Experimental study of nitrite accumulation in pre-denitrification biological nitrogen removal process

The effect of dissolved oxygen(DO)concentration on nitrite accumulation was investigated in a pilot-scale pre-denitrification process at room temperature for 100 days.In the first 10 days,due to the instability of the system,the DO concentration fluctuated between 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L.In the next 14 days,the DO concentration was kept at 0.5 mg/L and nitrite accumulation occurred,with the average nitrite accumulation rate at 91%.From the 25th day,the DO concentration was increased to 2.0 mg/L to destroy the nitrite accumulation,but nitrite accumulation rate was still as high as 90%.From the 38th day the nitrite accumulation rate decreased to 15%–30%linearly.From the 50th day,DO concentration was decreased to 0.5 mg/L to resume nitrite accumulation.Until the 83rd day the nitrite accumulation rate began to increase to 80%.Dissolved oxygen was the main cause of nitrite accumulation,taking into account other factors such as pH,free ammonia concentration,temperature,and sludge retention time.Because of the different affinity for oxygen between nitrite oxidizing bacteria and ammonia oxidizing bacteria when DO concentration was kept at 0.5 mg/L,nitrite accumulation occurred.

Insights into a novel nitrogen removal process based on simultaneous anammox and denitrification(SAD) following nitritation with in-situ NOB elimination

Simultaneous anammox and denitrification(SAD) is an efficient approach to treat wastewater having a low C/N ratio;however, few studies have investigated a combination of SAD and partial nitritation(PN). In this study, a lab-scale up-flow blanket filter(UBF) and zeolite sequence batch reactor(ZSBR) were continuously operated to implement SAD and PN advantages, respectively. The UBF achieved a high total nitrogen(TN) removal efficiency of over 70% during the start-up stage(days 1–50), and reached a TN removal efficiency of 96%in the following 90 days(days 51–140) at COD/NH_(4)^(+)-N ratio of 2.5. The absolute abundance of anammox bateria increased to the highest value of 1.58 × 107copies/μL DNA;Comamonadaceae was predominant in the UBF at the optimal ratio. Meanwhile, ZSBR was initiated on day 115 as fast nitritation process to satisfy the influent requirement for the UBF. The combined process was started on day 140 and then lasted for 30 days, during the combined process, between the two reactors, the UBF was the main contributor for TN(66.5% ± 4.5%)and COD(71.8% ± 4.9%) removal. These results demonstrated that strong SAD occurred in the UBF when following a ZSBR with in-situ NOB elimination. This research presents insights into a novel biological nitrogen removal process for low C/N ratio wastewater treatment.

Advances and challenges of sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification(SDAD)for nitrogen removal

Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification(SDAD),a process suited for the treatment of nitrogen and sulfur-polluted wastewater without extra supplement of organic carbon,is a promising biological nitrogen removal process.However,the SDAD process was affected by many factors such as various electron donors,organic carbon and exogenous substances(e.g.,antibiotics and heavy metal),which prevent further application.Thus,we conducted a detailed review of previous studies on such influence factors and its current application.Besides,a comparative analysis was adopted to recognize the current challenges and future needs for feasible application,so as to ultimately perfect the SDAD process and extend its application scope.

Investigation of Nitrite Production Pathway in Integrated Partial Denitrification/Anammox Process via Isotope Labelling Technique and the Relevant Microbial Communities

In this study,the nitrogen removal performance of partial denitrificaiton/anammox(PDA)process was investigated by using an UASB reactor.High total nitrogen(TN)removal efficiency(91.97%)was achieved at an influent nitrogen loading rate of 0.64 kg/(m3·d).Anammox bacteria did execute the function of converting nitrate to nitrite in PDA system according to ^(15)N isotope labeling experiments and the contribution was approximately 36.3%.Candidatus_Brocadia,Candidatus_Kuenenia and Thauera were functional strains for anammox and denitrification process,respectively.Thauera and Candidatus_Brocadia were more important for TN removal at high loading rates(0.64 kg/(m3·d)).This result can provide a theoretical and technical foundation for the application of the PDA process.

Enhancing the efficiency of nitrogen removing bacterial population to a wide range of C:N ratio(1.5:1 to 14:1)for simultaneous C&N removal

High C:N ratio in the wastewater limits biological nitrogen removal(BNR),especially in anammox based technologies.The present study attempts to improve the COD tolerance of the BNR process by associating methanogens with nitrogen removing bacterial(NRB)populations.The new microbial system coined as‘Methammox’,was investigated for simultaneous removal of COD(C)and ammonia(N)at C:N ratio 1.5:1 to 14:1.The ammonia removal rate(11.5 mg N/g VSS/d)and the COD removal rates(70.6 mg O/g VSS/d)of Methammox was close to that of the NRB(11.1 mg N/g VSS/d)and the methanogenic populations(77.9 mg O/g VSS/d),respectively.The activities established that these two populations existed simultaneously and independently in‘Methammox’.Further studies in biofilm reactor fetched a balanced COD and ammonia removal(55%–60%)at a low C:N ratio(£2:1)and high C:N ratio(≥9:1).The population abundance of methanogens was reasonably constant,but the nitrogen removal shifted from mixotrophy to heterotrophy as the C:N ratio shifted from low(C:N£2:1)to high(C:N≥9:1).The reduced autotrophic NRB(ammonia-and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria and Anammox)population at a high C:N ratio was compensated by the fermentative group that could carry out denitrification heterotrophically.The functional plasticity of the Methammox system to adjust to a broad C:N ratio opens new frontiers in biological nitrogen removal of high COD containing wastewaters.

