Nitrification at full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants: Evaluation of inhibition and bioaugmentation of nitrifiers

Abstract

Batch nitrification tests were conducted with sludge and wastewater streams obtained from field implementations to evaluate nitrification inhibition and efficiency of a nitrifiers bioaugmentation technology at full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The results showed that the substrate organic carbon and pH of wastewater streams were inhibitory factors to nitrification and the low pH was the cause of the WWTP experiencing poor nitrification. An ammonia-nitrogen removal rate of 0.21mg-N/gMLVSS-h was observed at pH 6.5, while the rate increased to 0.54mg-N/gMLVSS-h with an introduction of 6% bioaugmented nitrifiers, indicating that the integrated side-stream nitrifiers bioaugmentation process was beneficial in improving nitrification efficiency, even under low pH conditions not conducive to nitrification. The study provides new insights into effective upgrading of municipal WWTPs exposed to poor nitrification.