher than the abundance of nxrA gene in the MABs. However, the nxrA gene was always detected during the operation time, which indicates the difficulty of complete washout of NOB in MABs. The growth of heterotrophic bacteria compromised the dominance of nitrifiers in biofilm communities, but it enhanced the denitrification performance of the RSMBR system. Applying a high ammonia loading together with oxygen limitation was found to be an effective way to start nitrite accumulation in MABs, but other approaches were needed to sustain or improve the extent of nitritation in nitrogen conversion in MABs.     

包埋固定化微生物的硫自养反硝化实验研究

采用升流式颗粒污泥床,外加Na<,2>S<,2>O<,3>作为电子供体,在室温下连续运行220 d,结合硫自养反硝化与固定化包埋技术进行脱氮实验,考察包埋颗粒的驯化条件、影响因素和最佳运行条件.进水负荷(以N计)维持0.22 kg/(m<'3>·d),包埋颗粒经23 d驯化成功,NO<'-><,3>-N(100 mg/...     

投加FeSO4对序批式生物膜反应器中DHA、EPS和处理效果的影响

针对化学协同生物除磷过程,研究了序批式生物膜反应器(SBBR)中FeSO_4对悬浮相活性污泥脱氢酶活性(DHA)、胞外聚合物(EPS)及系统处理效果的影响.结果表明,少量FeSO_4对DHA和EPS的分泌具有促进作用,但最佳投加量不一致,分别为0.10 mmol·L-1和0.20 mmol·L-1;大量的FeSO_4则会引发抑制.FeSO_4投加量少于0.30 mmol·L-1时会使污泥MLVSS、MLVSS/MLSS增加,超过0.30 mmol·L-1时则使MLVSS、MLVSS/MLSS下降,但MLSS和SVI随着FeSO_4投加量的增加分别持续增加和下降.FeSO_4对COD和TN的去除具有抑制作用,但并不显著,去除率分别在77%和72%左右;TP的去除效果明显改善,在投加量为0.30 mmol·L-1时效果最好.投加FeSO_4协同生物除磷时建议最佳投加量为0.30 mmol·L-1,此时污泥DHA被轻微抑制,但污泥浓度、EPS、TP去除率均已达到最大,出水水质满足一级A排放标准.     

利用序批式生物膜反应器启动厌氧氨氧化研究

研究了在缺氧条件下利用序批式生物膜反应器(SBBR)快速启动厌氧氨氧化过程,并考察了该过程中反应器的脱氮效率、厌氧氨氧化现象、生物膜性质及微生物群落的变化.从第60d开始出现ANAMMOX现象,经过100多天的启动,最高总氮负荷达0.67kg-N/m3×d,总氮去除率达到87.3%.生物膜厚度和污泥颜色、形态发生明显变化,厌氧氨氧化菌的相对含量达到40%以上,成为反应器的优势菌种.本研究表明SBBR是一种高效启动厌氧氨氧化的生物反应器.     

Protecting the photosynthetic performance of snap bean under free air ozone exposure

Tropospheric ozone(O_3) is a major air pollutant and causes serious injury to vegetation. To protect sensitive plants from O_3 damage, several agrochemicals have been assessed,including cytokinin(e.g., kinetin, KIN) and ethylenediurea(EDU) with cytokinin-like activity.In higher plant, leaves are primarily injured by O_3 and protective agrochemicals are often applied by leaf spraying. To our knowledge, the mitigating abilities of EDU and KIN have not been compared directly in a realistic setup. In the present research, impacts of elevated O3(2 × ambient O_3, 24 hr per day, for 8 days) on an O_3 sensitive line(S156) of snap bean(Phaseolus vulgaris), which is often used for biomonitoring O_3 pollution, were studied in a free air controlled exposure system. The day before starting the O_3 exposure, plants were sprayed with a solution of EDU(300 ppm), KIN(1 mmol/L) or distilled water, to compare their protective abilities. The results demonstrated that 2 × ambient O_3 inhibited net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, increased the minimal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state, decreased the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, and led to visible injury. KIN and EDU alleviated the reduction of the photosynthetic performance, and visible injury under O_3 fumigation. The plants sprayed with EDU showed greater ability to mitigate the O_3 damage than those sprayed with KIN. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging may have detected more precisely the differences in O_3 response across the leaf than the conventional fluorometer.     

