The Industrial Emissions Directive requires that coke wastewater is treated to reach an effluent with < 50 mg/L total nitrogen (TN). A shortage of alkalinity (3.6 mg as CaCO3/mg [Formula: see text]) in the wastewater limited nitrification to 45%. Various compounds were tested as a source of additional alkalinity, with optimal results being found for sodium carbonate, which enabled 95% nitrification at 300 mg/L (as CaCO3). Sodium bicarbonate led to incomplete ammonia oxidation (76%) whilst soda ash prevented nitrite oxidation. Addition of sodium hydroxide enabled 98% nitrification but was associated with [Formula: see text] accumulation. Ammonia and nitrite oxidation had optimal pH ranges of 7.0-8.3 and 5.5-6.8, respectively. As organic carbon concentrations in coke wastewater are at times insufficient for effective denitrification external organic carbon was also considered to enhance denitrification. A laboratory-scale anoxic-aerobic activated sludge process was used to investigate glycerol and acetic acid as carbon sources. Glycerol was associated with a low biomass production (0.18 mg of biomass produced per 1 mg of glycerol) and mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) declined from 2235 to 750 mg/L leading to incomplete nitrification (< 30%) and an effluent TN of 59 mg/L. Acetic acid had a higher biomass production (0.31 mg of biomass produced per 1 mg of acetic acid) maintaining stable MLSS concentrations (3137 mg/L). Overall, a denitrification-nitrification process with alkalinity (Na2CO3 at 300 mg/L) and acetic acid dosing enabled an effluent TN of 24 mg/L.
Keywords: Nitrification; denitrification; external carbon; industrial wastewater.