Aerobic N_2O emission for activated sludge acclimated under different aeration rates in the multiple anoxic and aerobic process

Nitrous oxide（N_2O） is a potent greenhouse gas that can be emitted during biological nitrogen removal. N_2O emission was examined in a multiple anoxic and aerobic process at the aeration rates of 600 m L/min sequencing batch reactor（SBRL） and 1200 m L/min（SBRH）.The nitrogen removal percentage was 89% in SBRLand 71% in SBRH, respectively. N_2O emission mainly occurred during the aerobic phase, and the N_2O emission factor was 10.1%in SBRLand 2.3% in SBRH, respectively. In all batch experiments, the N_2O emission potential was high in SBRLcompared with SBRH. In SBRL, with increasing aeration rates, the N_2O emission factor decreased during nitrification, while it increased during denitrification and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification（SND）. By contrast, in SBRHthe N_2O emission factor during nitrification, denitrification and SND was relatively low and changed little with increasing aeration rates. The microbial competition affected the N_2O emission during biological nitrogen removal.