Alcaligenes faecalis strain NR has the capability of simultaneous ammonium and organic carbon removal under sole aerobic conditions. The growth and substrate removal characteristics of A. faecalis strain NR were studied and appropriate kinetic models were developed. The maximum substrate removal rate of NH4 (+)-N and TOC were determined as 2.27 mg NH4 (+)-N/L/h and 30.00 mg TOC/L/h, respectively with initial NH4 (+)-N = 80 mg/L and TOC = 800 mg/L. Single-substrate models and double-substrate models based on Monod, Contois, Moser and Teissier were employed to describe the bioprocess kinetic coefficients. As a result, two double-substrate models, Teissier-Contois and Contois-Contois, were considered to be appropriate to model growth kinetics with both NH4 (+)-N and TOC as limiting substrates. The kinetic constants of maximum growth rate (μ max) and half-saturation constant (K S and B S) were obtained by solving multiple equations with regression. This work can be used to further understand and predict the performance of heterotrophic nitrifiers, and thus provides specific guidance of these functional strains in practical wastewater treatment process.
Keywords: Growth characteristics; Heterotrophic nitrification; Kinetic constants; Kinetic modeling; Wastewater treatment.