Effect of sludge age on simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in membrane bioreactor

This study evaluated the effect of sludge age on simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in a membrane bioreactor treating black water. A membrane bioreactor with no separate anoxic volume was operated at a sludge age of 20 days under low dissolved oxygen concentration of 0.1-0.2 mg/L. Its performance was compared with the period when the sludge age was adjusted to 60 days. Floc size distribution, apparent viscosity, and nitrogen removal differed significantly, together with different biomass concentrations: nitrification was reduced to 40% while denitrification was almost complete. Modelling indicated that both nitrification and denitrification kinetics varied as a function of the sludge age. Calibrated values of half saturation coefficients were reduced when the sludge age was lowered to 20 days. Model simulation confirmed the validity of variable process kinetics for nitrogen removal, specifically set by the selected sludge age.     

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification using an autotrophic membrane-immobilized biofilm reactor

AIMS: To develop a laboratory-scale autotrophic membrane-immobilized biofilm reactor to remove nitrogen from drinking water. METHODS AND RESULTS: A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) immobilized biofilm, attached to the surface of a silicone tube, was used as the basis of a bioreactor for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification of water. The bioreactor was aerated with air to supply oxygen for nitrification. Pure hydrogen was supplied to the silicone tube and diffused through the membrane wall to feed the biofilm for autotrophic denitrification. The bioreactor was effective for the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification of water after a short period of acclimation, while the biofilm exhibited good resistance to the inhibition of denitrification by dissolved oxygen; the denitrification rate decreased by only 8% as the dissolved oxygen increased from 2 mg l(-1) to saturation. CONCLUSIONS: By using PVA crosslinked with sodium nitrate to entrap nitrifying and denitrifying sludge on the surface of a silicone tube, a novel bioreactor for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification was developed. In addition to performing as an immobilizing agent to strengthen the biofilm, PVA protected the denitrifying microorganisms to reduce the inhibition by dissolved oxygen under aerobic condition. Therefore, nitrification and denitrification occurred simultaneously within the biofilm. Furthermore, the immobilization technique shortened the acclimation period of the bioreactor. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The described space saving and simple to operate bioreactor for nitrogen removal performed autotrophic denitrification to solve the problem of residual carbon in heterotrophic denitrification, and thus is suitable for removing nitrogen from drinking water.     

Nitrification-denitrification via nitrite accumulation for nitrogen removal from wastewaters

The biological nitrification-denitrification process is used extensively for removal of ammonia nitrogen from wastewaters. Saves in aeration, organic matter (for denitrification) and surplus sludge are achievable if nitrite accumulation is possible in the nitrification step. In this paper, operational parameters were studied for each process for maximum nitrite accumulation in the nitrification step and nitrite adaptation in the denitrification step. Nitrite accumulation during nitrification can be controlled by the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, presenting a maximum of 65% at around 0.7 mg DO/L. Denitrification can be adapted to nitrite and the process is stable if nitrite in the reactor is keep low. The performance of a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and an up flow sludge blanket reactor (USB) were compared. Once the operational parameters were established, a CSTR for nitrification and an USB reactor for denitrification were operated in series for 25 days. The process was stable and a steady state was maintained for 20 days, and 93.5% of overall nitrogen removal was achieved in the nitrification-denitrification via the nitrite process.     

Long-term effect of dissolved oxygen on partial nitrification performance and microbial community structure

In this study, the performance of partial nitrification via nitrite and microbial community structure were investigated and compared in two sequencing batch reactors (SBR) with different dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. Both reactors achieved stable partial nitrification with nitrite accumulation ratio of above 95% by using real-time aeration duration control. Compared with high DO (above 3 mg/l on average) SBR, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) via nitrite was carried out in low DO (0.4–0.8 mg/l) SBR. The average efficiencies of SND in high DO and low DO reactor were 7.7% and 44.9%, and the specific SND rates were 0.20 and 0.83 mg N/(mg MLSS h), respectively. Low DO did not produce sludge with poorer settling properties but attained lower turbidities of the effluent than high DO. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis in both the reactors showed that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were the dominant nitrifying bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) did not be recovered in spite of exposing nitrifying sludge to high DO. The morphology of the sludge from both two reactors according to scanning electron microscope indicated that small rod-shaped and spherical clusters were dominant, although filamentous bacteria and few long rod-shaped coexisted in the low DO reactor. By selecting properly DO level and adopting process control method is not only of benefit to the achievement of novel biological nitrogen removal technology, but also favorable to sludge population optimization.     

