The integration of powdered activated carbon and biofilm carriers in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) presents a promising approach to address the challenge of long hydraulic retention time (HRT) for nitrification of hydrolysed urine. This study investigated the effect of the incorporation in the MBR on microbial dynamics, focusing on dominant nitrifying bacteria. The results showed that significant shifts in microbial compositions were observed with the feed transition to full-strength urine and across different sludge growth forms. Remarkably, the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria Nitrospira were highly enriched in the suspended sludge. Simultaneously, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, Nitrosococcaceae thrived in the attached biomass, showing a significant seven-fold increase in relative abundance compared to its suspended counterpart. Consequently, the incorporated MBR displayed 36% higher nitrification rate and 40% HRT reduction compared to the conventional MBR. This study provides valuable insights on the potential development of household or building scale on-site nutrient recovery from urine to fertiliser.
Keywords: Biological nitrification; Circular economy; Nitrifying bacteria; Nutrient recovery; Source-separated urine.
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