Nitrogen removal with the anaerobic ammonium oxidation process

Biotechnol Lett. 2013 Aug;35(8):1145-54. doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1196-4. Epub 2013 Apr 1.

Abstract

Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria convert ammonium to N2 with nitrite as the terminal electron acceptor in the absence of O2. Nitritation-anammox bioreactors provide a cost-effective and environment-friendly alternative to conventional nitrification/denitrification nitrogen removal systems. Currently, this process is only applied for ammonium removal from wastewater with high ammonium load and temperature. Nevertheless, recent results obtained with laboratory-scale bioreactors suggest new possible routes of application of the Nitritation-anammox technology including (1) municipal wastewater treatment, removal of (2) methane in combination with nitrite-reducing methane-oxidizing bacteria, (3) nitrate coupled to organic acid oxidation and (4) nitrogen oxides. The current review summarizes the state-of-the-art of the application of Nitritation-anammox systems and discusses the possibilities of utilizing these recent results for wastewater treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Ammonium Compounds / metabolism*
  • Anaerobiosis
  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Wastewater / chemistry
  • Wastewater / microbiology
  • Water Purification / methods

Substances

  • Ammonium Compounds
  • Waste Water
  • Nitrogen