Lab-scale Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor Research Articles

One-stage partial nitrification and anammox process in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor: Start-up, nitrogen removal performance and bacterial community dynamics in response to temperature

A one-stage partial nitrification and anammox (PN/A) process was started up and operated under varying temperatures in a lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactor. The start‑up phase took 110 days with an intermittent aeration strategy, and the removal efficiencies of ammonia‑nitrogen and total nitrogen were found to be 92.22% and 76.07%, respectively. The total nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) increased by 9.49% when temperature decreased from 30 °C to 25 °C, but declined by 83.84% from 25 °C to 20 °C. The PN process was inhibited and subsequently limited the nitrogen removal performance at 20 °C. When temperature returned to 28 °C, the NRE recovered to 67.27%, but it was still lower than the value before the decrease in temperature (79.40%). Microbial community analysis showed that the predominant ammonia oxidation bacteria and anammox bacteria were Nitrosomonas and Candidatus Kuenenia, respectively. Nitrosomonas grew, while the relative abundance of Candidatus Kuenenia increased as temperature decreased and vice versa.

Partial nitritation performance and microbial community in sequencing batch biofilm reactor filled with zeolite under organics oppression and its recovery strategy

Influences of organics on partial nitritation performance were investigated in a lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactor filled with zeolite. Significant differences in nitrite production rate (NPR) were observed between different dosages of glucose. With influent COD/N ratio from 0 to 1.5, NPR declined from 0.4 to 0.05 kg/(m3·d). Meanwhile, an appropriate NO2−-N/NH4+-N ratio (1.4 ± 0.5) could be obtained for simultaneous anammox denitrification at COD/N ratio of 0.5. Increasing airflow rate was found as an effective recovery strategy. Other than competition of heterotrophs with nitrifiers for dissolved oxygen, it has been verified that addition of organics generated higher free ammonia, and then further inhibitedammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB). Moreover, three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) results revealed that protein-like and humic acid-like substances were the main components in extracellularpolymericsubstances (EPS). And high-throughput sequencing analysis demonstrated that the relative abundance of AOB decreased.

Operational pattern affects nitritation, microbial community and quorum sensing in nitrifying wastewater treatment systems

Achievement of nitrite accumulation is critical for the application of advanced nitrogen removal processes. Two lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) and two sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were operated under intermittent aeration with different feeding patterns. The nitrite accumulation ratio was 56.6% (pulse feeding) and 68.9% (constant feeding) in SBBRs with nitritation. Nitrate accounted for 98% of the effluent nitrogen in SBRs with complete nitrification. The dominant nitrifier was Nitrosomonas in SBBRs and Nitrospira in SBRs. Four types of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) were detected. N‑[(RS)‑3‑Hydroxybutyryl]‑l‑homoserine lactone and N‑octanoyl‑l‑homoserine lactone had a high concentration in the extracellular polymeric substance phase, and had an obvious relationship with nitrite accumulation and ammonia removal. Various microbial communities coexisted in nitrifying systems, with diverse microbial interactions. Microorganisms harboring AHLs-related genes had more interactions with each other, suggesting that nitritation could be regulated by AHLs based quorum sensing.

Simultaneous removal of COD, nitrogen and phosphorus and the tridimensional microbial response in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor: with varying C/N/P ratios

Two lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactors with no salt (N-SBBR) and 10.0 g/L salt (S-SBBR) were operated to explore the simultaneous COD, nitrogen, phosphorus removal behavior and the microbial diversity as well as tridimensional (suspended sludge, exterior biofilm and interior biofilm) key functional microbial groups responses to varying C/N/P ratios from 125:8.3:1 to 33.3:8.3:1. The simultaneous nitrification and denitrification process and denitrifying phosphorus removal process were observed in this SBBR system. The N-SBBR showed better adaptation to low C/N/P (33.3:8.3:1), compared with the performance in S-SBBR, removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus in N-SBBR showed 15% and 30% enhancement. The sludge samples from N-SBBR collected at the C/N/P ratio of 70.0:7.0:1 had the highest bacterial richness and diversity. The abundance of bacterial in suspended sludge, exterior biofilm and interior biofilm were different, the interior biofilm tends to favour the growth of denitrifying phosphorus bacteria (Pseudorhodobacter) indicating the complicated nitrogen and phosphorus removal processes.

