进水氨氮对厌氧同步脱氮除硫工艺的影响

通过比较含氨氮和不含氨氮两种进水水质条件下接种物不同的两个反应器的脱氮除硫特性,研究进水氨氮对厌氧同步脱氮除硫性能的影响。结果表明,进水未加氨氮的反应器对硫化物和硝态氮的去除率均高达95%,当加入氨氮后,仅有40%～50%的硝态氮被去除,消耗1 g硫化物所还原的硝态氮量减少,去除硝态氮的能力降低了近50%,然而对硫化物的去除率仍维持在90%左右,表明脱氮过程比脱硫过程受进水氨氮的影响大。扫描电镜观察结果证实,当进水中存在氨氮时硫化物的毒性增大,杀死了大量的脱氮硫杆菌,降低了硫化物转化为单质硫的能力,干扰了系统的反硝化脱氮过程,这是导致体系脱氮能力降低的主要原因。     

气水比对高分子填料BAF脱氮效能的影响

采用高分子载体作为生物填料,以模拟生活污水为处理对象,对两级曝气生物滤池(BAF)的脱氮效能进行了试验研究,着重考察了气水比对BAF去除COD、NH3-N和TN的影响,并探讨了系统内氮素的转化规律和提高脱氮效能的途径。结果表明,当平均水温为22~32℃、进水流量为4 L/h、进水COD为150 mg/L左右、进水NH3-N为60 mg/L左右、一级BAF的气水比为4∶1、二级BAF的气水比为2∶1时,系统的处理效果最佳,对COD、NH3-N和TN的总平均去除率分别达到84.33%、87.84%和56.06%。系统通过同时短程硝化反硝化实现了低能耗、高效率的脱氮。     

High-rate denitrification using polyethylene glycol gel carriers entrapping heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria

This study evaluated the nitrogen removal performance of polyethylene glycol (PEG) gel carriers containing entrapped heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria. A laboratory-scale denitrification reactor was operated for treatment of synthetic nitrate wastewater. The nitrogen removal activity gradually increased in continuous feed experiments, reaching 4.4 kg N m⁻³ d⁻¹ on day 16 (30 °C). A maximum nitrogen removal rate of 5.1 kg N m⁻³ d⁻¹ was observed. A high nitrogen removal efficiency of 92% on average was observed at a high loading rate. In batch experiments, the denitrifying gel carriers were characterized by temperature. Nitrate and total nitrogen removal activities both increased with increasing temperature, reaching a maximum at 37 and 43 °C, respectively. Apparent activation energies for nitrate and nitrite reduction were 52.1 and 71.9 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. Clone library analysis performed on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that Hyphomicrobium was mainly involved in denitrification in the methanol-fed denitrification reactors.     

Advancing post-anoxic denitrification for biological nutrient removal

The objective of this research was to advance a fundamental understanding of a unique post-anoxic denitrification process for achieving biological nutrient removal (BNR), with an emphasis on elucidating the impacts of surface oxygen transfer (SOT), variable process loadings, and bioreactor operational conditions on nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Two sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were operated in an anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic mode for over 250 days and fed real municipal wastewater. One SBR was operated with a headspace open to the atmosphere, while the other had a covered liquid surface to prevent surface oxygen transfer. Process performance was assessed for mixed volatile fatty acid (VFA) and acetate-dominated substrate, as well as daily/seasonal variance in influent phosphorus and ammonia loadings. Results demonstrated that post-anoxic BNR can achieve near-complete (>99%) inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus removal, with soluble effluent concentrations less than 1.0 mgN L⁻¹ and 0.14 mgP L⁻¹. Observed specific denitrification rates were in excess of typical endogenous values and exhibited a linear dependence on the glycogen concentration in the biomass. Preventing SOT improved nitrogen removal but had little impact on phosphorus removal under normal loading conditions. However, during periods of low influent ammonia, the covered reactor maintained phosphorus removal performance and showed a greater relative abundance of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) as evidenced by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). While GAOs were detected in both reactors under all operational conditions, BNR performance was not adversely impacted. Finally, secondary phosphorus release during the post-anoxic period was minimal and only occurred if nitrate/nitrite were depleted post-anoxically.     

