Nitrogen and phosphorus removal in pilot-scale anaerobic-anoxic oxidation ditch system

To achieve high efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus removal and to investigate the rule of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification phosphorus removal （SNDPR）, a whole course of SNDPR damage and recovery was studied in a pilot-scale, anaerobicanoxic oxidation ditch （OD）, where the volumes of anaerobic zone, anoxic zone, and ditches zone of the OD system were 7, 21, and 280 L, respectively. The reactor was fed with municipal wastewater with a flow rate of 336 L/d. The concept of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification （SND） rate （rSND） was put forward to quantify SND. The results indicate that： （1） high nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies were achieved during the stable SND phase, total nitrogen （TN） and total phosphate （TP） removal rates were 80% and 85%, respectively; （2） when the system was aerated excessively, the stability of SND was damaged, and rSND dropped from 80% to 20% or less; （3） the natural logarithm of the ratio of NOx to NH4^＋ in the effluent had a linear correlation to oxidation-reduction potential （ORP）; （4） when NO3^- was less than 6 mg/L, high phosphorus removal efficiency could be achieved; （5） denitrifying phosphorus removal （DNPR） could take place in the anaerobic-anoxic OD system. The major innovation was that the SND rate was devised and quantified.

Applying real-time control to enhance the performance of nitrogen removal in CAST system

A bench-scale reactor（72 L） red with domestic sewage, was operated more than 3 months with three operation modes： traditional mode, modified mode and real-time control mode, so as to evaluate effects of the operation mode on the system performance and to develop a feasible control strategy. Results obtained from fixed-time control study indicate that the variations of the pH and oxidation-reduction potential（ORP） profiles can represent dynamic characteristics of system and the cycle sequences can be controlled and optimized by the control points on the pH and ORP profiles. A control strategy was, therefore, developed and applied to real-time control mode. Compared with traditional mode, the total nitrogen（TN） removal can be increased by approximately 16% in modified mode and a mean TN removal of 92% was achieved in real-time control mode. Moreover, approximately 12.5% aeration energy was saved in real- time control mode. The result of this study shows that the performance of nitrogen removal was enhanced in modified operation mode. Moreover, the real-time control made it possible to optimize process operation and save aeration energy.

High nitrogen removal from wastewater with several new aerobic bacteria isolated from diverse ecosystems

Three new bacteria HS-03, HS-043 and HS-047 isolated from different ecosystems were found capable of aerobic denitrification. The potential application of these strains in wastewater treatment under aerobic conditions was investigated, These three bacteria all presented high nitrogen removal from wastewater that more than 98% of 10 mmol/L nitrate could be removed in 12--24 h by adding cheap external carbon source and low concentration of iron as well as molybdate. The mechanism at molecular level was analyzed. The success of this aerobic denitrification applied to wastewater treatment may serve as an alternative to enhance the practical nitrogen removal from wastewater. Main biochemical and physiological features of these strains were characterized. The 16S rDNA sequences were compared with the published data in GenBank by using BLAST. The results of phenotype and genotype proved that strain HS-03 and HS-047 belonged to Pseudomonas stutzeri and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes respectively. Strain HS-043 was identified as Delftia clcidovorans of which denitrifying activity has not previously been explored.

Nitrogen removal influence factors in A/O process and decision trees for nitrification/denitrification system

In order to improve nitrogen removal in anoxic/oxic(A/O) process effectively for treating domestic wastewaters, the influence factors, DO(dissolved oxygen), nitrate recirculation, sludge recycle, SRT(solids residence time), influent COD/TN and HRT(hydraulic retention time) were studied. Results indicated that it was possible to increase nitrogen removal by using corresponding control strategies, such as, adjusting the DO set point according to effluent ammonia concentration; manipulating nitrate recirculation flow according to nitrate concentration at the end of anoxic zone. Based on the experiments results, a knowledge-based approach for supervision of the nitrogen removal problems was considered, and decision trees for diagnosing nitrification and denitrification problems were built and successfully applied to A/O process.

