Deammonification process start-up after enrichment of anammox microorganisms from reject water in a moving-bed biofilm reactor

Abstract A membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor (hybrid MBBR-MBR) for municipal wastewater treatment were studied to determine the effect of salinity on nitrogen removal and autotrophic kinetics. The biological systems were analyzed during the start-up phase with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 h, total biomass concentration of 2,500 mg L−1 in the steady state, and electric conductivities of 1.05 mS cm−1 for MBR and hybrid MBBR-MBR working under regular salinity and conductivity variations of 1.2–6.5 mS cm−1 for MBR and hybrid MBBR-MBR operating at variable salinity. The variable salinity affected the autotrophic biomass, which caused a reduction of the nitrogen degradation rate, an increase of time to remove ammonium from municipal wastewater and longer duration of the start-up phase for the MBR and hybrid MBBR-MBR.

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Start-up of membrane bioreactor and hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor–membrane bioreactor: kinetic study

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2015.419 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 72 (11) ◽

pp. 1948-1953 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

J. C. Leyva-Díaz ◽

J. M. Poyatos

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Kinetic Study ◽

Membrane Bioreactor ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor ◽

Moving Bed ◽

Start Up ◽

Activated Sludge Processes ◽

Heterotrophic Biomass

A hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor–membrane bioreactor (hybrid MBBR-MBR) system was studied as an alternative solution to conventional activated sludge processes and membrane bioreactors. This paper shows the results obtained from three laboratory-scale wastewater treatment plants working in parallel in the start-up and steady states. The first wastewater treatment plant was a MBR, the second one was a hybrid MBBR-MBR system containing carriers both in anoxic and aerobic zones of the bioreactor (hybrid MBBR-MBRa), and the last one was a hybrid MBBR-MBR system which contained carriers only in the aerobic zone (hybrid MBBR-MBRb). The reactors operated with a hydraulic retention time of 30.40 h. A kinetic study for characterizing heterotrophic biomass was carried out and organic matter and nutrients removals were evaluated. The heterotrophic biomass of the hybrid MBBR-MBRb showed the best kinetic performance in the steady state, with yield coefficient for heterotrophic biomass = 0.30246 mg volatile suspended solids per mg chemical oxygen demand, maximum specific growth rate for heterotrophic biomass = 0.00308 h−1 and half-saturation coefficient for organic matter = 3.54908 mg O2 L−1. The removal of organic matter was supported by the kinetic study of heterotrophic biomass.

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Physicochemical characteristics and microbial community evolution of biofilms during the start-up period in a moving bed biofilm reactor

Bioresource Technology ◽

10.1016/j.biortech.2015.01.006 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 180 ◽

pp. 345-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 100

Author(s):

Yan Zhu ◽

Yan Zhang ◽

Hong-qiang Ren ◽

Jin-ju Geng ◽

Ke Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Physicochemical Characteristics ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor ◽

Moving Bed ◽

Start Up ◽

Community Evolution

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Anammox moving bed biofilm reactor pilot at the 26th Ward wastewater treatment plants in Brooklyn, New York: start-up, biofilm population diversity and performance optimization

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2014.362 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 70 (9) ◽

pp. 1448-1455 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

M. Mehrdad ◽

H. Park ◽

K. Ramalingam ◽

J. Fillos ◽

K. Beckmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Nitrogen Removal ◽

Performance Optimization ◽

Nitrogen Loading ◽

Biofilm Reactor ◽

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor ◽

Moving Bed ◽

Loading Rates ◽

Reject Water

New York City Environmental Protection in conjunction with City College of New York assessed the application of the anammox process in the reject water treatment using a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) located at the 26th Ward wastewater treatment plant, in Brooklyn, NY. The single-stage nitritation/anammox MBBR was seeded with activated sludge and consequently was enriched with its own ‘homegrown’ anammox bacteria (AMX). Objectives of this study included collection of additional process kinetic and operating data and assessment of the effect of nitrogen loading rates on process performance. The initial target total inorganic nitrogen removal of 70% was limited by the low alkalinity concentration available in the influent reject water. Higher removals were achieved after supplementing the alkalinity by adding sodium hydroxide. Throughout startup and process optimization, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analyses were used for monitoring the relevant species enriched in the biofilm and in the suspension. Maximum nitrogen removal rate was achieved by stimulating the growth of a thick biofilm on the carriers, and controlling the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the bulk flow and the nitrogen loading rates per surface area; all three appear to have contributed in suppressing nitrite-oxidizing bacteria activity while enriching AMX density within the biofilm.

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