Abstract
Many chemical compounds can inhibit the nitrification process, especially organic compounds used in the chemical industry. This results in a decrease in the nitrification intensity or even a complete termination of this process. As the technological design of the selected municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) assumed the dephosphation process, without taking into account nitrification, it was necessary to reduce the concentration of ammonium nitrogen in the treated sewage supplied to the Vistula River. Therefore, the aim of the research was to determine the inhibition of nitrification in the activated sludge method under the influence of industrial wastewater from the production of various organic compounds and to select the most toxic wastewater in relation to nitrifiers. The assessment of nitrification inhibition was carried out on the basis of the method of short-term (4-h) impact of the tested sewage on nitrifying bacteria in the activated sludge. The research covered nine different types of chemical sewage, including wastewater from the production of synthetic rubbers, styrene plastics, adhesives, solvents and emulsifiers. The nitrification process was inhibited to the highest degree by wastewater from the production of styrene-butadiene rubbers (72%). Only wastewater from the production of methacrylate (polymethyl methacrylate) had the lowest degree of inhibition: 16%. These wastewaters also have a toxic effect on the entire biocenosis and adversely affect the structure of activated sludge flocs. The attempts to filter toxic wastewater through the ash basins significantly relieved the inhibition of nitrification.
Highlights
The development of the chemical industry is one of the main factors of civilization progress; at the same time, it has the largest share in the degradation of the natural environment
In connection with the above, research on inhibition of the nitrification process was started in order to determine the most toxic wastewater stream
The obtained results allowed the selection of dangerous streams of wastewater from the production of various organic compounds, which have a detrimental effect on the treatment process due to: (1)
Summary
The development of the chemical industry is one of the main factors of civilization progress; at the same time, it has the largest share in the degradation of the natural environment. The full involvement of industry in environmental protection requires large financial outlays related to the need to develop various methods of industrial wastewater treatment. Wastewater pre-treated at production departments is usually directed to an industrial wastewater treatment plant. It is well known that an important issue is the removal of biogenic compounds from wastewater, i.e., nitrogen compounds, because after their introduction into the environment they can cause negative effects, mainly associated with eutrophication of surface waters, and with groundwater pollution [1,2]. The presence of excessive concentrations of nitrogen compounds in aquatic environments negatively affects public health. The need to eliminate these compounds from wastewater is imposed by applicable legal regulations, which are increasingly tightening, including allowable concentrations of nitrogen in wastewater discharged into receivers
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