Short-cut nitrification of domestic wastewater in a pilot-scale A/O nitrogen removal plant

The feasibility of nitrite accumulation in a pilot-scale A/O (anoxic/oxic) nitrogen removal plant treating domestic wastewater was investigated at various dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and pH levels. The results showed that the pH was not a useful operational parameter to realize nitrite accumulation. Significant nitrite accumulation was observed at the low DO concentration range of 0.3–0.8 mg/l and the maximum nitrite accumulation ratio of about 90% occurred at a DO concentration of 0.6 mg/l. This suggests a reduction of 22% in the oxygen consumption, and therefore a considerable saving in aeration. However, the nitrite accumulation was destroyed at the high DO concentration and the resumption was very slow. In addition, the average ammonia removal efficiency reached as high as 93% at the low DO level. Moreover, experimental results indicated that nitrogen could be removed by simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) via nitrite in the aerobic zones at the low DO concentration, with the efficiency of 6–12%.     

Analysis of the characteristics of short-cut nitrifying granular sludge and pollutant removal processes in a sequencing batch reactor

Aerobic granular sludge is a new type of microbe auto-immobilization technology; in this paper, short-cut nitrification and denitrification were effectively combined with the granular sludge technology. Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification granules were developed in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) using synthetic wastewater with a high concentration of ammonia nitrogen at 25 °C with a dissolved oxygen concentration above 2.0 mg/L and a 15 days sludge retention time. The characteristics of the sludge and the removal efficiency were studied, and the removal mechanisms of the pollutants and the process of short-cut nitrification were analyzed. The average granule diameter of the granular sludge was 704.0 μm. The removal rates of pollutants and the accumulation rate of nitrite in the SBR were studied. During treatment of wastewater with a high concentration of ammonia nitrogen, simultaneous nitrification, and denitrification and the stripping process could contribute to the removal of total nitrogen. The high pH value, the high concentration of free ammonia, and the delamination of granular sludge were the main factors contributing to the short-cut nitrification property of granular sludge in the reaction process.     

Simultaneous nitrification,denitrification, and phosphorus removal in a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) via the nitrite pathway and anaerobic-anoxic-enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) are two processes that can significantly reduce the energy and COD demand for nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The combination of these two processes has the potential of achieving simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal with a minimal requirement for COD. A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated in alternating anaerobic-aerobic mode with a low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (0.5 mg/L) during the aerobic period, and was demonstrated to accomplish nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal. Under anaerobic conditions, COD was taken up and converted to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), accompanied by phosphorus release. In the subsequent aerobic stage, PHA was oxidized and phosphorus was taken up to <0.5 mg/L by the end of the cycle. Ammonia was also oxidized during the aerobic period, but without accumulation of nitrite or nitrate in the system, indicating the occurrence of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. However, off-gas analysis showed that the final denitrification product was mainly nitrous oxide (N(2)O), not N(2). Further experimental results demonstrated that nitrogen removal was via nitrite, not nitrate. These experiments also showed that denitrifying glycogen-accumulating organisms (DGAOs), rather than denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (DPAOs), were responsible for the denitrification activity.     

Organics and nitrogen removal and sludge stability in aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactor

Novel aerobic granular sludge membrane bioreactor (GMBR) was established by combining aerobic granular sludge technology with membrane bioreactor (MBR). GMBR showed good organics removal and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) performances for synthesized wastewater. When influent total organic carbon (TOC) was 56.8-132.6 mg/L, the TOC removal of GMBR was 84.7-91.9%. When influent ammonia nitrogen was 28.1-38.4 mg/L, the ammonia nitrogen removal was 85.4-99.7%, and the total nitrogen removal was 41.7-78.4%. Moreover, batch experiments of sludge with different particle size demonstrated that: (1) flocculent sludge under aerobic condition almost have no denitrification capacity, (2) SND capacity was caused by the granular sludge, and (3) the denitrification rate and total nitrogen removal efficiency were enhanced with the increased particle size. In addition, study on the sludge morphology stability in GMBR showed that, although some granular sludge larger than 0.9 mm disaggregated at the beginning of operation, the granular sludge was able to maintain the stability of its granular morphology, and at the end of operation, the amount of granular sludge (larger than 0.18 mm) stabilized in GMBR was more than 56-62% of the total sludge concentration. The partial disaggregation of large granules is closely associated with the change of operating mode from sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system to MBR system.     

