Analysis of microbial community structure and diversity in the thermophilic anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.

The microbial community structures in the thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD) of waste activated sludge (WAS) and WAS were analyzed with molecular biological techniques including real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloning. The microbial community of TAD had less diversity than that of WAS, and the sequences obtained in WAS were not present in TAD by the cloning analysis. In the TAD bacterial clone library, 97.5% of total clones were affiliated with the phylum Firmicutes and 73.1% with the genus Coprothermobacter. Real-time PCR and cloning analysis revealed that the number of Methanosarcina thermophila, which is an acetoclastic methanogen, is larger than that of Methanoculleus thermophilus, which is a hydrogenotrophic methanogen, in terms of the numbers of copies of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA).     

Feasibility study on the removal of nitrous compounds with a hollow-fiber membrane biofilm reactor.

The objective of this study was to develop an integrated nitrogen treatment system using autotrophic organisms. A treatment system consists of an aerobic hollow-fiber membrane biofilm reactor (HfMBR) and anaerobic HfMBR. In the aerobic HfMBR, a mixture gas of air and O2 was supplied through the fibers for nitrification. Denitrification occurred in the anaerobic HfMBR using H2 as the electron donor. The treatment system was continuously operated for 190 days. NH4-N removal efficiencies ranging from 95% to 97% were achieved at NH4-N concentrations of influent ranging from 50 to 100 mg N/L. When glucose was added to the influent, the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification occurred in the aerobic HfMBR, and nitrogen removal rates were changed according to the COD/NH4-N ratio of influent. In the anaerobic HfMBR, autotrophic denitrification using H2 occurred and the removal rates achieved in this study were 23-58 mg N/m2 d. In this study, the achieved removal efficiency was lower than other study findings; however, the result suggested that this hybrid HfMBR system can be used effectively for nitrogen removal in oligotrophic water.     

In-situ characterization of microbial community in an A/O submerged membrane bioreactor with nitrogen removal.

The bacterial community involved in removing nitrogen from sewage and their preferred DO environment within an anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR) was investigated. A continuously operated laboratory-scale A/O MBR was maintained for 360 d. At a sludge age of 150 d and a C/N ratio of 3.5, the system was capable of removing 88% of the influent nitrogen from raw wastewater through typical nitrogen removal transformations (i.e. aerobic ammonia oxidation and anoxic nitrate reduction). Characterization of the A/O MBR bacterial community was carried out using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques. FISH results further showed that Nitrosospira spp. and Nitrospira spp. were the predominant groups of ammonia and nitrite oxidizing group, respectively. They constituted up to 11% and 6% of eubacteria at DO below 0.05 mg/l (low DO), respectively, and about 14% and 9% of eubacteria at DO between 2-5 mg/l (sufficient DO), respectively, indicating preference of nitrifiers for a higher DO environment. Generally low counts of the genus Paracoccus were detected while negative results were observed for Paracoccus denitrificans, Alcaligenes spp, and Pseudomonas stutzeri under the low and sufficient DO environments. The overall results indicate that Nitrosospira spp., Nitrospira spp. and members of Paracoccus spp. can be metabolically functional in nitrogen removal in the laboratory-scale A/O MBR system.     

SHARON process evaluated for improved wastewater treatment plant nitrogen effluent quality.

New stricter nitrogen effluent standards and increasing influent loads require existing wastewater treatment plans (WWTPs) to extend or optimize. At WWTPs with limited aeration capacity, limited denitrification capacity or shortage of aerobic sludge age, implementation of SHARON to improve nitrogen effluent quality can be a solution. SHARON is a compact, sustainable and cost-effective biological process for treatment of nitrogen-rich rejection waters. At WWTP Rotterdam-Dokhaven and WWTP Utrecht a SHARON has been in operation for several years. For both WWTPs the effect of SHARON on the nitrogen effluent quality has been evaluated. WWTP Rotterdam-Dokhaven has limited aeration capacity. By implementation of SHARON, the ammonia load of the effluent was reduced by 50%. WWTP Utrecht had limited denitrification capacity. The implementation of SHARON improved the effluent nitrate load by 40%. The overall TN removal efficiency increased from 65% to over 75% and strict nitrogen effluents standards (TN = 10 mg N/l) could be reached. Through modelling and supported by full scale practice it has been shown that by implementation of SHARON in combination with enhanced influent pre-treatment, the aerobic sludge age can be extended to maintain total nitrogen removal at lower temperatures.     

