High Ammonia Removal Efficiency Research Articles

Steam Stripping for Recovery of Ammonia from Wastewater Using a High-Gravity Rotating Packed Bed

Steam stripping of ammonia from ammonia-rich wastewater (5000–20,000 mg/L) was conducted in a continuous-flow rotating packed bed (RPB) at a pH of 11. This study aimed to elucidate the influence of key operational parameters, including the steam-to-liquid ratio, rotational speed (ω), initial ammonia concentration, steam inlet temperature (TSi), and liquid inlet temperature (TLi), on critical performance metrics such as the ammonia removal efficiency (ARE), the volumetric liquid mass transfer coefficient (KLa), and the concentration of the recovered ammonia solution (CR). The findings revealed that a CR of 22.88 wt.% was achieved under the optimal conditions of a steam-to-liquid ratio of 0.175 kg/kg, an initial concentration of 20,000 mg/L, a TSi of 120 °C, and a TLi of 70 °C. Key experimental factors, including the initial ammonia concentration, TSi, and TLi, significantly impacted the achievement of higher ARE and CR values. The KLa values exhibited a decrease with the increase in the steam-to-liquid ratio, while they increased with ω. However, the KLa remained relatively consistent with ω values within the range of 600 to 1200 rpm. In comparison with prior studies, steam stripping of ammonia exhibits a higher ARE than air stripping with RPB and a higher CR than conventional stripping methods. Moreover, RPB requires a smaller size to achieve equivalent ARE compared to conventional stripping apparatuses. Thus, the steam stripping process with RPB equipment emerges as a suitable method for ammonia recovery from ammonia-rich wastewater.

Understanding the conversion of nitrogen compounds during ammonia electrooxidation: effect of current density, chloride concentration and pH on nitrate formation

AbstractBACKGROUNDAmmonia removal from wastewater by electrooxidation (EO) is an interesting approach because of its efficiency and easy maintenance and operation. In this process, ammonia is oxidized to nitrate or nitrogen gas. Ammonia conversion to the latter is desirable to remove nitrogen from the liquid; however, the influence of several operating parameters on nitrate generation has not been systematically evaluated. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the effect of current density (200–800 A m−2), chloride concentration (0–10 000 mg L) and initial pH (5–9) on the electrooxidation of an ammonia‐containing solution and the associated generation of nitrate. For this purpose, a laboratory‐scale electrochemical reactor containing two Ti/RuO2 electrodes was used.RESULTSThe results indicated high ammonia removal efficiency – 98% within 150 min at 800 A m−2 and 97% within 240 min at 500 A m−2 – generating around 70 and 102 mg ‐N L−1 under these conditions, respectively. Increasing the chloride concentration from 5000 to 7500 mg L−1 reduces the electrolysis time needed to remove all ammonia from 180 to 150 min. However, with increasing initial chloride concentration, the amount of nitrate generated rose from 69.5 to 135.9 mg N L−1. On the other hand, in the test without chloride, nitrate generation was considerably lower (0–0.61 mg L−1).CONCLUSIONThe higher the current density applied, the greater the ammonia removal by EO. Although current density influenced the ammonia oxidation rates, it did not directly affect nitrate formation. The lower the concentration of ammonia in the solution, the more significant was the fraction of nitrate generated. Most of the inlet ammonia was oxidized to nitrogen gas, nitrite was rapidly oxidized to nitrate and higher chloride concentrations enhanced ammonia oxidation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Impact of salinity and organic matter on the ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in treating hypersaline industrial wastewater: amoA gene abundance and ammonia removal contributions.

Studies publishedrecently proposed that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) may bebeneficial for hypersaline (salinity > 50g NaCl L-1) industrial wastewater treatment. However, knowledge of AOA activity in hypersaline bioreactors is limited. This study investigated the effects of salinity, organic matter, and practical pickled mustard tuber wastewater (PMTW) on AOA and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in two sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs). Results showed that despite observed salinity inhibition (p < 0.05), both AOA and AOB contributed to high ammonia removal efficiency at a salinity of 70 g NaCl L-1 in the two SBBRs. The ammonia removal efficiency of SBBR2 did not significantly differ from that of SBBR1 in the absence of organic matter (p > 0.05). Batch tests and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) reveal that salinity and organic matter inhibition resulted in a sharp decline in specific ammonia oxidation rates and amoA gene copy numbers of AOA and AOB (p < 0.05). AOA demonstrated higher abundance and more active ammonia oxidation activity in hypersaline and high organic matter environments. Salinity was positively correlated with the potential ammonia oxidation contribution of AOA (p < 0.05), resulting in a potential transition from AOB dominance to AOA dominance in SBBR1 as salinity levels rose. Moreover, autochthonous AOA in PMTW promoted the abundance and ammonia oxidation activities of AOA in SBBR2, further elevating the nitrification removal efficiency after feeding the practical PMTW. AOA demonstrates greater tolerance tothe challenging hypersaline environment, making it a valuable candidate for the treatment of practical industrial wastewater with high salinity and organic content.

