Comparing two start up strategies and the effect of temperature fluctuations on the performance of mainstream anammox reactors

Abstract

Anammox cultivated with high substrate concentration (NH4+-N, 150 mg/L; NO2−-N, 200 mg/L) at 35 °C was first used as seed sludge to start up reactors at 35 (Ra), 20 (Rb) and 15 °C (Rc) with low substrate concentration (NH4+-N 30 mg/L, NO2−-N 40 mg/L). The results showed that anammox activity initially decreased in the three reactors, but that activity levels and nitrogen loading rate (NLR) increased as the bacteria gradually adapted to the new conditions (12–30 days). Temperature and concentration shift affected anammox activity jointly. In the process, the abundance of mRNA of the key functional genes of hdh and nirS, changed with time but this change did not reflect the change of anammox activity. When the reactors reached a stable state after 40 d, the effect of temperature fluctuations was tested. The results showed that anammox adapted to low temperatures as soon as temperature decreased (i.e., decreased from 35 °C to 15 °C). When temperature increased, 2–3 days were needed for activity recovery. From this result, it may be concluded that reactors with low temperatures and low substrate (mainstream) concentrations can be started up using anammox cultivated at a higher temperature (35 °C) with low substrate. Then anammox in Ra was used to start up a mainstream reactor at 15 °C and it was operated for 60 days. The results showed that the activity in Ra decreased sharply to the level as that of Rc at the stable state. After the experiment, microbiological analysis showed that the anammox was stable and that Candidatus Kuenenia was the dominant species.