ABR反应器对垃圾渗滤液的处理试验研究

ABR工艺在处理垃圾渗滤液中具有其他厌氧生物反应器所达不到的优点。尤其是对B/C低、氨氮浓度高、COD浓度高的废水处理,通过调节回流比、HRT、碱度等参数后,可以取得很好的处理效果。在本次实验中,HRT控制在18h后明显提高的垃圾渗滤液的可生化性及C/N,使ABR出水CODcr去除率达到75%,C/N为6.72,对后续好氧反应起到了重要作用。在调控一定回流比后,为提供厌氧氨氧化所需的电子受体NO-3和NO-2实现脱氮。反应器在经过120d的培养驯化,氨氮进水为460mg/L,ABR对氨氮的去除率稳定在80%。不同格室的厌氧颗粒污泥都得到很好的驯化并在其合适的环境中发挥各自的功能。     

Nitrogen removal from sludge digester liquids by nitrification/denitrification or partial nitritation/anammox: environmental and economical considerations.

In wastewater treatment plants with anaerobic sludge digestion, 15-20% of the nitrogen load is recirculated to the main stream with the return liquors from dewatering. Separate treatment of this ammonium-rich digester supernatant significantly reduces the nitrogen load of the activated sludge system. Two biological applications are considered for nitrogen elimination: (i) classical autotrophic nitrification/heterotrophic denitrification and (ii) partial nitritation/autotrophic anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). With both applications 85-90% nitrogen removal can be achieved, but there are considerable differences in terms of sustainability and costs. The final gaseous products for heterotrophic denitrification are generally not measured and are assumed to be nitrogen gas (N2). However, significant nitrous oxide (N2O) production can occur at elevated nitrite concentrations in the reactor. Denitrification via nitrite instead of nitrate has been promoted in recent years in order to reduce the oxygen and the organic carbon requirements. Obviously this "achievement" turns out to be rather disadvantageous from an overall environmental point of view. On the other hand no unfavorable intermediates are emitted during anaerobic ammonium oxidation. A cost estimate for both applications demonstrates that partial nitritation/anammox is also more economical than classical nitrification/denitrification. Therefore autotrophic nitrogen elimination should be used in future to treat ammonium-rich sludge liquors.     

寿光市城北污水处理厂改良型A~2/O反应池的启动与调试

寿光市城北污水处理厂一期工程处理能力为5万m3/d,以改良型A2/O反应池为核心处理单元,进水中约有60%为工业废水。改良型A2/O反应池的启动调试历时33d,调试结束时,活性污泥性状良好,CODCr、NH3—N、TP完全达到《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GB 18918—2002)一级B标准,反硝化作用明显。结果表明,在调试期间,污泥培养方式、内回流比、好氧池DO等对该污水处理厂改良型A2/O反应池处理能力影响比较明显。     

High rate nitrogen removal by the CANON process at ambient temperature

Completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) is a cost-effective nitrogen removal process. Implementation of the CANON process relies on the cooperation of ammonium-oxidizing and Anammox bacteria, as well as the inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. Strict limitations on dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the reactor, and the addition of sufficient inorganic carbon in the influent, were adopted as the main operational strategies. The reactor was fed with synthetic inorganic wastewater composed mainly of NH(4)(+)-N, and operated for 106 days. Stable nitrogen removal rates (NRR) of around 1.4 kg N m(-3) d(-1) were obtained at ambient temperature. Morphological characteristics and analysis of bacterial community confirmed the formation of functional outer aerobic and inner anaerobic granular sludge, providing evidence of stable nitrogen removal.     

Rapid start-up of a nitrifying reactor using aerobic granular sludge as seed sludge

In this study, the effectiveness of aerobic granular sludge as seed sludge for rapid start-up of nitrifying processes was investigated using a laboratory-scale continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) fed with completely inorganic wastewater which contained a high concentration of ammonia. Even when a large amount of granular biomass was inoculated in the reactor, and the characteristics of influent wastewater were abruptly changed, excess biomass washout was not observed, and biomass concentration was kept high at the start-up period due to high settling ability of the aerobic granular sludge. As a result, an ammonia removal rate immediately increased and reached more than 1.0 kg N/m(3)/d within 20 days and up to 1.8 kg N/m(3)/d on day 39. Subsequently, high rate nitritation was stably attained during 100 days. However, nitrite accumulation had been observed for 140 days before attaining complete nitrification to nitrate. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed the increase in amount of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria which existed in the outer edge of the granular sludge during the start-up period. This microbial ecological change would make it possible to attain high rate ammonia removal.     

