Enhanced nitrogen removal in mainstream deammonification systems at ambient temperature by novel modified carriers and differentiation of microbial community transformation

Yuqi Li; Hong Liang; Wenbo Yang; Lang Cheng; Jiasuo Cao; Peng Wang; Dawen Gao

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128158

Enhanced nitrogen removal in mainstream deammonification systems at ambient temperature by novel modified carriers and differentiation of microbial community transformation

Bioresour Technol. 2022 Dec:366:128158. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128158. Epub 2022 Oct 19.

Authors

Yuqi Li¹, Hong Liang², Wenbo Yang², Lang Cheng², Jiasuo Cao², Peng Wang¹, Dawen Gao³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, Heilongjiang, China.
² Centre for Urban Environmental Remediation, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 100044, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Energy Conservation & Emission Reduction and Sustainable Urban-Rural Development in Beijing, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, Heilongjiang, China; Centre for Urban Environmental Remediation, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing, 100044, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Energy Conservation & Emission Reduction and Sustainable Urban-Rural Development in Beijing, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China. Electronic address: gaodw@hit.edu.cn.

PMID: 36272683
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128158

Abstract

Zeolite-modified polyurethane (ZP) carriers and zeolite/tourmaline-modified polyurethane (ZTP) carriers were proposed to enhance mainstream deammonification. The system with ZTP carriers was rapidly established in 28 days with a nitrogen removal rate (NRR) of 0.150 kg N·(m³·d)^-1. Moreover, the facilitative effect of tourmaline was suggested by the highest humic acid peak intensity and more balanced potential activity. Besides, SEM-EDS analysis revealed carrier characteristic improvement was achieved in both novel carriers while maintaining an excellent spatial structure. Moreover, the microbial analysis suggested that both modified carriers support the substrate supply to anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) by enhancing dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium and partial denitrification under nitrate accumulation conditions. Nevertheless, the ZTP system had a greater advantage over maintaining the original AnAOB (Candidatus Jettenia) and ammonium oxidizing bacteria (Nitrosomonas) abundance. Overall, this study provides ZTP carriers with great potential for facilitating the establishment of mainstream deammonification at full-scale WWTPs.

Keywords: Biofilm carrier; Deammonification; Mainstream; Nitrogen removal; Tourmaline; Zeolite.

MeSH terms

Ammonium Compounds* / chemistry
Bioreactors / microbiology
Denitrification
Microbiota*
Nitrates
Nitrogen
Oxidation-Reduction
Polyurethanes
Sewage / microbiology
Temperature
Wastewater
Zeolites*

Substances

Nitrogen
tourmaline
Nitrates
Zeolites
Polyurethanes
Ammonium Compounds
Sewage
Waste Water