不同碳源驯化聚糖菌反硝化及N2O释放特性

为了确定反硝化聚糖菌(DGAOs)的脱氮性能及N₂O释放特性,采用序批式生物反应器,分别以乙酸钠和葡萄糖为碳源(反应器分别记作SBRAc和SBRGl),考察其脱氮过程中的碳源变化以及N₂O释放特性。结果表明,SBRAc和SBRGl的总氮去除率分别为(80.2±2.8)%和(63.4±3.5)%,N₂O产率分别为(7.16±1.43)%和(13.35±2.46)%。以乙酸钠为碳源时,聚糖菌厌氧阶段吸收的有机物主要以胞内聚-β-羟基烷酸(PHA)形式储存;以葡萄糖为碳源时,部分有机物用于胞内糖原(Gly)的积累,PHA合成量减少。聚糖菌内源反硝化过程中,依次利用胞内PHA和Gly作为内碳源,且PHA提供电子的速率远大于Gly,导致SBRGl内NO₂^-大量积累、N₂O释放量增加。NO₂^-对氧化亚氮还原酶活性的抑制效应是导致聚糖菌内源反硝化过程释放N₂O的主要因素。与葡萄糖相比,乙酸钠更易被反硝化聚糖菌吸收为易利用的内碳源PHA,并降低反硝化过程中N₂O的释放量。     

Methanogenic digestion using mixed substrate of acetic, propionic and butyric acids

Experiments on methanogenic digestion using high concentrations of mixed substrate were conducted. The major intermediate products of anaerobic digestion such as acetic, propionic and butyric acids were mixed in a ratio of 2:1:1 (COD basis), respectively, and used as a substrate for feeding into continuous-flow chemostat reactors maintained at 35°C. These reactors were operated stably at higher feed substrate concentrations and shorter hydraulic retention times (HRT) than those of using a single component of volatile fatty acids as a substrate. At an HRT of 4.43 days, the methanogenesis occurred normally up to a feed substrate concentration of 70,000 mg COD I⁻¹. At a feed substrate concentration of 20,000 mg COD I⁻¹, the methanogenesis occurred normally up to an HRT of 2.91 days and the minimum SRT for microbial populations was calculated to be 2.42 days. An increase in feed substrate concentration adversely affected the propionate degradation strikingly, while a decrease in HRT significantly adversely affected the acetate and propionate degradation. The methane production was 0.301 g⁻¹ COD utilized, and it was independent of the feed substrate concentration and HRT. Bacilli were predominant in all reactors, but sarcinae appeared in the reactors with high feed substrate concentrations and short HRTs. Phenomena in digester failure due to methanogen washout were also observed.     

Wheat straw as substrate for water denitrification

Biological denitrification of drinking water was studied in up-flow laboratory reactors packed with wheat straw which served as the sole carbon source as well as the only physical support for the microorganisms. The highest rates of denitrification (0.053 g N removed l⁻¹ d⁻¹) were observed in fresh reactors during their first week of operation and the efficiency of the process declined thereafter. The addition of fresh wheat straw brought about a temporary improvement of the denitrification performance and a regime of one weekly addition prevented the deterioration of a reactor which was operated for 5 months. The rate of denitrification was affected by the water velocity and decreased at velocities above 0.054 m d⁻¹. Colour and soluble organic carbon associated with fresh straw were removed by adsorption on powdered activated carbon.     

有机复合脱氮剂/吹脱法与直接吹脱法的除氨对比

自制一种以乳酸乙酯为主体的有机复合脱氮剂,并对比了直接吹脱法和有机复合脱氮剂/吹脱法对氨氯的去除效果.结果表明,有机复合脱氮剂/吹脱法对氨氮的去除率可达99.99%以上,废水中剩余氨氮的浓度最低可达0.2 mg/L.有机复合脱氮剂/吹脱法的最佳pH比直接吹脱法的低,节省了加碱量;其最佳气液比是直接吹脱法的1/10,大大节约了能耗.有机复合脱氮剂/吹脱法前0.5 h的平均吹脱速率是直接吹脱法的2倍.在常温条件下,其吹脱1.5 h后对氨氮的去除率比直接吹脱6 h的高;而在加热条件下,其吹脱1 h后对氨氮的去除率就比直接吹脱6 h的高,从而大大缩短了吹脱时间.     

