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

Abstract

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.

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-A ₂NSBR system

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