Start‐up and enrichment of a granular anammox SBR to treat high nitrogen load wastewaters |
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Authors: | Helio López Sebastià Puig Ramon Ganigué Maël Ruscalleda Maria D Balaguer Jesús Colprim |
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Affiliation: | 1. Chemical and Environmental Engineering Laboratory (LEQUIA), Institut de Medi Ambient, Campus Montilivi s/n, University of Girona, E‐17071 Girona, Catalonia, Spain;2. Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA), Campus Montilivi s/n, University of Girona, E‐17071 Girona, Catalonia, Spain |
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Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Landfill leachate is characterized by low biodegradable organic matter that presents difficulties for the complete biological nitrogen removal usually performed by conventional biological nitrification/denitrification processes. To achieve this, the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process is a promising biological treatment. This paper presents an anammox start‐up and enrichment methodology for treating high nitrogen load wastewaters using sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology. RESULTS: The methodology is based on the gradual increase of the nitrite‐to‐ammonium molar ratio in the influent (from 0.76 to 1.32 mole NO2?‐N mole?1NH4+‐N) and on the exponential increase of the nitrogen loading rate (NLR, from 0.01 to 1.60 kg N m?3 d?1). 60 days after start‐up, anammox organisms were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique as Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans. After one year of operation, NLR had reached a value of 1.60 kg N m?3 d?1 with a nitrogen (ammonium plus nitrite) removal efficiency of 99.7%. The anammox biomass activity was verified by nitrogen mass balances with 1.32 ± 0.05 mole of nitrite removed per mole of ammonium removed and 0.23 ± 0.05 mole of nitrate produced per mole of ammonium removed. Also, enrichment of anammox bacteria was quantified by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis as 85.0 ± 1.8%. CONCLUSIONS: This paper provides a methodology for the enrichment of the anammox biomass in a SBR to treat high nitrogen loaded wastewaters. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry |
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Keywords: | anammox enrichment procedure granular sludge nitrogen removal SBR start‐up |
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