Enhanced nitrogen removal from coal gasification wastewater by simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) in an oxygen-limited aeration sequencing batch biofilm reactor

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) for treating coal gasification wastewater (CGW) was achieved successfully in a lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) by oxygen-limited aeration. SND efficiency increased gradually with the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) decreased from 4.5mg/L to 0.35mg/L. The maximum SND efficiency of 81.23% was obtained at DO concentration of 0.35mg/L, and the corresponding removal efficiency of NH4+-N and TN reached 76.91% and 70.23%, respectively. Meanwhile, COD was removed significantly and toxic compounds were degraded into biodegradable substances, which relieved effectively the inhibition on nitrogen removal. The results indicated that oxygen-limited condition performed greater toxic compounds and nitrogen removal compared with the aerobic condition. Furthermore, the results of scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and microbial community structure confirmed robust biofilm formation provided a suitable anoxic micro-environment for co-existence of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria and organics degradation bacteria in the reactor at oxygen-limited condition.

Start-up and bacterial communities of single-stage nitrogen removal using anammox and partial nitritation (SNAP) for treatment of high strength ammonia wastewater

In this study, a lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) was used to start up the single-stage nitrogen removal system using anammox and partial nitritation (SNAP) process seeding from surplus activated sludge. The volumetric nitrogen loading rate (vNLR) was firstly 0.075kgNm−3d−1 and then gradually increased to 0.60kgNm−3d−1. A maximal total nitrogen (TN) removal rate of 0.54kgNm−3d−1 was achieved by the SNAP process after 132days operation with NH4+-N and TN removal efficiency of 99.4% and 90.5%, respectively. This reactor may have applications for the SNAP process treating high strength ammonia wastewater. And dewatered surplus activated sludge was recommended as the seed sludge for engineering applications. The dominant bacterial strains were Xanthomonas campestris, Nitrosomonas europaea and Ignavibacterium album, corresponding to the percentage of 24%, 22% and 20%, respectively, based on the 16S rDNA amplicon pyrosequencing of the SNAP sludge.

Evaluation of Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor for Biological Nutrient Removal from Simulated Domestic Wastewater

A lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) was developed to treat domestic wastewater. After one year’s operation, the results were obtained as follows: when the reaction carried out in 3 h, COD removal efficiency approached or reached the maximal value, up to 90%. The nitrification process of NH3-N needed 4 h, and NH3-N removal efficiency reached the maximal value. Moreover, according to the variation of TN , NO3--N and NO2--N concentration in the nitrification and denitrification process, when NH3-N degraded to zero or the minimal value, just two cycles ending, it means that the SBBR system completed the nitrification and denitrification process.

Biological Nutrient Removal from Simulated Domestic Wastewater in Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor

A lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) was developed to treat domestic wastewater. After one year’s operation, the results were obtained as follows: when the reaction carried out in 3 h, COD removal efficiency approached or reached the maximal value, up to 90%. The nitrification process of NH3-N needed 4 h, and NH3-N removal efficiency reached the maximal value. Moreover, according to the variation of TN , NO3--N and NO2--N concentration in the nitrification and denitrification process, when NH3-N degraded to zero or the minimal value, just two cycles ending, it means that the SBBR system completed the nitrification and denitrification process.

Start-up of the Canon process from activated sludge under salt stress in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR)

In this study, a lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) was used to start-up the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (Canon) process from conventional activated sludge under salt stress for 118 days. A persistent, stable partial nitrification was achieved in the SBBR when the salt concentration gradually increased to 6.5 g NaCl L −1. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) bacteria were successfully enriched from the conventional activated sludge in the SBBR after 68 days of operation. Anammox bacterial strains similar to the order Planctomycetales, genus Candidatus brocardia and genus Candidatus kuenenia were confirmed to exist in the internal layer of the biofilm via Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) analysis. A maximal total nitrogen (TN) removal rate of 0.072 kg N m −3 d −1 was achieved for the Canon process when the salinity was maintained at a constant 10.0 g NaCl L −1 in the SBBR. This reactor may have applications for the Canon process treatment of salinity wastewaters containing high concentrations of ammonia.