Nitrification of high strength ammonia wastewaters: comparative study of immobilisation media

Due to legislative pressures, sludge production and processing in the UK will increase substantially in the future resulting in a supernatant liquid high in ammonia (500-1000 mg l-1) and "hard" COD (approximately 500 mg l-1). A small footprint reactor is required to effectively nitrify this effluent, and the aim of this work was to compare a number of immobilisation media under a variety of conditions in order to determine which media held the most promise for future development. Laboratory-scale continuously stirred tank reactors containing freely suspended and immobilised biomass were operated with a high-strength synthetic ammonia wastewater (500 mg N l-1) to determine the nitrification rates at various temperatures, and ammonia and COD loadings. COD:NH3 ratios in sludge liquors vary widely depending on the treatment processes employed, and therefore ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 were tested as being fairly typical. The freely suspended nitrifiers were washed out of the reactors at a 1 d hydraulic retention time (HRT), whereas the reactors containing adsorption particles (Linpor and Kaldnes) and PVA-encapsulated nitrifiers continued partially nitrifying down to 12 h, and oxygen addition enhanced nitrification. A decrease in temperature from 25 to 16 degrees C only caused a small (10%) decrease in nitrification in the immobilised cell reactors, demonstrating that nitrification was mass transfer rather than kinetically controlled. A reduction in nitrification occurred when glucose (500 mg l-1) was added to the feed due to the growth of a heterotrophic population. The adsorbed biomass reactors lost 35% of nitrification compared to only 7% with PVA, and it appears that the colonisation of PVA by heterotrophs is more difficult than for Linpor and Kaldnes. Respiration rates for all particles increased with time in the reactors, and nitrifiers immobilised in PVA retained approximately 40% of their viability after immobilisation. Volumetric nitrification rates were generally higher for the PVA reactor than for Linpor and Kaldnes, and were: suspended biomass reactor: 0.36; Linpor: 0.57; Kaldnes: 0.53 and PVA: 0.70 kg N m-3-reactor d-1 for a 25% reactor fill. These equate to 2.28, 4.24 and 3.97 g N m-2-media d-1 for Linpor, Kaldnes and PVA respectively, hence other reactor fill rates for Kaldnes warrant further investigation. However, the PVA particles with the highest nitrification rates under all conditions showed promise as an immobilisation medium, and are amenable to further optimisation for the nitrification of high-strength ammonia wastewaters.     

Use of stable nitrogen isotope fractionation to estimate denitrification in small constructed wetlands treating agricultural runoff

Constructed wetlands (CWs) in the agricultural landscape reduce non-point source pollution through removal of nutrients and particles. The objective of this study was to evaluate if measurements of natural abundance of (15)NO(3)(-) can be used to determine the fate of NO(3)(-) in different types of small CWs treating agricultural runoff. Nitrogen removal was studied in wetland trenches filled with different filter materials (T1--sand and gravel; T3--mixture of peat, shell sand and light-weight aggregates; T8--barley straw) and a trench formed as a shallow pond (T4). The removal was highest during summer and lowest during autumn and winter. Trench T8 had the highest N removal during summer. Measurements of the natural abundance of (15)N in NO(3)(-) showed that denitrification was not significant during autumn/winter, while it was present in all trenches during summer, but only important for nitrogen removal in trench T8. The (15)N enrichment factors of NO(3)(-) in this study ranged from -2.5 to -5.9 per thousand (T3 and T8, summer), thus smaller than enrichment factors found in laboratory tests of isotope discrimination in denitrification, but similar to factors found for denitrification in groundwater and a large CW. The low enrichment factors compared to laboratory studies was attributed to assimilation in plants/microbes as well as diffusion effect. Based on a modified version of the method presented by Lund et al. [Lund LJ, Horne AJ, Williams AE, Estimating denitrification in a large constructed wetland using stable nitrogen isotope ratios. Ecol Engineer 2000; 14: 67-76], denitrification and assimilation were estimated to account for 53 to 99 and 1 to 47%, respectively, of the total N removal during summer. This method is, however, based on a number of assumptions, and there is thus a need for a better knowledge of the effect of plant uptake, microbial assimilation as well as nitrification on N isotopic fractionation before this method can be used to evaluate the contribution of dinitrification in CWs.     