Feasibility of nitrification/denitrification in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor with liquid circulation applied to post-treatment

An investigation was performed on the biological removal of ammonium nitrogen from synthetic wastewater by the simultaneous nitrification/denitrification (SND) process, using a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR). System behavior was analyzed as to the effects of sludge type used as inoculum (autotrophic/heterotrophic), wastewater feed strategy (batch/fed-batch) and aeration strategy (continuous/intermittent). The presence of an autotrophic aerobic sludge showed to be essential for nitrification startup, despite publications stating the existence of heterotrophic organisms capable of nitrifying organic and inorganic nitrogen compounds at low dissolved oxygen concentrations. As to feed strategy, batch operation (synthetic wastewater containing 100 mg COD/L and 50 mg N-NH(4)(+)/L) followed by fed-batch (synthetic wastewater with 100 mg COD/L) during a whole cycle seemed to be the most adequate, mainly during the denitrification phase. Regarding aeration strategy, an intermittent mode, with dissolved oxygen concentration of 2.0mg/L in the aeration phase, showed the best results. Under these optimal conditions, 97% of influent ammonium nitrogen (80% of total nitrogen) was removed at a rate of 86.5 mg N-NH(4)(+)/Ld. In the treated effluent only 0.2 mg N-NO(2)(-)/L,4.6 mg N-NO(3)(-)/L and 1.0 mg N-NH(4)(+)/L remained, demonstrating the potential viability of this process in post-treatment of wastewaters containing ammonium nitrogen.     

N-removal in a granular sludge sequencing batch airlift reactor

The removal of N-compounds in the sequencing batch airlift reactor (SBAR) containing granular sludge was studied under conditions of decreased dissolved oxygen (DO). A simulation model was developed to describe and evaluate the effects of several process conditions in the SBAR on N-removal performance. The model described the experimental data reasonable well. It has been shown that nitrification, denitrification, and removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) can occur simultaneously in a granular sludge SBR. It has also been shown that the exact location of the autotrophic biomass influences the net N-removal. The distribution of the autotrophic biomass is influenced by the DO in the reactor. The optimal DO value is expected to be around 40% air saturation. It was shown that storage and subsequent degradation of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) benefit the denitrification. In particular, PHB is stored in bacteria situated in deeper layers of the granules below where the autotrophic activity occurs, serves as a C-source for denitrification.     

Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification achieved by an innovative internal-loop airlift MBR: comparative study

This study assessed the performance of different single-stage continuous aerated submerged membrane bioreactors (MBR) for nitrogen removal. Almost complete nitrification was achieved in each MBR irrespective of operating mode and biomass system. Denitrification was found to be the rate-limiting step for total nitrogen (T-N) removal. The MBR with internal-loop airlift reactor (ALR) configuration performed better as regards T-N removal compared with continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR). It was demonstrated that simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) is the mechanism leading to nitrogen removal and the contribution of microenvironment on SND is more remarkable for the MBRs with hybrid biomass. Macroenvironment analyses showed that gradient distribution of dissolved oxygen (DO) level in airlift MBRs imposed a significant effect on SND. Higher mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration led to the improvement in T-N removal by enhancing anoxic microenvironment. Apparent nitrite accumulation coupled with higher nitrogen reduction was accomplished at MLSS concentration exceeded 12.6 g/L.     

The influence of controlling factors on the start-up and operation for partial nitrification in membrane bioreactor

In this study, the partial nitrification process was started-up successfully in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). The influence of temperature and DO was investigated by sequencing operation of membrane bioreactor. The preferred values were proved as 35 degrees C and 0.3-0.5mg/L, respectively, and were indicated as indispensable controlling factors. In order to increase the sludge concentration, new seed sludge was added into the reactor, which caused the absolute destruction of the reactor performance. The results of reactor experiments showed that the free ammonia (FA) concentration of 74 mg NH(3)/L, as the influent ammonium concentration of 600 mg N/L, was a useful and effective factor to recover the partial nitrification performance. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis indicated that nitrifiers hybridizing with NIT3 and NSR1156 were present and active in MBR, which were then eliminated under high FA concentration. The microbiological community analysis further provided the necessary biological information for the realization of partial nitrification.     