Responses of halophilic microbial communities to changes in salt composition: Comparison between autotrophic nitrification and heterotrophic ammonia assimilation biosystems

The concentration and proportion of chlorine (Cl−) and sulfate ions (SO42−) in actual high salinity wastewater exhibit significant fluctuations due to their diverse sources. This study compared the response of halophilic autotrophic nitrification (AN) and heterotrophic ammonia assimilation (HAA) sludges to changes in salt composition. The results demonstrated that both the AN and HAA systems maintained high ammonia removal efficiency even when exposed to mixed salt ions or pure sulfate conditions. Increasing the concentration of SO42− resulted in an increase in extracellular polymeric substances content, sludge settleability, sludge hydrophobicity, and the relative abundance of Nitrosomonas in the AN system (from 2.3% to 10.4%). The dominant heterotrophic bacteria in the HAA system underwent turnover in response to changes in salt composition conditions. The robustness and the cooperation between microorganisms of the HAA system surpassed those of the AN system. This study provides scientific foundation for treating multi-ion high salinity wastewater.

Microalgae Cultivation Using Municipal Wastewater and Anaerobic Membrane Effluent: Lipid Production and Nutrient Removal

Microalgae cultivation using wastewater is a combined process for pollutant removal and lipid production that has been widely studied in recent years. In this study, the effects of anaerobic membrane effluent (AME) and municipal wastewater (MW) ratios on microalgae growth and pollutant removal processes were investigated, and the lipid production properties were also explored. Results show that microalgae can grow in all AME/WW ratios, and a 40% AME content is the optimal condition for microalgal biomass accumulation (52.9 mg/L·d) and lipid production (0.378 g/L). Higher AME addition would inhibit microalgae growth. In addition, high ammonia (approximately 97%) and phosphate (around 90%) removal efficiencies can be achieved in all AME/WW ratio conditions, while the total nitrogen removal efficiencies decreased with the addition of AME. Total nitrogen and phosphate are the limiting factors in treating water to meet the requirements of the integrated wastewater discharge standard. This study provided a new method for anaerobic digestion and municipal wastewater treatment and also realized green energy production based on the sustainable development principles.

Effects of different biomass ratios of light-tolerant microalgae-nitrifying bacteria consortia on ammonia removal

Research on microalgae-nitrifying bacteria has increased due to their ability to remove nitrogen without expensive mechanical aeration. However, due to photosensitivity of nitrifying bacteria, their outdoor application in certain environments can lead to poor treatment performance or process breakdown. Hence, we developed a light-shielding hydrogel encapsulating nitrifying bacteria to form a light-tolerant microalgae-nitrifying bacterial consortium. The established light-tolerant microalgae-nitrifying bacteria consortium can successfully remove ammonia even under bright light conditions. Batch experiments were conducted using light-tolerant microalgae-nitrifying bacteria consortia under 500 µmol photons m−2 s−1 to evaluate the effects of biomass ratios on the microalgal growth and ammonia removal. The maximum specific growth rate of microalgae, i.e. 1.3 d−1 was obtained for a biomass ratio (microalgae: nitrifying bacteria) of 1:9. Multiple regression analysis also revealed that the abundance of nitrifying bacteria was associated with a higher ammonia removal efficiency than microalgae. These findings can be used to design an effective treatment process for removing high concentrations of ammonia by microalgae-nitrifying bacteria consortia exposed to intense light.

