Process stability and the recovery control associated with inhibition factors in a UASB-anammox reactor with a long-term operation

Qigui Niu; Shilong He; Yanlong Zhang; Haiyuan Ma; Yuan Liu; Yu-You Li

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2015.12.003

Process stability and the recovery control associated with inhibition factors in a UASB-anammox reactor with a long-term operation

Bioresour Technol. 2016 Mar:203:132-41. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.12.003. Epub 2015 Dec 15.

Authors

Qigui Niu¹, Shilong He², Yanlong Zhang¹, Haiyuan Ma¹, Yuan Liu³, Yu-You Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University: 6-6-06, Aramaki-aza-aoba, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University: 6-6-06, Aramaki-aza-aoba, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan; School of Environment and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining & Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China.
³ Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan.
⁴ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University: 6-6-06, Aramaki-aza-aoba, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan; Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan. Electronic address: yyli@epl1.civil.tohoku.ac.jp.

PMID: 26722813
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.12.003

Abstract

A UASB-anammox reactor was operated for 900 days to study its process stability. The negative effects of free ammonia (FA) and free nitrous acid (FNA) were investigated over three separate inhibitions and recoveries. The IC10, IC50 and IC90 (inhibitory concentration/a 10%, 50% and 90% activity loss) of FNA and FA responding to the NH4(+)-N, NO2(-)-N and TN removal efficiency were evaluated. In the 1st inhibition, the average FNA-IC10 observed was 0.67 μg L(-1) and the FA-IC10 for TN removal was 4.85 mg L(-1). In the 2nd inhibition, an FNA-IC10 of 0.44μ g L(-1) and an FA-IC10 of 3.56 were found. In the 3rd inhibition, however, both the FNA-IC10 and FA-IC10 were found to have increased, with values of 0.50 μg L(-1) and 4.42 mg L(-1), respectively. A clear control region was established for multiple inhibitions and the recoveries, which followed (pH 7.5-8.5, FA below 10mg/100mg NH4(+)-N and an FNA below 0.005 mg/100 mg NO2(-)-N) for the purpose of optimizing the operation conditions of the UASB-anammox reactor.

Keywords: Free ammonia; Free nitrous acid; Inhibition factors; Process recovery; UASB stability.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Ammonia / metabolism*
Bioreactors*
Nitrogen / isolation & purification*
Nitrous Acid / metabolism*
Water Pollution / prevention & control

Substances

Ammonia
Nitrogen
Nitrous Acid