Nitrogen Removal Improvement by Adding Peat in Deep Soil of Subsurface Wastewater Infi ltration System

In order to enhance the nitrogen removal, a subsurface wastewater infiltration system （SWIS） was improved by adding peat in deep soil as carbon source for denitrification process. The effects of addition of carbon source in the underpart of the SWIS on nitrogen removal at different influents （with the total nitrogen （TN） concentration 40 and 80 mg L^-1, respectively） were investigated by soil column simulating experiments. When the relatively light pollution influent with 40 mg L^-1 TN was used, the average concentrations of NO3-N and TN in effluents were （4.69±0.235）, （6.18±0.079） mg L^-1, respectively, decreased by 32 and 30.8% than the control; the NO3--N concentration of all effluents was below the maximum contaminant level of 10 mg L^-1; as high as 92.67% of the TN removal efficiency was achieved. When relatively heavy pollution influent with 80 mg LITN was used, the average concentrations of NO3--N and TN in effluents were （10.2±0.265）, （12.5±0.148） mg L^-1 respectively, decreased by 20 and 21.2% than the control; the NO3--N concentration of all effluents met the grade Ⅲ of the national quality standard for ground water of China （GB/T 14848-1993） with the values less than 20 mg L^-1; the TN removal efficiency of 94.1% was achieved. In summary, adding peat in the underpart of the SWIS significantly decreased TN and NO3- -N concentration in effluents and the nitrogen removal efficiency improved significantly.

Influence of packing media on nitrogen removal in a subsurface infiltration system

Influence of packing media on nitrogen removal in a subsurface infiltration system was studied. System A was filled with loamy soil and system B was filled with mixed soil of 75% red clay with 25% cinder. Both systems were fed with sewage at the same hydraulic loading of 2 cm/d at continuous operation mode. The same excellent removal performances of COD and T-P could be achieved in both infiltration systems with removal rates about 85% and 98%, respectively. In system A, NH +_4-N removal rate was as high as 96.5% and T-N removal rate was relatively much lower as 55.7%. And in system B, NH +_4-N removal rate was as low as 75.4% and T-N removal rate was relatively much higher as 75.5%. The difference was attributed to different soil oxidation-reduction condition that was greatly influenced by soil texture in subsurface infiltration system. Loamy soil led to oxidative condition that was favorable to nitrification and disadvantageous to denitrification. The results were just adverse to the system filled with clay. Intermittent operation was adopted to improve nitrogen removal in system B. NH +_4-N removal rate could be increased to about 95% and T-N removal rate could be increased to about 90% at intermittent operation mode in system B. Analysis of nitrogen removal mechanisms indicated that nitrification-denitrification was the primary nitrogen removal path in subsurface infiltration system and crop uptake was another important nitrogen removal way. It was the key to improve the total N removal performance that a suitable packing soil was available to present favorable oxidation-reduction condition for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification.

Advanced removal of organic and nitrogen from ammonium-rich landfil leachate using an anaerobic-aerobic system

A novel system coupling an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket(UASB) and sequencing batch reactor(SBR) was introduced to achieve advanced removal of organic and nitrogen from ammonium-rich landfill leachate. UASB could remove 88.1% of the influent COD at a volumetric loading rate of 6.8 kg COD·m-3·d-1. Nitritation–denitritation was responsible for removing 99.8% of NH+4-N and 25% of total nitrogen in the SBR under alternating aerobic/anoxic modes. Simultaneous denitritation and methanogenesis in the UASB enhanced COD and TN removal, and replenished alkalinity consumed in nitritation. For the activated sludge of SBR, ammonia oxidizing bacteria were preponderant in nitrifying population, indicated by fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) analysis. The Monod equation is appropriate to describe the kinetic behavior of heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria,with its kinetic parameters determined from batch experiments.

Enhanced nitrogen removal at low temperature with mixed anoxic/oxic process

Different hydraulic retention times(HRTs)were tested in a mixed anoxic/oxic(A/O)system at 5C and 10C to investigate the effects of HRT and carrier on nitrogen removal in wastewater at low temperatures.The results showed that the addition of the fillers improved the treatment effect of each index in the system.With an optimal HRT of 7.5 h at 5C,the removal efficiencies of NHþ4-N and total nitrogen(TN)reached 91.2%and 75.6%,respectively.With an HRT of 6 h at 10C,the removal efficiencies of NHþ4-N and TN were 96.7%and 82.9%,respectively.The results of high-throughput sequencing showed that the addition of the suspended carriers in the aerobic zone could improve the treatment efficiency of nitrogen at low temperatures.The microbial analysis indicated that the addition of the suspended carriers enhanced the enrichment of nitrogen removal bacteria.Nitrospira,Nitrotoga,and Nitrosomonas were found to be the bacteria responsible for nitrification,and their relative concentrations on the biofilm at 5C and 10C accounted for 98.11%,92.79%,and 69.98%of all biological samples,respectively.

Removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in a combined A^2/O-BAF system with a short aerobic SRT

A bench-scale anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic process-biological aerated filter （A^2/O-BAF） combined system was carded out to treat wastewater with lower C/N and C/P ratios. The A^2/O process was operated in a short aerobic sludge retention time （SRT） for organic pollutants and phosphorus removal, and denitrification. The subsequent BAF process was mainly used for nitrification. The BAF effluent was partially returned to anoxic zone of the A^2/O process to provide electron acceptors for denitrification and anoxic P uptake. This unique system formed an environment for reproducing the denitdfying phosphate-accumulating organisms （DPAOs）. The ratio of DPAOs to phosphorus accumulating organisms （PAOs） could be maintained at 28% by optimizing the organic loads in the anaerobic zone and the nitrate loads into the anoxic zone in the A^2/O process. The aerobic phosphorus over-uptake and discharge of excess activated sludge was the main mechanism of phosphorus removal in the combined system. The aerobic SRT of the A^2/O process should meet the demands for the development of aerobic PAOs and the restraint on the nitrifiers growth, and the contact time in the aerobic zone of the A^2/O process should be longer than 30 min, which ensured efficient phosphorus removal in the combined system. The adequate BAF effluent return rates should be controlled with 1--4 mg/L nitrate nitrogen in the anoxic zone effluent of A^2/O process to achieve the optimal nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies.

Research on Nitrogen Removal and Microorganism in a Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland System in Sihong County

Experiments in monitoring the removal of organic material and nitrogen and determining the amounts of mi- croorganism at different sites in the subsurface flow constructed wetland in Sihong county were performed. The results show that the removal of CODCr agrees with the kinetic equation of a first order reaction. The removal of pollutants varies with different seasons. The removal rates of CODCr, NH3-N, TN in the spring are 15%–23% higher than those in the autumn. The amount of ammonifier is larger than that of denitrifying bacteria and the amount of denitrifying bacte- ria is larger than that of nitrosomonas. The amount of bacteria around the plant roots is larger than that on the surface of the packing medium. No apparent change is observed for the amount of denitrifying bacteria and nitrosomonas between spring and autumn.

Nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater by limit-oxic/anoxic/oxic biological aerated filter system

In this study,a three-stage biological aerated filter(BAF) system was proposed for the enhancement of nitrogen removal in the treatment of low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio(C/N ratio) municipal wastewater.Operational parameters were studied for each process for maximum nitrite accumulation in the nitrification step and nitrite adaptation in the denitrification step.Nitrite accumulation during nitrification could be controlled by the dissolved oxygen(DO) concentration,presenting a mean value of 40% at around 1.0 mg DO/L.Denitrification could be adapted to nitrite and the process was stable if nitrite in the reactor was keep low.Once the operational parameters were established,the process was stable and a steady state was maintained for over 30 days,and the various indexes of discharged water were up to the Discharge standard of pollutants for municipal wastewater treatment plant(GB18918-2002) Level-one A.It was concluded that the three-stage BAF system proposed in this study was excellent in nitrogen removal performance by employing three-column functioning as short-cut nitrification,short-cut denitrification and secondary nitrification,respectively.

