Stable nitrogen isotope ratios are routinely used to trace the dispersion and assimilation of wastewater-derived N in receiving environments, but few isotope studies have investigated wastewater treatment plants and ponds themselves. An improved understanding of N isotope compositions in effluent will help assess treatment plant processes and performance and will help trace sources of excess nutrients in receiving environments. Here, we assess N budgets and treatment processes in seven wastewater treatment plants and wastewater stabilisation ponds in northern Australia based on concentrations and isotope ratios of N in effluent. We show that δN values in effluent are linked to treatment type, effectiveness of conversion of ammonia and levels of gaseous N emissions. These relationships suggest that N isotope monitoring of wastewater treatment plants and ponds can provide an integrated assessment of treatment performance and gaseous N emissions on a pond- or plant-wide scale that is not readily available through other methods. Our findings further imply that monitoring N isotope ratios in receiving environments cannot be assumed to be universally effective as their sensitivity to uptake of wastewater-derived N will vary with the characteristics of individual treatment systems. Paradoxically, N isotope monitoring is less effective where treatment systems are functioning poorly and where monitoring needs are the greatest.

In hydrodynamically complex environments, where conventional water-quality parameters may not adequately quantify sewage influence, stable isotopes in time-integrating biological tissues may provide an alternative monitoring tool. We measured nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios and concentrations in mangrove leaves and muscle tissues of two species of gastropod snails to determine the dispersion and biological assimilation of sewage-derived nutrients in a macro-tidal creek. The values of stable isotope of nitrogen (δ15N) in mangrove leaves and gastropods from the affected creek were significantly higher than those in samples from an unaffected creek, reflecting a graduated influence of sewage-derived N. The δ15N values in mangrove leaves showed high repeatability between sampling rounds and this, coupled with ease of sampling, makes them an effective monitoring tool to trace the influence of sewage effluent in receiving waters. The combined use of values of δ15N and stable isotope of carbon in gastropods showed some promise as a monitoring tool, but intra- and inter-specific variations in isotope values due to spatial differences in available food sources may affect their reliability in tracing sewage influence.