Autotrophic nitrogen removal in sequencing batch biofilm reactors at different oxygen supply modes

Conventional nitrification-denitrification treatment is a common way to treat nitrogen in wastewater, but this process is costly for low COD/N wastewaters due to the addition of air and external carbon-source. However, ammonia may alternatively be converted to dinitrogen gas by autotrophic bacteria utilizing aerobically autotrophically produced nitrite as an electron acceptor under anoxic conditions. Lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) inoculated with normal nitrifying sludge were employed to study the potential of an oxygen-limited autotrophic nitrification-denitrification process initiated with typical nitrifying sludge for treating a synthetic ammonia wastewater devoid of organic carbon in one step. The ring-laced fibrous carrier (length 0.32 m, surface area 3.4 m2/m) was fixed vertically in a 3 L reactor. Two different air supply modes were applied:continuous aeration to control dissolved oxygen at 1.5 mg/L and intermittent aeration. High nitrogen removals of more than 50% were obtained in both SBBRs. At an ammonia loading of 0.882 gm N/m2-day [hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 hr], the SBBR continuously aerated to 1.5 mg DO/L had slightly higher nitrogen removal (64%) than the intermittently alternated SBBR (55%). The main form of residual nitrogen in the effluent was ammonia, at concentrations of 25 mg/L and 37 mg N/L in continuous and intermittent aeration SBBRs, respectively. Ammonia was completely consumed when ammonia loading was reduced to 0.441 gm N/m2-day [HRT extended to 48 hr]. The competitive use of nitrite by aerobic nitrite oxidizing bacteria (ANOB) with anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (anammox bacteria) during the expanded aeration period under low remaining ammonia concentration resulted in higher nitrate production and lower nitrogen loss in the continuous aeration SBBR than in the intermittent aeration SBBR. The nitrogen removal efficiencies in SBBRs with continuous and alternating aerated were 80% and 86% respectively. Specific microorganisms in the biofilm were characterized using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Aerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AAOB) occurred side by side with putative anammox bacteria (cells hybridizing with probe AMX820) throughout the biofilm, though ANOB were rarely detected.

Remediation of chlorophenol- and phenol-contaminated groundwater by a sequencing batch biofilm reactor

The paper describes the results of an investigation aimed at evaluating suitability of a lab-scale Sequencing Batch Biofilm Reactor (SBBR) for the remediation of groundwater contaminated by phenol (P) and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP). Kinetics of compound degradation was determined along the bed height in the absence and in presence of effluent recirculation, and with different influent composition (compounds fed separately or in combination in the same stream). SBBR performances with and without recirculation were very satisfactory for all the influent compositions: the system showed 99% removal efficiencies for both phenol and 2-CP and their complete removal was always achieved far before the end of react. In the presence of recirculation, the concentration gradient established during fill was rapidly eliminated and an even biomass distribution along the bed height was formed. Consequently, an acceleration of the elimination process was observed, particularly for phenol that was mostly removed in the first hour of the cycle. When the compounds were fed simultaneously, 2-CP removal kinetics improved probably due to cometabolism. The adsorption phenomena of the toxic compounds on the packing material were studied also, showing about 50% COD removal after 7 hours contact time.

On the dynamics and function of ciliates in sequencing batch biofilm reactors

Ciliates are known to directly influence the performance of wastewater treatment plants mainly by feeding on suspended particles. By monitoring two lab-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBR), one filled with expanded shale (clay spheres), the other with "Kaldnes" particles (PE-carriers), the succession of biofilm communities with special emphasis on ciliates was monitored for one year. Ciliates were identified and quantified at the species level and compared to rotifer and nematode abundances. Members of the subclass Peritrichia clearly dominated the community of protozoa. Epistylis cf. coronata and Opercularia asymmetrica were the dominant species within this group. The tree-like structure of their colonies provided a distinctive augmentation of the area available for bacterial colonization. The flux of water, produced by E. cf. coronata due to cilia motility, has been visualized and measured by video processing. This flux of water was still measurable at distances > 500 microm and maximum water currents raised up to 180 microm s(-1). Therefore, the role of ciliates is not only restricted to the ingestion of bacteria and suspended particles. They also alter water flux and carry nutrients to the inner parts of the biofilm. Thus, monitoring biofilm formation in wastewater treatment plants should always consider the impact of protists such as ciliates.