Enhancing Ammonium Oxidation Fluxes and Nitritation Efficiencies in MABRs: A Modeling Study

A partial-denitrification coupling with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process (PD/A) in a continuous-flow anoxic/oxic (A/O) biofilm reactor was developed to treat carbon-limited domestic wastewater (ammonia (NH4+-N) of 55 mg/L and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 148 mg/L in average) for about 200 days operation. Satisfactory NH4+-N oxidation efficiency above 95% was achieved with rapid biofilm formation in the aerobic zone. Notably, nitrite (NO2−-N) accumulation was observed in the anoxic zone, mainly due to the insufficient electron donor for complete nitrate (NO3−-N) reduction. The nitrate-to-nitrite transformation ratio (NTR) achieved was as high as 64.4%. After the inoculation of anammox-enriched sludge to anoxic zones, total nitrogen (TN) removal was significantly improved from 37.3% to 78.0%. Anammox bacteria were effectively retained in anoxic biofilm utilizing NO2−-N produced via the PD approach and NH4+-N in domestic wastewater, with the relative abundance of 5.83% for stable operation. Anammox pathway contributed to TN removal by a high level of 38%. Overall, this study provided a promising method for mainstream nitrogen removal with low energy consumption and organic carbon demand.

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New insight into CO2-mediated denitrification process in H2-based membrane biofilm reactor: An experimental and modeling study

Water Research ◽

10.1016/j.watres.2020.116177 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 184 ◽

pp. 116177 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Minmin Jiang ◽

Junjian Zheng ◽

Patricia Perez-Calleja ◽

Cristian Picioreanu ◽

Hua Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Membrane Biofilm Reactor ◽

Insight Into ◽

Denitrification Process ◽

Modeling Study

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Development of an Integrated Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor-Membrane Bioreactor for Wastewater Treatment

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.361-363.611 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 361-363 ◽

pp. 611-614 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Liang Duan ◽

Yong Hui Song ◽

Wei Jiang ◽

Slawomir W. Hermanowicz

Keyword(s):

Membrane Fouling ◽

Membrane Surface ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor ◽

Filling Fraction ◽

Moving Bed ◽

Operating Modes ◽

Dead End ◽

The Media ◽

Reactor Operating

Development of a MBBR-MBR has been investigated combining a moving bed biofilm reactor with a submerged membrane biomass separation reactor. Treatment efficiencies were found to be high with the production of a consistent high-quality effluent, irrespective of media fill ratio of MBBR or membrane reactor operating modes. There had some obvious fouling in MBR, MBBR and IFAS 3000, while no fouling were detected in IFAS 1500. The great difference indicated the media filling fraction have an important role and effect on membrane fouling. Traditional MBR and IFAS 3000 have more non-flocculating microorganisms in most time due to the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration. There had almost the same MLSS on media surface, independent of the volume of media and the MLSS concentration in each tank. The MBBR had more biomass enriched on membrane surface due to the dead end system.

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Assessment and optimization of the oxygen based membrane biofilm reactor as a novel technology for source-diverted greywater treatment

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151763 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 151763

Author(s):

Qingqing Ren ◽

Xiaocai Cui ◽

Xingtao Zuo ◽

Jiajie He ◽

Yun Zhou

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Novel Technology ◽

Membrane Biofilm Reactor

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Model-based analysis of microbial consortia and microbial products in an anammox biofilm reactor

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2018.081 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 77 (7) ◽

pp. 1951-1959 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M. Azari ◽

A. V. Le ◽

M. Lübken ◽

M. Denecke

Keyword(s):

Relative Abundance ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Microbial Consortia ◽

Nitrifying Bacteria ◽

Anammox Bacteria ◽

Ammonium Oxidation ◽

Leachate Treatment ◽

Model Based ◽

Microbial Products

Abstract A mathematical model for a granular biofilm reactor for leachate treatment was validated by long-term measured data to investigate the mechanisms and drivers influencing biological nitrogen removal and microbial consortia dynamics. The proposed model, based on Activated Sludge Model (ASM1), included anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), nitrifying and heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria which can attach and grow on granular activated carbon (GAC) particles. Two kinetic descriptions for the model were proposed: with and without soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). The model accuracy was checked using recorded total inorganic nitrogen concentrations in the effluent and estimated relative abundance of active bacteria using quantitative fluorescence in-situ hybridization (qFISH). Results suggested that the model with EPS kinetics fits better for the relative abundance of anammox bacteria and nitrifying bacteria compared to the model without EPS. The model with EPS and SMP confirms that the growth and existence of heterotrophs in anammox biofilm systems slightly increased due to including the kinetics of SMP production in the model. During the one-year simulation period, the fractions of autotrophs and EPS in the biomass were almost stable but the fraction of heterotrophs decreased which is correlated with the reduction in nitrogen surface loading on the biofilm.

