Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal in a Membrane-Aerated Biofilm Reactor Under Continuous Aeration: A Demonstration

作者：Gilmore Kevin R^*; Terada Akihiko; Smets Barth F; Love Nancy G; Garland Jay L

来源：Environmental Engineering Science, 2013, 30(1): 38-45.

DOI：10.1089/ees.2012.0222

• ammonium-oxidizing bacteria
• anammox
• FISH
• hollow fiber
• membrane aerated biofilm reactor
• nitritation
• nitrite oxidizing bacteria
• nitrous oxide

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 %26gt; 250 days. Daily autotrophic nitrogen removal of 1.7 g N/m(2) (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.

• 出版日期2013-1