Nitrogen removal from wastewater using simultaneous nitrate reduction and anaerobic ammonium oxidation in single reactor

J Biosci Bioeng. 2006 Oct;102(4):346-51. doi: 10.1263/jbb.102.346.

Abstract

The effects of C/N ratio and total organic carbon (TOC) loading on nitrogen removal through simultaneous nitrate reduction and anaerobic ammonium oxidation in a single reactor were examined. Granular sludge taken from a methane fermentation reactor was placed in an upflow reactor and supplied with synthetic wastewater containing nitrate at a C/N ratio of 1 to grow heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria. When nitrogen removal ratio reached 30%, anammox sludge attached to nonwoven-carrier was added into the same reactor and then ammonia was added to the synthetic wastewater. Nitrogen removal ratio was markedly increased to 80-94%. In this system, nitrogen removal ratio was affected by C/N ratio and TOC loading, not by the amount of granular sludge. A stable isotopic analysis using 15N-labeled nitrate showed that N2 gas was formed by anammox reaction.

MeSH terms

  • Anaerobiosis
  • Bioreactors / microbiology*
  • Cell Culture Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Industrial Waste / prevention & control
  • Nitrates / metabolism*
  • Nitrogen / isolation & purification
  • Nitrogen / pharmacokinetics*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / metabolism*
  • Sewage / microbiology*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / pharmacokinetics*
  • Water Purification / methods*

Substances

  • Industrial Waste
  • Nitrates
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
  • Sewage
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Nitrogen