Linking spatio-temporal variation of crop response with sediment deposition along paddy rice terraces

In tropical mountainous regions of South East Asia, intensive cultivation of annual crops on steep slopes makes the area prone to erosion resulting in decreasing soil fertility. Sediment deposition in the valleys, however, can enhance soil fertility, depending on the quality of the sediments, and influence crop productivity. The aim of the study was to assess (i) the spatio-temporal variation in grain yield along two rice terrace cascades in the uplands of northern Viet Nam, (ii) possible linkage of sediment deposition with the observed variation in grain yield, and (iii) whether spatial variation in soil water or nitrogen availability influenced the obtained yields masking the effect of inherent soil fertility using carbon isotope (¹³C) discrimination and ¹⁵N natural abundance techniques. In order to evaluate the impact of seasonal conditions, fertilizer use and sediment quality on rice performance, ¹⁵N and ¹³C stable isotope compositions of rice leaves and grains taken after harvest were examined and combined with soil fertility information and rice performance using multivariate statistics. The observed grain yields for the non-fertilized fields, averaged over both cascades, accounted for 4.0 ± 1.4 Mg ha^?1 and 6.6 ± 2.5 Mg ha^?1 in the spring and summer crop, respectively, while for the fertilized fields, grain yields of 6.5 ± 2.1 Mg ha^?1 and 6.9 ± 2.1 Mg ha^?1 were obtained. In general, the spatial variation of rice grain yield was strongly and significantly linked to sediment induced soil fertility and textural changes, such as soil organic carbon (r 0.34/0.77 for Cascades 1 and 2, respectively) and sand fraction (r ?0.88/?0.34). However, the observed seasonal alteration in topsoil quality, due to sediment deposition over two cropping cycles, was not sufficient to fully account for spatial variability in rice productivity. Spatial variability in soil water availability, assessed through ¹³C discrimination, was mainly present in the spring crop and was linearly related to the distance from the irrigation channel, and overshadowed in Cascade 2 the expected yield trends based on sediment deposition. Although δ¹⁵N signatures in plants indicated sufficient N uptake, grain yields were not found to be always significantly influenced by fertilizer application. These results showed the importance of integrating sediment enrichment in paddy fields within soil fertility analysis. Furthermore, where the effect of inherent soil fertility on rice productivity is masked by soil water or nitrogen availability, the use of ¹³C and ¹⁵N stable isotopes and its integration with conventional techniques showed potential to enhance the understanding of the influence of erosion – sedimentation and nutrient fluxes on crop productivity, at toposequence level.     

Carbon stocks in Swiss agricultural soils predicted by land-use,soil characteristics,and altitude

Effects of agricultural land-use and land-use change on soil organic carbon (SOC) pools play an important role in the mitigation of the global greenhouse effect. To estimate these effects, baseline SOC data for individual regions or countries are needed. The aim of this study was to quantify current SOC stocks in Swiss agricultural soils, to identify meaningful predictors for SOC, and to estimate historical SOC losses. SOC stocks in mineral soils were estimated from combined georeferenced data for land-use, topography, and profile data (n=544) from soil surveys. Mean SOC density in the layer 0–20 cm ranged between 40.6±8.9 t ha⁻¹ (±95% confidence interval (CI)) for arable land and 50.7±12.2 t ha⁻¹ for favourable permanent grassland, and in the layer 0–100 cm from 62.9±15.2 t ha⁻¹ for unfavourable grassland to 117.4±29.8 t ha⁻¹ for temporary grasslands (leys). SOC stocks in organic soils were quantified separately for intact and cultivated peatlands using data from peatland inventories and current SOC densities calculated from average peat decay rates. Organic soils account for less than 3% of the total area but store about 28% (47.2±7.3 Mt) of the total SOC stock of 170±17 Mt. Land-use type, clay content, and altitude (serving as a climate proxy for grassland soils at higher altitudes) were identified as main SOC predictors in mineral soils. Clay content explained up to 44% of the variability in SOC concentrations in the fine earth of arable soils, but was not significantly related to SOC in grassland soils at higher altitudes. SOC concentration under permanent grassland increases linearly with altitude, but because soil depth and stone content limit carbon storage in alpine grassland soils, no relationship was found between altitude and SOC stock. A preliminary estimate suggested that about 16% of the national SOC stock has been lost historically due to peatland cultivation, urbanisation, and deforestation. It seems unlikely that future changes in agricultural practices could compensate for this historical SOC loss in Swiss agricultural soils.