Nitrogen removal from wastewater using membrane aerated microbial fuel cell techniques

Nitrogen removal mainly relies on sequential nitrification and denitrification in wastewater treatment. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are innovative wastewater treatment techniques for pollution control and energy generation. In this study, bench-scale wastewater treatment systems using membrane-aerated MFC (MAMFC) and diffuser-aerated MFC (DAMFC) techniques were constructed for simultaneous removal of carbonaceous and nitrogenous pollutants and electricity production from wastewater. During 210 days of continuous flow operation, when the dissolved oxygen (DO) in the cathodic compartment was kept at 2 mg/L, both reactors demonstrated high COD removal (>99%) and high ammonia removal (>99%) but low nitrogen removal (<20%). When a lower DO (0.5 mg/L) was maintained after day 121, both the MFC-based reactors still had excellent COD removal (>97%). However, the nitrogen removal of MAMFC (52%) was 2-fold higher than that of DAMFC (24%), indicating an enhanced performance of denitrification after DO reduction in the cathodic compartment of the MAMFC. Meanwhile, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) population in the MAMFC indicated the diversity of AOB with equally important Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas species present in the cathodic biofilm after DO reduction. The average voltage output in the MAMFC was significantly higher than that in DAMFC under both DO conditions. The results suggest that MAMFC systems have the potential for wastewater treatment with improved nitrogen removal and electricity production.     

Degradation of acetonitrile through a sequence of microbial reactors

Degradation of nitrogen containing organic compounds often leads to formation of ammonium and some low molecular weight organic compounds. The study is focused on degradation of acetonitrile in a sequence of stirred biofilm reactors, where the degradation of acetonitrile into acetic acid and ammonia takes place in the first two reactors. A large fraction of the acetic acid is also degraded in these reactors. The subsequent two reactors were introduced in order to take care of the ammonia, while a fifth reactor was a polishing step before the water was released to the recipient. From earlier studies it is known that the rate of acetonitrile degradation is approximately 80 g acetonitrile/ (m3 reactor h). In the present study nitrification proceeded with 10 g NH4(+)-N/(m3 reactor h) and the denitrification by 35 g NOx(-)-N/ (m3 reactor h). This means that the reactors involved in removal of the nitrogen component needs to be far larger than those dealing with degradation of the more complex molecules.     

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in bench-scale sequencing batch reactors

Two bench-scale sequencing batch reactors were fed with domestic wastewater and operated in an anaerobic-aerobic sequence for 139 d. Denitrification during the aerated react period was observed and the factors influencing the extent of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification were examined. It was found that the influence of DO on the nitrification rate during the aerated react period could be described by a Monod kinetic with a high oxygen half-saturation coefficient for autotrophic nitrifiers (K_O.A) of 4.5 mg/l. The dependency of the denitrification rate on DO could be described by a mathematical switching function with a higher switching function constant than expected, meaning that the extent of aerobic denitrification was higher than usual. It was also observed that aerobic denitrification decreased with time over the aerated react period. For most of the time of reactor operation nitrite was the main NO_x species in the effluent, instead of the commonly expected nitrate. This led to the conclusion that the activity of Nitrobacter species was probably inhibited in the SBRs studied. It also demonstrated the importance of measuring nitrite in the effluent to ensure that the reactor performance and the extent of aerobic denitrification was not over-estimated.     

Simultaneous nitrogen and phosphate removal in aerobic granular sludge reactors operated at different temperatures

The main biological conversions taking place in two lab-scale aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors were evaluated. Reactors were operated at different temperatures (20 and 30 °C) and accomplished simultaneous COD, nitrogen and phosphate removal. Nitrogen and phosphate conversions were linked to the microbial community structure as assessed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Anoxic tests were performed to evaluate the contribution of anoxic phosphate uptake to the overall phosphate removal and to clarify the denitrification pathway. Complete nitrification/denitrification and phosphate removal were achieved in both systems. A considerable fraction of the phosphate removal was coupled to denitrification (denitrifying dephosphatation). From the results obtained in anoxic batch experiments dosing either nitrite or nitrate, denitrification was proposed to proceed mainly via the nitrate pathway. Denitrifying glycogen-accumulating organisms (DGAOs) were observed to be the main organisms responsible for the reduction of nitrate to nitrite. A significant fraction of the nitrite was further reduced to nitrogen gas while being used as electron acceptor by denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO clade II) for anoxic phosphate uptake.     