The Role of Microbial Biofilm in Removing Ammonia in Floating Treatment Wetlands

Abstract Laboratory experiments were conducted under controlled conditions to quantify the potential of microbial transformation associated with floating matrix of floating treatment wetland (FTW) in ammonia removal and nitrification kinetics. The effect of different design parameters on ammonia removal from synthetic medium was investigated to optimize system performance. Effects of surface area of mat material, range of ammonia concentrations, and aeration on ammonia removal kinetics were studied using microcosm systems. A simple dynamics model of mineral nitrogen transformation was used as a framework for interpreting the experimental results. The results revealed that ammonia removal was enhanced in FTWs, and the magnitude of removal was controlled by the design factors examined. Removal by nitrification was directly proportional to mat surface area. The higher ammonia removal efficiency was caused by a larger surface area, which could support the growth of more microbes. Removal rate constants for treatments were 0.011, 0.015, 0.026, 0.035, and 0.033 day–1 for T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively. There was also a clear inhibitory effect of NH3 on second-stage nitrification manifested as low production of NO3–. Quantitative index of optimized knit/calibrated knit indicated high inhibition effects of NH3 at high concentration of total ammonia (60 mg N L–1). There was no major effect of oxygen saturation on NHx removal using aerated and nonaerated conditions. Better mechanistic understanding of the fundamental processes operating in FTWs should provide the basis for improving FTW design and efficacy.

Characterization of Vibrio sp. strain AB15 and Pseudomonas fluorescens strain NB14 from the biofloc of shrimp culture ponds capable of high ammonia and nitrite removal efficiency

AbstractThe development of intensive aquaculture industry has aggravated the dangers of ammonia and nitrite in aquatic ecosystems. Probiotics have been widely used to maintain and improve water quality by removal of ammonia and nitrite in aquaculture. In this study, two facultative anaerobic strains AB15 and NB14, capable of efficient ammonia and nitrite removal, were isolated from biofloc, which acts as a natural micro‐flora storeroom in shrimp culture ponds, and were identified as Vibrio sp. and Pseudomonas fluorescens, respectively. The removal efficiency of ammonia and nitrite by AB15 and NB14 was 96.8 and 89.6%, respectively. The optimum conditions of AB15 and NB14 were as follows: temperature (25°C vs. 30°C), salinity (25‰ both), initial pH (7.5 vs. 8.0), C/N ratio (15 vs. 10). The two strains had great performance on inhibiting the common pathogens (Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio splendidus, Vibrio anguillarum) in aquaculture at concentrations of 105–108 CFU/mL. Biosecurity assessment indicated that both AB15 and NB14 were harmless for survival and could be beneficial for the growth and immune enhancement of Litopenaeus vannamei. All results demonstrate that the two isolated strains have high promise for future applications of removing ammonia and nitrite and maintaining biosecurity in shrimp culture ponds.

Air stripping pre-treatment process to enhance biogas production in anaerobic digestion of chicken manure wastewater

Anaerobic digestion is typically applied for water and air pollution control and energy recovery from chicken manure wastewater. Unfortunately, high nitrogen content of the chicken manure could be prohibitive to efficient anaerobic digestion. In this study, air stripping was employed as a pre-treatment process for ammonia removal from a chicken manure wastewater. Laboratory-scale experiments of air striping were conducted at various temperatures, initial pH values, air flow rates, and stripping times. The experimental results showed that the high ammonia removal efficiencies of more than 80% could be achieved from the air stripping process operating at the initial pH, temperature, and air flow rate of 11, 80 °C, and 4.0 L/min, respectively. The ammonia removal kinetics were found to fit with the first-order reaction. Bio-methane potential tests suggested that air stripping pre-treatment of the chicken manure wastewater resulted in about 25% increase in biogas production.

Pragmatic strategy for the removal of ammonia from gold mine effluents using a combination of electro-coagulation and zeolite cation exchange processes: A staged approach

Considerable amount of water is frequently used in gold mine for dust suppression and ore processing. The generated effluent mainly contains heavy metals, suspended solid and ammonia. This paper investigates the ammonia removal from mine effluent by a natural zeolite-adsorption process. Preliminary experiments showed that the fresh zeolite has a higher ammonia removal efficiency. Based on the results of adsorption isotherm, Langmuir isotherm model was found to be well fitted with the experimental data with a maximum adsorption capacity of 8.7 mg N g−1 zeolite. As the ammonia concentration in the mine effluent was not exceeding 30 mg L−1, column adsorption capacity was around 0.85 mg g−1; however, the regeneration of zeolite by 0.6 M NaCl was ineffective after third adsorption/regeneration cycle. To overcome this challenge, electrocoagulation process was introduced as a pre-treatment step to remove suspended solids and metal cations. With current density of 1.14 mA cm−2 and 20 min of reaction time, more than 90 % of suspended solid, turbidity and total metal cations were precipitated. For an optimal scenario, the adsorption capacity of zeolite increased up to 2.3 mg.g−1. Electrocoagulation for raw effluent significantly prolongs the life span of zeolite because the adsorption of trivalent metal cations on zeolite is irreversible.

