Stable partial nitritation for low-strength wastewater at low temperature in an aerobic granular reactor

Partial nitritation for a low-strength wastewater at low temperature was stably achieved in an aerobic granular reactor. A bench-scale granular sludge bioreactor was operated in continuous mode treating an influent of 70 mg N-NH₄⁺ L⁻¹ to mimic pretreated municipal nitrogenous wastewater and the temp...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Isanta Monclús, Eduardo, Reino, Clara|||0000-0003-3378-3542, Carrera, Julian|||0000-0002-2599-2312, Pérez Cañestro, Julio|||0000-0002-0119-5570
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:166592
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/166592
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.watres.2015.04.028
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Mainstream
NOB repression
Partial nitritation
Modeling
Descripción
Sumario:Partial nitritation for a low-strength wastewater at low temperature was stably achieved in an aerobic granular reactor. A bench-scale granular sludge bioreactor was operated in continuous mode treating an influent of 70 mg N-NH₄⁺ L⁻¹ to mimic pretreated municipal nitrogenous wastewater and the temperature was progressively decreased from 30 to 12.5ºC. A suitable effluent nitrite to ammonium concentrations ratio to a subsequent anammox reactor was maintained stable during 300 days at 12.5ºC. The average applied nitrogen loading rate at 12.5 ºC was 0.7 ± 0.3 g N L⁻¹ d⁻¹, with an effluent nitrate concentration of only 2.5 ± 0.7 mg N--NO₃ L⁻¹. The biomass fraction of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in the granular sludge decreased from 19% to only 1% in 6 months of reactor operation at 12.5ºC. Nitrobacter spp. where found as the dominant NOB population, whereas Nitrospira spp. were not detected. Simulations indicated that: (i) NOB would only be effectively repressed when their oxygen half-saturation coefficient was higher than that of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; and (ii) a lower specific growth rate of NOB was maintained at any point in the biofilm (even at 12.5ºC) due to the bulk ammonium concentration imposed through the control strategy.