曝气条件对侧流活性污泥水解工艺脱氮性能和微生物的影响

通过改变传统厌氧/缺氧/好氧（A²/O）反应器和侧流活性污泥水解（SSH）反应器的曝气强度和溶解氧（DO）浓度,考察了曝气条件对脱氮性能的影响,并对比研究了微生物群落结构的变化规律。结果表明：相较于高DO阶段,两组反应器在中低DO阶段有更好的脱氮效果。在相同进水条件下,SSH反应器的脱氮性能优于A²/O反应器,且出水满足一级A标准。高通量测序结果表明,中低DO浓度更有利于脱氮微生物的生长。相对于A²/O反应器,SSH反应器中反硝化微生物的相对丰度更高。因此,合理控制曝气条件维持中低DO浓度有利于SSH工艺达到良好的脱氮性能及脱氮微生物的生长。     

CASS工艺生物脱氮除磷效果分析

对CASS工艺脱氮除磷效果进行了试验研究,重点研究了温度和回流比对脱氮效果的影响,曝气量对除磷效果的影响。研究结果表明,水温在30℃时系统脱氮效果最好,此时NH3-N去除率在80%左右,TN去除率在70%左右;污泥回流比为25%、50%、100%和200%时,TN去除率分别为50%、58%、62%和70%,增加回流比可以提高脱氮效率;好氧区DO维持在2mg/L和4 mg/L时,TP去除率分别为82%和37%。     

Development and optimisation of VFA driven DEAMOX process for treatment of strong nitrogenous anaerobic effluents.

The recently proposed DEAMOX (DEnitrifying AMmonium OXidation) process combines the anammox reaction with autotrophic denitrifying conditions using sulphide as an electron donor for the production of nitrite from nitrate within an anaerobic biofilm. This paper firstly presents a feasibility study of the DEAMOX process using synthetic (ammonia + nitrate) wastewater where sulphide is replaced by volatile fatty acids (VFA) as a more widespread electron donor for partial denitrification. Under the influent N-NH+4/N-NO3(-) and COD/N-NO3(-) ratios of 1 and 2.3, respectively, the typical efficiencies of ammonia removal were around 40% (no matter whether a VFA mixture or only acetate were used) for nitrogen loading rates (NLR) up to 1236 mg N/l/d. This parameter increased to 80% by increasing the influent COD/N-NO3(-) ratio to 3.48 and decreasing the influent N-NH4 +/N-NO3(-) ratio to 0.29. As a result, the total nitrogen removal increased to 95%. The proposed process was further tested with typical strong nitrogenous effluent such as reject water (total N, 530-566 mg N/l; total COD, 1530-1780 mg/l) after thermophilic sludge anaerobic digestion. For this, the raw wastewater was split and partially ( approximately 50%) fed to a nitrifying reactor (to generate nitrate) and the remaining part ( approximately 50%) was directed to the DEAMOX reactor where this stream was mixed with the nitrified effluent. Stable process performance up to NLR of 1,243 mg N/l/d in the DEAMOX reactor was achieved resulting in 40, 100, and 66% removal of ammonia, NOx(-), and total nitrogen, respectively.     

Dynamics of nitrogen oxides emission from a full-scale sludge liquor treatment plant with nitritation

Biological treatment in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a source of nitrogen oxides (N2O, NO and NO2) emitted to the atmosphere. Aerobic ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) have been suggested to be the main source of these emissions. In a full-scale sludge liquor treatment plant at Sj?lunda WWTP, it was shown that significant emissions of N2O, NO and NO2 do occur. The plant is operated with nitritation alone, which gives an environment enriched in aerobic AOB. During normal operation, emissions of N2O, NO and NO2 were found to be 3.8%, 0.06% and 0.01% of the ammonium nitrogen load. The N2O emissions were larger than the recommended estimated figure of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for a complete wastewater treatment plant. The N2O emissions correlated positively with the length of the previous anoxic period, i.e., settling and decantation, and with the ammonium oxidation rate. The NO and NO2 emission profiles were similar and dependent on ammonium oxidation and DO level, but the NO2 concentrations were always lower.     

塔式生物滤池处理城市污水的研究

尽管目前塔式生物滤池在城市污水处理中运用较少 ,但在有可资利用的地形时它可达到少动力或无动力运行 ,有较大的优势。研究了塔式生物滤池的工作参数及其处理特点。     

同步硝化反硝化脱氮研究

在控制SBR反应器保持良好的好氧状态条件下 ,考察进水COD/NH3比值对同步硝化反硝化脱氮效率的影响。同时也对同步硝化反硝化机理进行了初步的探讨。研究表明 ,进水COD/NH3比值越高 ,总氮去除率越高 ,同步硝化反硝化现象越明显。由该试验可以推断活性污泥菌胶团中异养硝化菌和好氧反硝化菌的存在。     

Evolution of an ASM2d-like model structure due to operational changes of an SBR process.

