Experimental study of nitrite accumulation in predenitrification biological nitrogen removal process

Abstract

The effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on nitrite accumulation was investigated in a pilot-scale pre-denitrification process at room temperature for 100 days. In the first 10 days, due to the instability of the system, the DO concentration fluctuated between 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L. In the next 14 days, the DO concentration was kept at 0.5 mg/L and nitrite accumulation occurred, with the average nitrite accumulation rate at 91%. From the 25th day, the DO concentration was increased to 2.0 mg/L to destroy the nitrite accumulation, but nitrite accumulation rate was still as high as 90%. From the 38th day the nitrite accumulation rate decreased to 15%–30% linearly. From the 50th day, DO concentration was decreased to 0.5 mg/L to resume nitrite accumulation. Until the 83rd day the nitrite accumulation rate began to increase to 80%. Dissolved oxygen was the main cause of nitrite accumulation, taking into account other factors such as pH, free ammonia concentration, temperature, and sludge retention time. Because of the different affinity for oxygen between nitrite oxidizing bacteria and ammonia oxidizing bacteria when DO concentration was kept at 0.5 mg/L, nitrite accumulation occurred.