Enhanced ammonia removal at room temperature by pH controlled partial nitrification and subsequent anaerobic ammonium oxidation

Environ Technol. 2014 Jan-Feb;35(1-4):383-90. doi: 10.1080/09593330.2013.829110.

Abstract

The Anammox-based processes are suitable for the treatment of wastewaters characterized by a low carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio. The application of the Anammox process requires the availability of an effluent with a NO2- -N/NH4+ -N ratio composition around 1 g g-1, which involves the necessity of a previous step where the partial nitrification is performed. In this step, the inhibition of the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) is crucial. In the present work, a combined partial nitrification-ANaerobic AMmonia OXidation (Anammox) two-units system operated at room temperature (20 degreeC) has been tested for the nitrogen removal of pre-treated pig slurry. To achieve the successful partial nitrification and inhibit the NOB activity, different ammonium/inorganic carbon (NH4+/IC) ratios were assayed from 1.19 to 0.82g NH4+-Ng-1 HCO3-C. This procedure provoked a decrease of the pH value to 6.0 to regulate the inhibitory effect over ammonia-oxidizing bacteria caused by free ammonia. Simultaneously, the NOB experienced the inhibitory effect of free nitrous acid which avoided the presence of nitrate in the effluent. The NH4+/IC ratio which allowed the obtaining of the desired effluent composition (50% of both ammonium and nitrite) was 0.82 +/- 0.02 g NH4+-N g-1 HCO3- -C. The Anammox reactor was fed with the effluent of the partial nitrification unit containing a NO2 -N/NH4+ -N ratio of 1 g g-1' where a nitrogen loading rate of 0.1 g N L-1 d-1 was efficiently removed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ammonia / chemistry
  • Ammonia / isolation & purification*
  • Ammonia / metabolism*
  • Ammonium Compounds / chemistry
  • Ammonium Compounds / metabolism*
  • Bacteria, Anaerobic / physiology*
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Nitrification / physiology
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Temperature
  • Wastewater / analysis
  • Wastewater / chemistry
  • Water / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism*
  • Water Purification / methods*

Substances

  • Ammonium Compounds
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Water
  • Ammonia