Enhancing nitrogen removal in an Orbal oxidation ditch by optimization of oxygen supply: practice in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant

Seven different aeration modes, in which oxygen supply was changed by adjusting the number of aerators, were designed and applied in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant with Orbal oxidation ditch to investigate the influence of dissolved oxygen (DO) on nitrogen removal performance. The full-scale experiment results of 574 days showed that nitrogen removal efficiency depended on the degree of nitrification and denitrification in the outer channel, which was the largest contributor for TN removal in the Orbal oxidation ditch. Appropriate aeration control in the outer channel was essential to balance nitrification and denitrification in the Orbal oxidation ditch. When DO was as low as about 0.2 mg/L in the outer channel, the highest TN removal efficiency of 75% was obtained. Microbial analysis confirmed that aerobic and anaerobic bacteria coexisted in the outer channel. The greater species diversity and more intensive activities of these bacteria in aeration Mode V may be responsible for the higher TN removal efficiency compared with Mode III. These results suggest that different aerated conditions in the Orbal oxidation ditch might have a significant effect on microbial community characteristics and nitrogen removal efficiencies.     

Effect of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification on nitrogen removal performance and filamentous microorganism diversity of a full-scale MBR plant

The nutrient removal performance of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) plant treating the wastewater of 10,000 PE was investigated with dynamic simulations. The average process performance with respect to chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen were reported to be 97 and 81 %, respectively. The modeling study showed that low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (0.2–0.3 mgO₂/L) due to limited aeration capacity within aeration tank that provided additional total nitrogen removal of 15–20 mgN/L. Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification process was found to be the reason of performance increase. However, low DO levels <0.3 mgO₂/L in the aeration tank triggered the proliferation of filamentous microorganisms within one month as a side effect. In this respect, the morphotypes of Type 0092 and Nocardia (Gordonia) amarae were found to be excessively abundant in the MBR system. Overflow of foam layer covering the tanks was frequently reported during bulking period. A hypochloride dosing of 4.5 gCL/kgMLSS/day was applied to get over filamentous bulking problem as a short term action.     

Study of operational conditions of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in a Carrousel oxidation ditch for domestic wastewater treatment

The study on the operational conditions of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) in the channel of oxidation ditch (OD) without the need for a special anoxic tank was carried out based on lab-scale and pilot-scale experiments using real domestic wastewater. The influence of sludge loading and component proportion in influent, temperature, hydraulic retention time (HRT), dissolved oxygen (DO) and operational mode on SND was investigated. The result indicated that the optimal DO (ODO) of SND occurrence was confirmed majorly by the sludge loading of influent and temperature, the high TCOD/NH₃–N and short HRT can enhance the occurrence of SND. A new operational mode was proposed that achieved a higher removal efficiency of 60–70% for total nitrogen by SND with HRT of 4–6 h, and the concentrations of NH₃–N and TN in effluent are less than 5 and 15 mg/L, respectively.     

Nitrogen removal from wastewater with a low COD/N ratio at a low oxygen concentration

The goal of the study was to determine the effectiveness of nitrification and denitrification and the kinetics of ammonia removal from a mixture of wastewater and anaerobic sludge digester supernatant in an SBR at limited oxygen concentration. In addition, the COD removal efficiency and sludge production were assessed.In the SBR cycle alternating aerobic and anaerobic phases occurred; in the aeration phase the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was below 0.7 mg O₂/L. The low DO concentration did not inhibit ammonia oxidation-nitrification and the efficiency was ca. 96-98%. However, a relatively high COD concentration in the effluent was detected. The values of K_m and V_max, calculated from the Michaelis-Menten equation, were 43 mg N-NH₄/L and 15.64 mg N-NH₄/L h, respectively. Activated sludge production was almost stable (0.62-0.66 g MLVSS/g COD). A high net biomass production resulted from a low specific biomass decay rate of 0.0015 d⁻¹.     