Kinetic model of autotrophic denitrification in sulphur packed-bed reactors

Autotrophic denitrification of synthetic wastewater by Thiobacillus denitrificans in upflow sulphur packed-bed reactors was studied in order to establish the process kinetics for prediction of effluent concentration. Elemental sulphur particles of different size served as energy substrate as well as the physical support for the microbial biofilm. Experiments were performed under operating conditions of (i) different flow rates at constant influent nitrate concentration; and (ii) different influent nitrate concentrations at constant flow rate. The experimental results show that autotrophic denitrification rates in upflow sulphur packed-bed reactors can be described by a half-order kinetic model for biofilms. It was found that the half-order kinetic constants of upflow packed-bed reactors are 2.94-3.60, 1.47-2.04, and 1.12-1.29 mg1/2/L1/2 h for sulphur particle sizes of 2.8-5.6, 5.6-11.2, and 11.2-16 mm, respectively. The half-order kinetic constants could be related to the specific surface area of the reactor media by a simple equation. Successful application of the half-order reaction rate model was demonstrated for an actual wastewater (nitrified leachate). A comparison with the literature showed that the half-order reaction rate constants for autotrophic denitrification using elemental sulphur are approximately one order of magnitude lower than those of heterotrophic denitrification. An improved stoichiometric equation for autotrophic denitrification using elemental sulphur as electronic donor is also proposed.     

Factors influencing deterioration of denitrification by oxygen entering an anoxic reactor through the surface

The purpose of the paper is to examine the factors that influence the deterioration of denitrification in open anoxic reactors. For this investigation an ASM 1-based simulation model was developed and successfully applied to fit data from batch experiments carried out in lab-scale reactor vessels (uncovered and covered) using both clarified domestic wastewater and synthetic wastewater. Applying the verified model, simulation studies were performed to investigate the effects of available denitrifiable substrate, biomass concentration, oxygen transfer rate, and temperature on deterioration of denitrification in open anoxic reactors. It has been shown that oxygen entering an anoxic reactor through the surface may not just affect denitrification metabolically, but also kinetically, due to increased dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration exerting an inhibitory effect on the denitrification rate. When the exogenous substrate concentration in the reactor vessel is high enough for a high consumption rate, the DO concentration is kept low. The higher the biomass concentration, and thereby the consumption rate of endogenous substrate, the lower the DO concentration during the low-rate denitrification phase. At low substrate removal rates, decreasing temperature will cause the DO concentration in anoxic vessels to increase. The results suggest that assuring removal of available exogenous carbon source at high rate by staging of open anoxic bioreactors may significantly improve denitrification efficiency.     

Effect of salinity and inorganic nitrogen concentrations on nitrification and denitrification rates in intertidal sediments and rocky biofilms of the Douro River estuary, Portugal

The regulatory effects of salinity and inorganic nitrogen compounds on nitrification and denitrification were studied in intertidal sandy sediments and rocky biofilms in the Douro River estuary, Portugal, over a 12-month period. Nitrification and denitrification rates were measured in slurries of field samples and enrichment experiments using the difluoromethane and the acetylene inhibition techniques, respectively. Salinity did not regulate denitrification in either environment, suggesting that halotolerant bacteria dominated the denitrifier communities. However, nitrification rates were stimulated when salinity increased from 0 to 15 practical salinity units. NO3- addition experiments revealed that NO3- availability stimulates denitrification rates in sandy sediments, but not in rocky biofilms; however, in rocky biofilms a positive and linear relationship was observed between denitrification rates and water column NO3- concentrations (r=0.92) during the monthly surveys. The N2O:N2 ratios increased rapidly when NO3- increased from 63 to 363 microM; however, results from monthly surveys showed that environmental parameters other than NO3- availability may be important in controlling the variation in N2O production via denitrification. Ammonium additions to sandy sediments stimulated nitrification rates by 35% for the 20 microM NH4+ addition, but NH4+ appeared to inhibit nitrification at high concentration addition (200 microM NH4+). In contrast, rocky biofilm nitrification was stimulated by 65% when 200 microM NH4+ was added.     

