Journal article
Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal in a Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactor Under Continuous Aeration: A Demonstration
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering1
Department of Environmental Engineering2
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering3
Dynamac Corporation4
This work describes the successful coupling of partial nitrification (nitritation) and anaerobic ammonium oxidation in a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) with continuous aeration. Controlling the relative surface loadings of oxygen versus ammonium prevented complete nitrite oxidation and allowed anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AnaerAOB) to develop and be retained for >250 days.
Daily autotrophic nitrogen removal of 1.7 g N/m2 (75% of influent N load) was achieved at an oxygen/nitrogen surface loading ratio of 2.2, with up to 85% of the influent N proceeding through AnaerAOB. During early nitritation, nitrogen oxide (NO(g), NO2(g), and N2O(g)) emissions comprised up to 10% of the removed influent nitrogen, but emissions disappeared after proliferation of AnaerAOB.
Microbial communities were radially stratified, with aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AerAOB) colonizing nearest to and AnaerAOB furthest from the membrane. Despite the presence of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, this work demonstrated that these autotrophic processes can be successfully coupled in an MABR with continuous aeration, achieving the benefits of competitive specific N removal rates and the elimination of gaseous nitrogen oxide emissions.
Language: | English |
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Publisher: | Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. |
Year: | 2013 |
Pages: | 38-45 |
ISSN: | 15579018 and 10928758 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1089/ees.2012.0222 |