Advanced nitrogen removal by pulsed sequencing batch reactors (SBR) with real-time control

The feasibility of pH and oxidation reduction potential(ORP)as on-line control parameters to advance nitrogen removal in pulsed sequencing batch reactors(SBR)was evaluated.The pulsed SBR,a novel operational mode of SBR,was utilized to treat real municipal wastewater accompanied with adding ethanol as external carbon source.It was observed that the bending-point(apex and knee)of pH and ORP profiles can be used to control denitrification process at a low influent C/N ratio while dpH/dt can be used to control the nitrification and denitrification process at a high influent C/N ratio.The experimental results demon-strated that the effluent total nitrogen can be reduced to lower than 2 mg/L,and the average total nitrogen(TN)removal effici ency was higher than 98%by using real-time controll strategy.

Research on polyhydroxyalkanoates and glycogen transformations: Key aspects to biologic nitrogen and phosphorus removal in low dissolved oxygen systems

In this paper,a study was conducted on the effect of polyhydroxyalkanoates(PHA)and glycogen transformations on biologic nitrogen and phosphorus removal in low dissolved oxygen(DO)systems.Two laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors(SBR1 and SBR2)were operating with anaerobic/aerobic(low DO,0.15-0.45 mg·L^(-1))configurations,which cultured a propionic to acetic acid ratio(molar carbon ratio)of 1.0 and 2.0,respectively.Fewer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate(PHB),total PHA,and glycogen transformations were observed with the increase of propionic/acetic acid,along with more poly-3-hydroxyvalerate(PHV)and poly-3-hydroxy-2-methyvalerate(PH2MV)shifts.The total nitrogen(TN)removal efficiency was 68%and 82%in SBR1 and SBR2,respectively.In the two SBRs,the soluble ortho-phosphate(SOP)removal efficiency was 94%and 99%,and the average sludge polyphosphate(poly-P)content(g·g-MLVSS^(-1))was 8.3%and 10.2%,respectively.Thus,the propionic to acetic acid ratio of the influent greatly influenced the PHA form and quantity,glycogen transformation,and poly-P contained in activated sludge and further determined TN and SOP removal efficiency.Moreover,significant correlations between the SOP removal rate and the(PHV+PH2MV)/PHA ratio were observed(R^(2)>0.99).Accordingly,PHA and glycogen transformations should be taken into account as key components for optimizing anaerobic/aerobic(low DO)biologic nitrogen and phosphorus removal systems.

Effect of initial ammonium concentration on a one-stage partial nitrification/anammox biofilm system:Nitrogen removal performance and the microbial community

One-stage partial nitrification coupled with anammox(PN/A)technology effectively reduces the energy consumption of a biological nitrogen removal system.Inhibiting nitrite-oxidizing bacteria(NOB)is essential for this technology to maintain efficient nitrogen removal performance.Initial ammonium concentration(IAC)affects the degree of inhibited NOB.In this study,the effect of the IAC on a PN/A biofilm was investigated in a moving bed biofilm reactor.The results showed that nitrogen removal efficiency decreased from 82.49%±1.90%to 64.57%±3.96%after the IAC was reduced from 60 to 20 mg N/L,while the nitrate production ratio increased from 13.87%±0.90%to 26.50%±3.76%.NOB activity increased to1,133.86 mg N/m^(2)/day after the IAC decreased,approximately 4-fold,indicating that the IAC plays an important inhibitory role in NOB.The rate-limiting step in the mature biofilm of the PN/A system is the nitritation process and is not shifted by the IAC.The analysis of the microbial community structure in the biofilm indicates that the IAC was the dominant factor in changes in community structure.Ca.Brocadia and Ca.Jettenia were the main anammox bacteria,and Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira were the main AOB and NOB,respectively.IAC did not affect the difference in growth between Ca.Brocadia and Ca.Jettenia.Thus,modulating the IAC promoted the PN/A process with efficient nitrogen removal performance at medium to low ammonium concentrations.

Inhibition effect of magnetic field on nitrous oxide emission from sequencing batch reactor treating domestic wastewater at low temperature

This study aims to investigate the effect of a magnetic field on nitrous oxide(N2O)emission from a sequencing batch reactor treating low-strength domestic wastewater at low temperature(10℃).After running for 124 days in parallel,results indicated that the conversion rate of N2O for a magnetic field-sequencing batch reactor(MF-SBR)decreased by34.3%compared to that of a conventional SBR(C-SBR).Meanwhile,the removal efficiencies for total nitrogen(TN)and ammonia nitrogen(NH4-N)of the MF-SBR were 22.4%and 39.5%higher than those of the C-SBR.High-throughput sequencing revealed that the abundances of AOB(Nitrosomonas),NOB(Nitrospira)and denitrifiers(Zoogloea),which could reduce N2O to N2,were promoted significantly in the MF-SBR.Enzyme activities(Nir)and gene abundances(nos Z nir S and nir K)for denitrification in the MF-SBR were also notably higher compared to C-SBR.Our study shows that application of a magnetic field is a useful approach for inhibiting the generation of N2O and promoting the nitrogen removal efficiency by affecting the microbial characteristics of sludge in an SBR treating domestic wastewater at low temperature.