Influence of wastewater composition on nutrient removal behaviors in the new anaerobic–anoxic/nitrifying/induced crystallization process

Abstract

In this study, the new anaerobic–anoxic/nitrifying/induced crystallization (A2N–IC) system was compared with anaerobic-anoxic/nitrifying (A2N) process to investigate nutrient removal performance under different influent COD and ammonia concentrations. Ammonia and COD removal rates were very stable in both processes, which were maintained at 84.9% and 86.6% when the influent ammonia varied from 30mgL−1 to 45mgL−1 and COD ranged from 250mgL−1 to 300mgL−1. The effluent phosphorus always maintained below 0.2mgL−1 in A2N–IC, whereas in A2N the effluent phosphorus concentration was 0.4–1.7mgL−1, demonstrating that A2N–IC is suitable to apply in a broader influent COD and ammonia concentration range. Under higher influent COD (300mgL−1) or lower ammonia conditions (30mgL−1), the main function of chemical induced crystallization was to coordinate better nutrient ratio for anoxic phosphorus uptake, whereas under high phosphorus concentration, it was to reduce phosphorus loading for biological system. Under the similar influent wastewater compositions, phosphorus release amounts were always lower in A2N–IC. To clarify the decrease procedure of phosphorus release in the A2N–IC, the equilibrium between chemical phosphorus removal and biological phosphorus removal in A2N–IC was analyzed by mass balance equations. During the long-term experiment, some undesirable phenomena were observed: the declining nitrification in post-aerobic tank and calcium phosphorus precipitation in the anaerobic tank. The reasons were analyzed; furthermore, the corresponding improvements were proposed. Nitrification effect could be enhanced in the post-aerobic tank, therefore ammonia removal rate could be increased; and biologically induced phosphorus precipitation could be inhibited by controlling pH at the anaerobic stage, so the phosphorus release and recovery could be improved.