Nitrogen Removal Performance of Continuous Anoxic/Oxic System Using Activated Sludge and Sludge Biofilms

Nitrogen is the most important component for living beings while the excessive discharge of organic and inorganic nitrogen may create severe environmental problems.In this study,a continuous anoxic/oxic(A/O)reactor adopting activated sludge and sludge biofilms in the anoxic and oxic zones was applied for total nitrogen(TN)and chemical oxygen demand(COD)removal,and the efficiencies of nitrification and denitrification were compared as well.Results showed that when using activated sludge,the effluent concentrations of NH_(4)^(+)-N,NO_(3)^(-)-N,NO_(2)^(-)-N,TN and COD were inconsistent and fluctuated greatly,and the removal efficiencies of corresponding nitrification,denitrification and TN were also unstable;the obtained average COD removal efficiency was 85%.While using sludge biofilms,the acquired effluent concentrations of NH^(+)_(4)-N,NO^(-)_(3)-N,NO_(2)^(-)-N,TN and COD became stable and constant.The nitrification,denitrification,TN and COD removal efficiencies were 96%,84%and 65%and 94%,respectively.Bacterial community analysis of sludge biofilms indicated that the genus Arcobacter was the major denitrifiers in the anoxic zone with relative abundance of 76.1%,and in the oxic zone the abundances of Acinetobacter,Hydrogenophaga and Nitrospira responsible for complete nitrification were 20.05%,7.6%and 3.7%respectively.The high abundance of nitrifying bacteria and denitrifiers were related with the high and stable nitrogen and COD removal.

Nitrogen Removal in Wastewater Irrigation Systems and Its Influence on Groundwater Pollution

The experiment included ten soil columns and field investigation in 1 - 2 year duration. Data on the columns continuously flooded with waste water indicated that when total input of NH4-N reached to above 70% of the NH4-N adsorption capacity in soil the breakthrough would appear in the output . Adequate removal of nitrogen from the waste water would require at least 170 cm deep groundwater table . Fine textured soil would promote denitrification . The columns simulating discontinuous waste water irrigation indicated that denitrification existed only in the partial microenvironment of reduction .Groundwater table depth had no strong influence on nitrogen removal . The investigation in field revealed that the groundwater recharged with waste water was not polluted by nitrogen when the aeration profile was in finer textures owing to the combined contribution of nitrification and denitrification .

A Combined System for Biological Removal of Nitrogen and Carbon from Nylon-6 Production Wastewater

A combined system consisting of hydrolysis acidification, denitrification and nitrification reactors was used to remove carbon and nitrogen from the nylon - 6 production wastewater, which was characterized by good biodegradability and high nitrogen concentration. The influences of Chemical Oxygen Demand （COD） in the influent, recirculation ratio, Hydraulic Residence Time （HRT） and Dissolved Oxygen （DO） concentration on the system performances were investigated. From results it could be seen that good performances have been achieved during the overall experiments periods, and COD, Total Nitrogen （TN）, NH^＋ -N and Suspended Solids （SS） in the effluent were 53, 16, 2 and 24 mg· L^-1, respectively, which has satisfied the first standard of wastewater discharge established by Environmental Protection Agency （EPA） of China. Furthermore, results showed that operation factors, viz. COD in the influent, recirculation ratio, HRT and DO concentration, all had important influences on the system performances.

Nitrogen Removal Efficiency of the Reclaimed Water by Land Treatment System

[Objective] The research aimed to study nitrogen removal effect of the land treatment process on reclaimed water. [Method] By using land treatment system, reclaimed water which reached one-level A standard was conducted advanced processing, and nitrogen removal efficiency of the effluent was inspected. [ Result] There was a positive correlation between organic matter content of the soil medium and nitrogen removal effect. With appropriate soil medium, TN and NH3-N could obtain the removal efficiency of more than 90% and 75% respectively, and they could be removed at 30 and 10 cm height of soil medium respectively with land treatment system to treat reclaimed water. [ Conclusion ] The research provid- ed theoretical basis for application of the land treatment system into nitrogen removal of the reclaimed water.

Comparative study of two biological nitrogen removal processes:A/O process and step-feeding process

Two biological nitrogen removal processes are compared in the aspect of nitrogen removal, process operation and energy saving. Results show that when the returned sludge ratio is 50% of the inflow rate, the step-feeding process achieves over 80% total nitrogen （TN） removal efficiency, but the TN removal efficiency of the A/O process is only 40%. Moreover, filamentous sludge bulking can be well restrained in the step-feeding process. Given the conditions of a returned sludge ratio of 100% and a nitrifying liquor recycle ratio of 200%, the TN removal efficiency is 78.32% in the A/O process, but the sludge volume index （SVI） value increases to 143 mL/g. In the step-feeding process, the SVI is only 94.4 mL/g when the TN removal efficiency reaches 81. 1%. The step-feeding process has distinct advantages over the A/O process in the aspects of practicability, nitrogen removal and operating stability.

