Nitrogen removal rates at a technical-scale pilot plant with the one-stage partial nitritation/Anammox process

Water Sci Technol. 2006;54(8):209-17. doi: 10.2166/wst.2006.816.

Abstract

Traditional nitrification/denitrification is not suitable for nitrogen removal when wastewater contains high concentrations of ammonium nitrogen and low concentrations of biodegradable carbon. Recently, a deammonification process was developed and proposed as a new technology for treatment of such streams. This process relies on a stable interaction between aerobic bacteria Nitrosomonas, that accomplish partial nitritation and anaerobic bacteria Planctomycetales, which conduct the Anammox reaction. Simultaneous performance of these two processes can lead to a complete autotrophic nitrogen removal in one single reactor. The experiments where nitrogen was removed in one reactor were performed at a technical-scale moving-bed pilot plant, filled with Kaldnes rings and supplied with supernatant after dewatering of digested sludge. It was found that a nitrogen removal rate obtained at the pilot plant was 1.9 g m(-2) d(-1). Parallel to the pilot plant run, a series of batch tests were carried out under anoxic and aerobic conditions. Within the batch tests, where the pilot plant's conditions were simulated, removal rates reached up to 3 g N m(-2)d(-1). Moreover, the batch tests with inhibition of Nitrosomonas showed that only the Anammox bacteria (not anoxic removal by Nitrosomonas) are responsible for nitrogen removal.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerobiosis
  • Ammonia / metabolism
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Biofilms
  • Bioreactors*
  • Carbon / metabolism
  • Nitrogen / isolation & purification*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism
  • Nitrosomonas / metabolism
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / instrumentation
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*

Substances

  • Carbon
  • Ammonia
  • Nitrogen