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Start-up of a full-scale partial nitritation-anammox MBBR without inoculum at Klagshamn WWTP

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2020.271 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 81 (9) ◽

pp. 2033-2042 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ivelina Dimitrova ◽

Agnieszka Dabrowska ◽

Sara Ekström

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Removal ◽

Removal Rate ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

Full Scale ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Ammonium Oxidation ◽

Partial Nitritation ◽

Start Up

Abstract Partial nitritation and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (PNA) is a useful process for the treatment of nitrogen-rich centrate from the dewatering of anaerobically digested sludge. A one-stage PNA moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was started up without inoculum at Klagshamn wastewater treatment plant, southern Sweden. The reactor was designed to treat up to 200 kgN d−1, and heated dilution water was used during start-up. The nitrogen removal was >80% after 111 days of operation, and the nitrogen removal rate reached 1.8 gN m−2 d1 at 35 °C. The start-up period of the reactor was comparable to that of inoculated full-scale systems. The operating conditions of the system were found to be important, and online control of the free ammonia concentration played a crucial role. Ex situ batch activity tests were performed to evaluate process performance.

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Nitrogen removal and microbial communities of a completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) at different inorganic carbon (IC) concentrations

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2020.203 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 81 (5) ◽

pp. 1071-1079

Author(s):

Caimeng Wang ◽

Lirong Lei ◽

Fangrui Cai ◽

Youming Li

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Removal ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Anammox Bacteria ◽

Ammonium Oxidation ◽

Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor ◽

Microbial Analysis ◽

Total Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Canon Process ◽

Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal

Abstract In this study, the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process was initiated in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR). Then the reactor was operated under different IC/N ratios. The total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency (TINRE) at IC/N ratios of 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5 and 2.0 were 37.0 ± 11.0%, 58.9 ± 10.2%, 73.9 ± 3.2%, 73.6 ± 1.8% and 72.6 ± 2.0%, respectively. The suitable range of IC/N ratio in this research is 1.25–2.0. The poor nitrogen removal performance at IC/N ratio of 0.75 was due to the lack of growth substrate for AnAOB and low pH simultaneously; at IC/N ratio of 1.0 this was because the substrate concentration was insufficient for fully recovering the AnAOB activities. Microbial analysis indicated that Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira and Candidatus Brocadia were the main ammonium oxidation bacteria (AOB), nitrite oxidation bacteria (NOB) and anammox bacteria (AnAOB), respectively. In addition, at IC ratios of 1.25 or higher, denitrification was promoted with the rise of IC/N ratio, which might be because the change of IC concentrations caused cell lysis of microorganisms and provided organic matter for denitrification.

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From biofilm ecology to reactors: a focused review

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2017.061 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 75 (8) ◽

pp. 1753-1760 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Joshua P. Boltz ◽

Barth F. Smets ◽

Bruce E. Rittmann ◽

Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht ◽

Eberhard Morgenroth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Negative Impact ◽

Salt Water ◽

Granular Sludge ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Ammonium Oxidation ◽

Microbial Conversion ◽

Water Stream ◽

Biofilm Reactors ◽

Reactor Technology ◽

Biofilm Modeling

Biofilms are complex biostructures that appear on all surfaces that are regularly in contact with water. They are structurally complex, dynamic systems with attributes of primordial multicellular organisms and multifaceted ecosystems. The presence of biofilms may have a negative impact on the performance of various systems, but they can also be used beneficially for the treatment of water (defined herein as potable water, municipal and industrial wastewater, fresh/brackish/salt water bodies, groundwater) as well as in water stream-based biological resource recovery systems. This review addresses the following three topics: (1) biofilm ecology, (2) biofilm reactor technology and design, and (3) biofilm modeling. In so doing, it addresses the processes occurring in the biofilm, and how these affect and are affected by the broader biofilm system. The symphonic application of a suite of biological methods has led to significant advances in the understanding of biofilm ecology. New metabolic pathways, such as anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) or complete ammonium oxidation (comammox) were first observed in biofilm reactors. The functions, properties, and constituents of the biofilm extracellular polymeric substance matrix are somewhat known, but their exact composition and role in the microbial conversion kinetics and biochemical transformations are still to be resolved. Biofilm grown microorganisms may contribute to increased metabolism of micro-pollutants. Several types of biofilm reactors have been used for water treatment, with current focus on moving bed biofilm reactors, integrated fixed-film activated sludge, membrane-supported biofilm reactors, and granular sludge processes. The control and/or beneficial use of biofilms in membrane processes is advancing. Biofilm models have become essential tools for fundamental biofilm research and biofilm reactor engineering and design. At the same time, the divergence between biofilm modeling and biofilm reactor modeling approaches is recognized.

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