Modeling of simultaneous denitrification--anaerobic digestion--organic matter aerobic oxidation and nitrification in an anoxic-anaerobic-aerobic compact filter reactor

A mathematical model was developed for a compact anoxic-anaerobic-aerobic filter reactor with liquid recirculation for the treatment of fishing effluents. The model includes denitrification, anaerobic digestion, aerobic carbon oxidation and nitrification steps, as well as an evaluation of the liquid gas mass transfer and pH. The model was calibrated using one experimental condition at a recycling ratio (R)=10, and was validated with R equal to 2 and 0, with an organic concentration of 554±24 mg TOCL(-1), salinity of 24 g L(-1) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2 d. Carbon total removal is higher than 98%, while maximum nitrogen removal is 62% using total nitrification in the aerobic zone, due to a higher quantity of NO(x) produced which were recirculated to the anoxic zone. In the aerobic zone, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification processes occur, because the diffusion limitations cause a low oxygen penetration in the biofilm. In the anoxic-anaerobic zone, denitrification or methanogenesis inhibition by DO (caused by the recycled oxygen) is not observed.     

溶氧水平对红豆杉细胞悬浮培养的影响研究

紫杉醇 (Ｔａｘｏｌ)是源自红豆杉提取物的一种高度衍生化的二萜类化合物 ,临床实验结果表明紫杉醇对于卵巢癌、乳腺癌、胃肠道癌等具有明显的抗肿瘤活性[1] ,因而受到世界各国的广泛关注 ,并已被美国食品与药品管理局 (ＦＤＡ)批准用于卵巢癌与乳腺癌的治疗[2 ] 。到目前为止紫杉醇仍然主要从树皮中提取 ,但由于红豆杉生长缓慢 ,天然资源非常有限 ,加快其替代来源的研究势在必行。利用植物细胞悬浮培养生产紫杉醇作为一种可行的选择 ,近年来取得了较大的进展[3 ,4 ] 。本文研究了摇瓶及 2 0 Ｌ反应器培养过程的溶氧水平对细胞生长及紫杉醇…     

好氧反硝化生物脱氮技术的研究进展

好氧反硝化生物脱氮技术自提出以来,凭借能实现同步硝化反硝化、节省基建投资及运行费用等诸多优点,受到国内外环境领域学者的广泛关注。本文首先总结了近年来好氧反硝化菌种的筛选分离情况,以及环境因子对好氧反硝化菌脱氮效能的影响,包括溶解氧(dissolved oxygen,DO)、碳氮比(C/N)、温度等。然后深入探讨了好氧反硝化生物脱氮技术的原理,好氧反硝化过程中的关键功能基因及酶,同时介绍了分子生物技术在好氧反硝化研究过程中的应用,以及好氧反硝化生物脱氮技术在实际应用方面的研究现状。最后,基于目前的研究瓶颈问题,对未来好氧反硝化生物脱氮技术的研究方向提出了科学展望。     

Comparison of biological removal via nitrite with real-time control using aerobic granular sludge and flocculent activated sludge

The process of nitrification–denitrification via nitrite for nitrogen removal under real-time control mode was tested in two laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with flocculent activated sludge (R1) and aerobic granular sludge (R2) to compare operational performance and real-time control strategies. The results showed that the average ammonia nitrogen, total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal during aeration phase were 97.6%, 57.0%, and 90.1% in R2 compared with 98.6%, 48.7%, and 88.1% in R1. The TIN removed in both SBRs was partially due to the presence of simultaneous nitrification–denitrification via nitrite, especially in R2. The specific nitrification and denitrification rates in R2 were 0.0416 mgNH₄⁺–N/gSS-min and 0.1889 mgNO_X⁻–N/gSS-min, which were 1.48 times and 1.35 times that of R1. The higher rates for COD removal, nitrification, and denitrification were achieved in R2 than R1 with similar influent quality. Dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and oxidization reduction potential, corresponding to nutrient variations, were used as diagnostic parameters to control the organic carbon degradation and nitrification–denitrification via nitrite processes in both SBRs. The online control strategy of granular SBR was similar to that of the SBR with flocculent activated sludge. However, a unique U-type pattern on the DO curve in granular SBR was different from SBR with flocculent activated sludge in aerobic phase.