Metagenomic evidence reveals denitrifying community diversity rather than abundance drives nitrate removal in stormwater biofilters amended with different organic and inorganic electron donors

Various sole and mixed electron donors were tested to promote the denitrification rate and nitrate removal efficiency in biofilter systems with high phosphate and ammonia removal efficiency (92.6% and 95.3% respectively). Compared to sole electron donors, complex organic carbon (bits of wood and straw) substantially improved the denitrification rate and nitrate removal efficiency (from 6.3%-18.5% to35.4%) by shifting the denitrifying microbial community composition, even though the relative abundance of functional genes mediating denitrification decreased. The mixed electron donor combining complex organic carbon with sulfur, iron and CH4 further promoted nitrate removal efficiency by 37.2%. The significantly higher abundance and diversity of bacteria mediating organic carbon decomposition in the treatments with complex organic carbon indicated the continuous production of organic carbon with small molecular weights, which provided sustainable and effective electron donor for denitrification. However, sole sulfur or iron did not effectively promote the denitrification rate and nitrogen removal efficiency, even though the related microbial community had been formed.

Removal of ammonia by palm oil clinker (POC) as submerged fixed media in sequence batch reactor (SBR) mode

Currently, utilization of waste by-products or waste materials have received attention globally as it brings significant economic and environmental impacts. In this study, palm oil clinker (POC) which is one of the waste by-products generated in the processing of palm oil was utilized as submerged fixed media in Sequence Batch Reactor (SBR). By using POC as filter media for wastewater treatment, it is able to extend the useful life of POC and reduce the demand manufacturing new media. SBR is a fill-and-draw type reactor system which allow all activated sludge process to occur over a series of time in a single complete-mix reactor. During the operational steps of SBR, the combined attached growth/activated sludge system will promote the growth microorganism that attached on the media in the activated sludge process to remove pollutants such as organic matters and nutrients passes through the media. Laboratory-scale of two Sequence Batch Reactors (SBR) was fabricated with one of the reactors filled up with POC submerged fixed media. Influent of domestic wastewater from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) ‘s Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was adopted for wastewater treatment. Based on the result obtained, SBR reactor with POC submerged fixed media has higher ammonia removal efficiency, which approximately 90% than the SBR reactor without POC submerged fixed media, which approximately 85%.

The value of floc and biofilm bacteria for anammox stability when treating ammonia-rich digester sludge thickening lagoon supernatant

Ammonia-rich lagoon supernatant was treated using anammox process in an integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) laboratory reactor. Effective anammox activities were demonstrated over 259 days of operation. The ammonium removal efficiency reached 94% in Phase I with influent concentrations of NH4+, NO2− and chemical oxygen demand (COD) at 250 mg-N/L, 325 mg-N/L, and 145 mg-COD/L, and reached 88% in Phase II at 420 mg-N/L, 525 mg-N/L, and 305 mg-COD/L. When supplemented with nitritation effluent for nitrite sources in Phase III, the influent COD concentration increased to 583 mg-COD/L without loss of ammonia removal efficiency (87%). The specific anammox activity was higher in biofilm than in the suspended flocs (P < 0.05), increased from Phase I to II (P < 0.05), and decreased in Phase III. Ammonia removal related genes were quantified using qPCR. Results showed higher anammox gene (AMX nirS) prevalence in biofilm, while denitrification genes (nosZ and narG) were higher in flocs (P < 0.05). Microbial community analysis showed that the seeded anammox bacteria Candidatus Brocadia was maintained at 19% in the biofilm and only 0.3% in the flocs. The major taxa in the flocs were related to denitrifiers. The floc community was affected largely under high COD conditions, but the biofilm community was not. These results suggest that the anammox activity in biofilm is resilient to high COD loadings, due to the existence of flocs with denitrification activity. The segregation of bacterial communities between biofilm and flocs in the anammox IFAS system resulted in high ammonia removal efficiency and resistance to high organic loadings.

