Enhanced nutrients removal from municipal wastewater through biological phosphorus removal followed by partial nitritation/anammox

Abstract

EBPR and PN/A were combined to enhance nutrients removal from municipal wastewater.

High effluent quality of 0.25 mg TP∙L⁻¹ and 10.8 mg TN∙L⁻¹ was obtained.

Phosphorus and nitrogen removal was achieved in two separated units.

A proper post-anoxic phase improved the nitrogen removal performance of PN/A unit.

Conventional biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorus is usually limited due to the lack of biodegradable carbon source, therefore, new methods are needed. In this study, a new alternative consisting of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) followed by partial nitritation-anammox (PN/A), is proposed to enhance nutrients removal from municipal wastewater. Research was carried out in a laboratory-scale system of combined two sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). In SBR1, phosphorus removal was achieved under an alternating anaerobic-aerobic condition and ammonium concentration stayed the same since nitrifiers were washed out from the reactor under short sludge retention time of 2–3 d. The remaining ammonium was further treated in SBR2 where PN/A was established by inoculation. A maximum of nitrogen removal rate of 0.12 kg N∙m⁻³∙d⁻¹ was finally achieved. During the stable period, effluent concentrations of total phosphorus and total nitrogen were 0.25 and 10.8 mg∙L⁻¹, respectively. This study suggests EBPR-PN/A process is feasible to enhance nutrients removal from municipal wastewater of low influent carbon source.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Phosphorus removal / Partial nitrification / Anammox / Municipal wastewater

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