Stable continuous flow CANDAN process transitioning from anammox UASB reactor by facilitating indigenous nitrite-producing denitrification community

Abstract

The emerging nitrogen removal process known as CANDAN (Complete Ammonium and Nitrate removal via Denitratation-Anammox over Nitrite) has been developed in Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBRs). Yet, starting up and maintaining stability in continuous-flow reactors remain challenging. This study explores the feasibility of transitioning the CANDAN process from an anammox-dominated process by introducing appropriate external organics to facilitate indigenous nitrite-producing denitrification community in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor. 150-day operation results indicate that under feeding rates of domestic wastewater at 0.54 L/h and nitrate-containing wastewater at 1.08 L/h, excellent N removal was achieved, with effluent TN below 10.0 mg N/L. Adding external sodium acetate at a COD/NO₃^--N = 2.0 triggered denitratation, ex-situ denitrification activity tests showed increased nitrite production rates, maintaining the nitrate-to-nitrite transformation ratio (NTR) above 90 %. Consequently, anammox activity was consistently maintained, dominating Total Nitrogen (TN) removal with a contribution as high as 78.3 ± 8.0 %. Anammox functional bacteria, Brocadia and Kuenenia were identified and showed no decrease throughout the operation, indicating the robustness of the anammox process. Notably, the troublesome of sludge flotation, did not occur, also contributing to sustained outstanding performance. In conclusion, this study advances our understanding of the synergistic interplay between anammox and denitrifying bacteria in the Anammox-UASB system, offering technical insights for establishing a stable continuous-flow CANDAN process for simultaneous ammonium and nitrate removal.

Keywords: Anammox; Continuous-flow CANDAN process; Denitratation; Nitrite production; Simultaneous ammonium and nitrate removal; UASB.