To model biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal systems with an affordable complexity, the ASM2d model structure is based on many assumptions. In this study, some of these assumptions, however, were observed to become invalid when the biological behaviour in the system altered in response to changes in the operation of the system, a pilot-scale N and P removing SBR. Particularly, the three applied operational scenarios resulted in three distinctive responses in the SBR, namely pronounced limitation of the hydrolysis of the organic nitrogen, nitrite build-up during aerobic conditions and also nitrite build-up during anoxic conditions. This shows that even for the same system with the same influent wastewater composition, the model structure of the ASM2d does not remain constant but adapts parallel to dynamic changes in the activated sludge community. On the other hand, the three calibrated ASM2d models still lacked the ability to entirely describe the observed dynamics particularly those dealing with the phosphorus dynamics and hydrolysis. Understanding the underlying reasons of this discrepancy is a challenging task, which is expected to improve the modelling of bio-P removing activated sludge systems.     

Tracking influent inorganic suspended solids through wastewater treatment plants.

From an experimental and theoretical investigation of the continuity of influent inorganic suspended solids (ISS) along the links connecting the primary settling tank (PST), fully aerobic or N removal activated sludge (AS) and anaerobic and aerobic sludge digestion unit operations, it was found that the influent wastewater (fixed) ISS concentration is conserved through primary sludge anaerobic digestion, activated sludge and aerobic digestion unit operations. However, the measured ISS flux at different stages through a series of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) unit operations is not equal to the influent ISS flux, because the ordinary heterotrophic organisms (OHO) biomass contributes to the ISS flux by differing amounts depending on the active fraction of the VSS solids at that stage.     

好氧颗粒污泥脱氮除磷效率研究

以实验室模拟废水为进水,在SBR反应器中利用好氧颗粒污泥进行N、P的去除效率研究.研究表明:在运行周期约为4h,进水COD控制在500～1200 mg/L之间,室温条件下,好氧颗粒污泥对COD、氨氮、硝氮、TP的去除率稳定维持在97％、95％、92％、86％,说明好氧颗粒污泥特有的结构特性和生物特性有利于脱氮除磷.     

外源氮素对人工湿地N2O排放通量影响的研究

氮素通过干湿沉降、地表径流、农业灌溉等途径进入湿地中,导致湿地N2O的产生和排放发生变化,而N2O是一种温室气体,具有较高的温室效应潜力,会对环境造成严重影响。本研究模拟白洋淀芦苇湿地,构建人工模拟湿地系统进行外加氮素试验,用静态暗箱-气相色谱法进行N2O的通量观测,研究外源氮素输入对湿地N2O排放通量的影响。结果表明,外源氮素形态的不同不仅影响湿地系统中环境因子的改变,还会影响氮素进入湿地系统后的迁移转化。硝态氮是湿地N2O产生和排放的主要影响因子,芦苇湿地系统中氮素的反硝化作用强于无植被湿地系统,N2O的排放主要发生在反硝化过程中。     

Nitrogen removal in an upflow sludge blanket (USB) reactor combined by aerobic biofiltration systems.

A new nitrogen removal process (up-flow sludge blanket and aerobic filter, USB-AF) was proposed and tested with real sewage. In the USB reactor, the larger part of influent organic and nitrogen matters were removed, and ammonia was effectively oxidized in the subsequent aerobic filter. The role of the aerobic filter was to convert ammonia into nitrate, an electron acceptor that could convert soluble organic matters into volatile suspended solid (VSS) in the USB. The accumulated as well as influent VSS in the USB was finally degraded to fermented products that were another good carbon source for denitrification. Total COD, settleable COD and soluble COD in the raw sewage were 325, 80 and 140 mg/l, respectively. Most unsettleable COD as well as some SCOD in the influent was successfully removed in the USB. TCOD removal in the anoxic filter was by denitrification with the recycled nitrate. Low COD input to the aerobic filter could increase nitrification efficiency, reduce the start-up period and save the aeration energy in the USB-AF system. About 95% of ammonia was nitrified in the aerobic filter with no relation to the influent ammonia concentration. Denitrification efficiency of the recycled nitrate in the anoxic filter was about 85, 83, and 72% at recycle ratios of 100, 200, and 300%, respectively. T-N removal efficiency was 70% at recycle ratio of 300%.