Exploration and Comparison of the Effects of Vibration and Backwashing Methods on the Process of the Sulfur-Based Autotrophic Denitrification

Abstract

Both the vibration and backwashing methods are efficient pathway to improve the denitrification ability in reactors. However, the comparison of the effects of vibration and backwashing on the sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification (SAD) reactor is still lacking. In this study, two SAD reactors were compared under various conditions, and the results showed that the use of the oyster shell powder could lower the sulfate productivity with better denitrification ability, and the denitrifiers could be more enriched due to the use of the oyster shell powder. In addition, vibration method performs better than backwashing in improving SAD denitrification ability, reasonable vibration intensity can not only help to reduce energy consumption, but also improve the ability of denitrification of the SAD reactors to a greater extent. Overall, the results of the experiments in this study are helpful for improving the ability of SAD reactors at low temperature and could provide the possibility for wider application of SAD technology.