Treatment of municipal sewage with low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio via simultaneous partial nitrification, anaerobic ammonia oxidation, and denitrification (SNAD) in a non-woven rotating biological contactor

Abstract

In this study, a non-woven rotating biological contactor was evaluated for the treatment of municipal sewage via simultaneous partial nitrification, anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox), and denitrification (SNAD). Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed that the dominant bacterial group in the aerobic outer layer of the biofilm was ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (65.13%), whereas anammox (47.17%) and denitrifying (38.91%) bacteria were present in the anaerobic inner layer. Response surface methodology was applied to develop mathematical models for the interaction between C/N and dissolved oxygen (DO) for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) removal. Results showed that the optimum region for SNAD was at C/N = 1.4–2.3 and DO = 0.2–0.8 mg/L. The most optimal operating condition was determined at C/N = 2.3 and DO = 0.2 mg/L, with actual removal rates of COD and TN were 83.12% and 79.13%, respectively, which are in close model consistency with model prediction (84% and 80%).