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.

Enhancing nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands: The role of influent substrate concentrations in integrated vertical-flow systems

Recent advancements in constructed wetlands(CWs)have highlighted the imperative of enhancing nitrogen(N)removal efficiency.However,the variability in influent substrate concentrations presents a challenge in optimizing N removal strategies due to its impact on removal efficiency and mechanisms.Here we show the interplay between influent substrate concentration and N removal processes within integrated vertical-flow constructed wetlands(IVFCWs),using wastewaters enriched with NO_(3)^(-)-N and NH4þ-N at varying carbon to nitrogen(C/N)ratios(1,3,and 6).In the NO_(3)^(-)-N enriched systems,a positive correlation was observed between the C/N ratio and total nitrogen(TN)removal efficiency,which markedly increased from 13.46±2.23%to 87.00±2.37%as the C/N ratio escalated from 1 to 6.Conversely,in NH4þ-N enriched systems,TN removal efficiencies in the A-6 setup(33.69±4.83%)were marginally 1.25 to 1.29 times higher than those in A-3 and A-1 systems,attributed to constraints in dissolved oxygen(DO)levels and alkalinity.Microbial community analysis and metabolic pathway assessment revealed that anaerobic denitrification,microbial N assimilation,and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium(DNRA)predominated in NO_(3)^(-)-N systems with higher C/N ratios(C/N 3).In contrast,aerobic denitrification and microbial N assimilation were the primary pathways in NH4þ-N systems and low C/N NO_(3)^(-)-N systems.A mass balance approach indicated denitrification and microbial N assimilation contributed 4.12-47.12%and 8.51e38.96%in NO_(3)^(-)-N systems,respectively,and 0.55e17.35%and 7.83e33.55%in NH4þ-N systems to TN removal.To enhance N removal,strategies for NO_(3)-N dominated systems should address carbon source limitations and electron competition between denitrification and DNRA processes,while NH4þ-N dominated systems require optimization of carbon utilization pathways,and ensuring adequate DO and alkalinity supply.

An autotrophic nitrogen removal process:Short-cut nitrification combined with ANAMMOX for treating diluted effluent from an UASB reactor fed by landfill leachate

A combined process consisting of a short-cut nitrification （SN） reactor and an anaerobic ammonium oxidation upflow anaerobic sludge bed （ANAMMOX） reactor was developed to treat the diluted effluent from an upflow anaerobic sludge bed （UASB） reactor treating high ammonium municipal landfill leachate.The SN process was performed in an aerated upflow sludge bed （AUSB） reactor （working volume 3.05 L）,treating about 50% of the diluted raw wastewater.The ammonium removal efficiency and the ratio of NO 2 N to NOx-N in the effluent were both higher than 80%,at a maximum nitrogen loading rate of 1.47 kg/（m 3 ·day）.The ANAMMOX process was performed in an UASB reactor （working volume 8.5 L）,using the mix of SN reactor effluent and diluted raw wastewater at a ratio of 1：1.The ammonium and nitrite removal efficiency reached over 93% and 95%,respectively,after 70-day continuous operation,at a maximum total nitrogen loading rate of 0.91 kg/（m 3 ·day）,suggesting a successful operation of the combined process.The average nitrogen loading rate of the combined system was 0.56 kg/（m 3 ·day）,with an average total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency 87%.The nitrogen in the effluent was mostly nitrate.The results provided important evidence for the possibility of applying SN-ANAMMOX after UASB reactor to treat municipal landfill leachate.

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in step feeding biological nitrogen removal process

The simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in step-feeding biological nitrogen removal process were investigated under different influent substrate concentrations and aeration flow rates. Biological occurrence of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification was verified in the aspect of nitrogen mass balance and alkalinity. The experimental results also showed that there was a distinct linear relationship between simultaneous nitrification and denitrification and DO concentration under the conditions of low and high aeration flow rate. In each experimental run the floc sizes of activated sludge were also measured and the results showed that simultaneous nitrification and denitrification could occur with very small size of floc.