Optimization of denitrifying phosphorus removal in a pre-denitrification anaerobic/anoxic/post-aeration+ nitrification sequence batch reactor (pre-A₂NSBR) system: Nitrate recycling, carbon/nitrogen ratio and carbon source type

Highlights

A novel two sludge pre-A₂NSBR system was developed.

Advanced N and P removal was optimized to treat real domestic wastewater.

Nitrifiers and PAOs were enriched with 19.41% and 26.48%, respectively.

Acetate was demonstrated as the high-quality carbon source type.

Abstract

Because the efficiency of biological nutrient removal is always limited by the deficient carbon source for the low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio in real domestic sewage, the denitrifying phosphorus removal (DNPR) was developed as a simple and efficient method to remove nitrogen and phosphorous. In addition, this method has the advantage of saving aeration energy while reducing the sludge production. In this context, a pre-denitrification anaerobic/anoxic/post-aeration+ nitrification sequence batch reactor (pre-A₂NSBR) system, which could also reduce high ammonia effluent concentration in the traditional two-sludge DNPR process, is proposed in this work. The pre-A₂NSBR process was mainly composed of a DNPR SBR and a nitrifying SBR, operating as alternating anaerobic/anoxic/post-aeration+ nitrification sequence. Herein, the long-term performance of different nitrate recycling ratios (0–300%) and C/N ratios (2.5–8.8), carbon source type, and functional microbial community were studied. The results showed that the removal efficiency of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN, including NH₄⁺-N, NO₂⁻ -N, and NO₃⁻ -N) gradually increased with the nitrate recycling ratios, and the system reached the highest DNPR efficiency of 94.45% at the nitrate recycling ratio of 300%. The optimum C/N ratio was around 3.9–7.3 with a nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency of 80.15% and 93.57%, respectively. The acetate was proved to be a high-quality carbon source for DNPR process. The results of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis indicated that nitrifiers and phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) were accumulated with a proportion of 19.41% and 26.48%, respectively.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Denitrifying phosphorus removal / C/N ratio / Nitrate recycling / Carbon source type / Biological nutrient removal / Pre-A₂NSBR system

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Acknowledgements

The research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51578014), we also acknowledge the 111 Project (D16003) and the Funding Projects Beijing of Municipal Commission of Education.

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