包埋硝化菌流化床与接触氧化固定床除氨氮效果对比

以固定化包埋硝化菌颗粒作为流化床的载体,以PVC弹性填料作为固定床的载体,使硝化菌分别以包埋和生物膜的形式与载体结合,通过试验对比了流化床和固定床去除水中氨氮的效果.结果表明,在相同条件下,流化床的硝化效率高于固定床的;两反应器内均存在亚硝酸盐氮积累现象,且流化床的积累浓度高于固定床的;COD及氨氮负荷的短期冲击对两反应器的硝化效果几乎不会产生影响;流化床中的包埋固定化硝化菌具有更强的抗温度变化能力;在反应器连续运行条件下,流化床和固定床对氨氮的去除率分别为96%和80%.     

Achieving biofilm control in a membrane biofilm reactor removing total nitrogen

Membrane biofilm reactors (MBfR) utilize membrane fibers for bubble-less transfer of gas by diffusion and provide a surface for biofilm development. Nitrification and subsequent autotrophic denitrification were carried out in MBfR with pure oxygen and hydrogen supply, respectively, in order to remove nitrogen without the use of heterotrophic bacteria. Excessive biomass accumulation is typically the major cause of system failure of MBfR. No biomass accumulation was detected in the nitrification reactor as low-level discharge of solids from the system balanced out biomass generation. The average specific nitrification rate during 250 days of operation was 1.88 g N/m² d. The subsequent denitrification reactor, however, experienced decline of performance due to excessive biofilm growth, which prompted the implementation of periodic nitrogen sparging for biofilm control. The average specific denitrification rate increased from 1.50 g N/m² d to 1.92 g N/m² d with nitrogen sparging, over 190 days thus demonstrating the feasibility of stable long-term operation. Effluent suspended solids increased immediately following sparging: from an average of 2.5 mg/L to 12.7 mg/L. This periodic solids loss was found unavoidable, considering the theoretical biomass generation rates at the loadings used. A solids mass balance between the accumulating and scoured biomass was established based on the analysis of the effluent volatile solids data. Biofilm thickness was maintained at an average of 270 μm by the gas sparging biofilm control. It was concluded that biomass accumulation and scouring can be balanced in autotrophic denitrification and that long-term stable operation can be maintained.     

Organic matter removal in combined anaerobic-aerobic fixed-film bioreactors

A combination of two fixed-film bioreactors (FFB) with arranged media, the first anaerobic and the second aerobic, connected in series with recirculation was fed continuously for 133 days with wastewater from a poultry slaughterhouse. Oxidation of the organic carbon compounds and nitrification were carried out in the aerobic FFB and methanogenesis and denitrification were performed in the anaerobic FFB. The average organic loading rate was 0.39 kg COD/m3d and 92% removal efficiencies of organic matter were achieved. COD-removal occurred mainly in the anaerobic FFB, increasing when the recirculation ratio rose from 1 to 6 due to the increase in the anoxic denitrification. The influence of the C/N ratio of the raw wastewater over the proportion in which the COD-removal was carried out by oxidation in the aerobic FFB, methanogenesis or denitrification in the anaerobic FFB was studied. When the volume of the aerobic FFB became smaller than that of the anaerobic one the fraction of organic matter removed in the anaerobic FFB increased, but also the ratio between the respective volumetric rates (rCODan/rCODae) increased. High recirculation and low C/NO-N ratio in the anaerobic FFB feed favoured the denitrification to the detriment of the methanogenic process. Regarding nitrogen removal for nitrogen applied loads around 0.064 kg TKN/m3d the removal efficiency was of 95%, which decreased to 84% for 0.14 kg TKN/m3d. The stability of the nitrification process was the controlling factor of the nitrogen removal. High ammonia concentration caused by high recirculation ratio, specially when the aerobic FFB volume was smaller, caused nitrification inhibition which destabilised the system.