Nitrogen Removal From Municipal Wastewater Using a Two‐Sludge Denitrification/Nitrification Batch Reactor: Performance and Mechanisms

Biosorption is a common phenomenon, in that organics in wastewater are trapped by sludge flocs. To achieve high nitrogen removal efficiency from the treatment of low chemical oxygen demand (COD) content wastewater, a two‐sludge denitrification/nitrification batch reactor (TDNBR) is successfully established based on the sorption of organic matter by anoxic activated sludge. During 123 days of operation, the TDNBR achieved high ammonia (&gt;99%) and total nitrogen (TN) (80%) removal efficiency. A higher C/N ratio and exchange frequency have no obvious effect on nitrification but effectively enhanced denitrification. The sorption assays indicated that anoxic sludge could take up a large amount of organic matter (23.79–55.62 mg COD g−1 TSS) but has a low sorption capacity of NH4+‐N. Nitrate utilization rate tests reveal that both the soluble and colloidal organics pre‐sorbed on the sludge can be utilized in denitrification with few organics stored as PHA in bacterial cells. Through cyclic study analysis, it was found that, by interchanging the supernatant in oxic and anoxic tanks alternately, nitrification and denitrification processes are successfully separated and high ammonia and TN removal efficiencies are achieved.

Myriophyllum aquaticum Constructed Wetland Effectively Removes Nitrogen in Swine Wastewater.

Removal of nitrogen (N) is a critical aspect in the functioning of constructed wetlands (CWs), and the N treatment in CWs depends largely on the presence and activity of macrophytes and microorganisms. However, the effects of plants on microorganisms responsible for N removal are poorly understood. In this study, a three-stage surface flow CW was constructed in a pilot-scale within monospecies stands of Myriophyllum aquaticum to treat swine wastewater. Steady-state conditions were achieved throughout the 600-day operating period, and a high (98.3%) average ammonia removal efficiency under a N loading rate of 9 kg ha-1 d-1 was observed. To determine whether this high efficiency was associated with the performance of active microbes, the abundance, structure, and interactions of microbial community were compared in the unvegetated and vegetated samples. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reactions showed the abundances of nitrifying genes (archaeal and bacterial amoA) and denitrifying genes (nirS, nirK, and nosZ) were increased significantly by M. aquaticum in the sediments, and the strongest effects were observed for the archaeal amoA (218-fold) and nirS genes (4620-fold). High-throughput sequencing of microbial 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed that M. aquaticum greatly changed the microbial community, and ammonium oxidizers (Nitrosospira and Nitrososphaera), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (Nitrospira), and abundant denitrifiers including Rhodoplanes, Bradyrhizobium, and Hyphomicrobium, were enriched significantly in the sediments. The results of a canonical correspondence analysis and Mantle tests indicated that M. aquaticum may shift the sediment microbial community by changing the sediment chemical properties. The enriched nitrifiers and denitrifiers were distributed widely in the vegetated sediments, showing positive ecological associations among themselves and other bacteria based on phylogenetic molecular ecological networks.

Enhanced nitrogen removal using solid carbon source in constructed wetland with limited aeration

In this study, the performances of nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands using solid carbon source with limited aeration were investigated. The blends of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) and polyacetic acid (PLA) were used as the carbon source and biofilm support. The performances of nitrogen removal, microbial abundance and microbial community structure in the biofilm attached on PHBV/PLA were investigated. Higher ammonia removal efficiency (91.00%) and total nitrogen removal efficiency (97.03%) than non-aerated constructed wetland (System NA) were achieved in constructed wetland with limited aeration (System A). The limited aeration decreased the average concentrations of COD in effluent. And, System A had higher microbial abundance than System NA. Pyrosequencing analysis showed that denitrifying bacteria Brevinema (41.85%) and Thiothrix (12.33%) were the predominant genus in the biofilm attached on the carbon source in System NA and System A, respectively.

Isolation, Identification and Characteristics of a Rhodopseudomonas with High Ammonia-nitrogen Removal Efficiency

A strain of photosynthetic bacterium named psb1 capable of ammonia-nitrogen degradation was isolated from a swamp in Yunnan. The psb1 was similar to Rhodopseudomonas sp. according to its cell morphological properties and absorption spectrum analysis of living cells. The alignment result of 16S rDNA amplification sequence with specific primers of photosynthetic bacteria showed that the homology between strain psb1 and Rhodopseudomonas sp. was 99%, and the alignment results of protein sequences of bacterial chlorophyll Y subunit showed that the strain psb1 and Rhodopseudomonas palustris were the most similar, with a similarity of 99%. But there was a great difference in the biological properties of the strains psb1 and Rhodopseudomonas palustris according to physiological biochemical characteristics and main fatty acid analysis. For example, strain psb1 could not utilize glucose and mannitol as carbon source, and had specific fatty acid C18:1ω6c. The results of single factor test showed that:the optimal growth was obtained at pH 7.0 and 40℃, the optimal nitrogen source was yeast extract. The optimal conditions for ammonia nitrogen biodegradation were as following:anaerobic, light, initial pH 6.0-7.0, temperature 30℃, inoculation volume 0.4%. Under that cultural condition, the degradation rate of ammonia nitrogen in wastewater could reach 99%. The results indicated that strain psb1 might be a novel bacterium in genus Rhodopseudomonas with high ammonia removal efficiency, and can be applied in the bioremediation of polluted landscape water.

Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production from swine manure through short-term dry anaerobic digestion and its separation from nitrogen and phosphorus resources in the digestate

The sustainability of an agricultural system depends highly upon the recycling of all useful substances from agricultural wastes. This study explored the feasibility of comprehensive utilization of C, N and P resources in swine manure (SM) through short-term dry anaerobic digestion (AD) followed by dry ammonia stripping, aiming at achieving (1) effective total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production and separation; (2) ammonia recovery from the digestate; and (3) preservation of high P bioavailability in the solid residue for further applications. Specifically, two ammonia stripping strategies were applied and compared in this work: (I) ammonia stripping was directly performed with the digestate from dry AD of SM (i.e. dry ammonia stripping); and (II) wet ammonia stripping was conducted by using the resultant filtrate from solid–liquid separation of the mixture of digestate and added water. Results showed that dry AD of the tested SM at 55 °C, 20% TS and unadjusted initial pH (8.6) for 8 days produced relatively high concentrations of total VFAs (94.4 mg-COD/g-VS) and ammonia-N (20.0 mg/g-VS) with high potentially bioavailable P (10.6 mg/g-TS) remained in the digestate, which was considered optimal in this study. In addition, high ammonia removal efficiencies of 96.2% and 99.7% were achieved through 3 h' dry and wet stripping (at 55 °C and initial pH 11.0), respectively, while the total VFAs concentration in the digestate/filtrate remained favorably unchanged. All experimental data from the two stripping processes well fitted to the pseudo first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9916–0.9997) with comparable theoretical maximum ammonia removal efficiencies (Aeq, >90%) being obtained under the tested dry and wet stripping conditions, implying that the former was more advantageous due to its much higher volumetric total ammonia-N removal rate thus much smaller reactor volume, less energy/chemicals consumption and no foaming problems. After 8 days' dry AD and 3 h' dry ammonia stripping, the separated liquid containing VFAs and the recovered ammonia were both marketable products, and the solid residues with averagely higher C/N ratios of 25.7 than those of raw SM (18.0) meanwhile maintaining a relatively high bioavailable P content of 8.1 mg/g-TS can serve as better feedstock for methane fermentation.

Composition of extracellular polymeric substances in a partial nitrification reactor treating high ammonia wastewater and nitrous oxide emission

The objective of this study was to characterize the composition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) during the achievement of partial nitrification and subsequent nitrous oxide (N2O) emission treating high ammonia wastewater. After operation of 120days, the reactor achieved high ammonia removal efficiency and stable nitrite accumulation. The average size of sludge flocs in the reactor increased from 102.6 to 258.5μm. The main compositions of EPS, including protein (PN) and polysaccharide (PS), increased to 65.46±3.27 and 21.63±1.08mg/g VSS, respectively. Results of three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy implied that EPS transferred to tryptophan PN-like and humic acid-like substrates. N2O emission accounts for 11.67% of removed nitrogen during the steady state of partial nitrification reactor. The obtained results could contribute a better understanding the achievement of partial nitrification through the composition changes of EPS, and provide more information to determine nitrogen removal by considering N2O emission.

Ammonia Nitrogen Removal and Recovery from Swine Wastewater by Microwave Radiation

Microwave (MW) radiation was developed to remove and recover ammonia nitrogen in the real swine wastewater. The effect of operating parameters of MW radiation such as initial pH, power, radiation time, aeration, and stirring for removal ammonia nitrogen in swine wastewater was determined. The pH, radiation time, and power were significantly influenced on the removal of ammonia nitrogen, and aeration and stirring showed relatively minor effect on the removal of ammonia nitrogen. Optimum condition was achieved to retrieve the nitrogen efficiently at pH 11, 700 W for 5 min in MW radiation process. Through this process, 83.1% of ammonia nitrogen concentration was reduced in swine wastewater and also 82.6% of ammonia nitrogen was recovered as ammonium sulfate at the optimized condition. The high ammonia removal and recovery efficiency of the MW radiation method indicated that MW radiation was an effective technique to remove and recover ammonia nitrogen in the swine wastewater.