Sludge fermentation liquid addition attained advanced nitrogen removal in low C/N ratio municipal wastewater through short-cut nitrification-denitrification and partial anammox

Abstract

• Sludge fermentation liquid addition resulted in a high NAR of 97.4%.

• Extra NH₄⁺-N from SFL was removed by anammox in anoxic phase.

• Nitrogen removal efficiency of 92.51% was achieved in municipal wastewater.

• The novel system could efficiently treat low COD/N municipal wastewater.

Biological nitrogen removal of wastewater with low COD/N ratio could be enhanced by the addition of wasted sludge fermentation liquid (SFL), but the performance is usually limited by the introducing ammonium. In this study, the process of using SFL was successfully improved by involving anammox process. Real municipal wastewater with a low C/N ratio of 2.8–3.4 was treated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The SBR was operated under anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic (AOA) mode and excess SFL was added into the anoxic phase. Stable short-cut nitrification was achieved after 46d and then anammox sludge was inoculated. In the stable period, effluent total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) was less than 4.3 mg/L with removal efficiency of 92.3%. Further analysis suggests that anammox bacteria, mainly affiliated with Candidatus_Kuenenia, successfully reduced the external ammonia from the SFL and contributed approximately 28%–43% to TIN removal. Overall, this study suggests anammox could be combined with SFL addition, resulting in a stable enhanced nitrogen biological removal.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Sludge fermentation liquid / Municipal wastewater / Advanced nitrogen removal / Short-cut nitrification / Partial anammox

References

[1] Cao S, Du R, Li B, Ren N, Peng Y (2016). High-throughput profiling of microbial community structures in an ANAMMOX-UASB reactor treating high-strength wastewater. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 100(14): 6457–6467

[2] Carrère H, Dumas C, Battimelli A, Batstone D, Delgenès J, Steyer J, Ferrer I (2010). Pretreatment methods to improve sludge anaerobic degradability: a review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 183(1–3): 1–15

[3] Chen R, Ji J, Chen Y, Takemura Y, Liu Y, Kubota K, Ma H, Li Y Y (2019). Successful operation performance and syntrophic micro-granule in partial nitritation and anammox reactor treating low-strength ammonia wastewater. Water Research, 155: 288–299

[4] Chen Y, Wen Y, Tang Z, Huang J, Zhou Q, Vymazal J (2015). Effects of plant biomass on bacterial community structure in constructed wetlands used for tertiary wastewater treatment. Ecological Engineering, 84: 38–45

[5] Cui H, Zhang L, Zhang Q, Li X, Peng Y (2019). Stable partial nitrification of domestic sewage achieved through activated sludge on exposure to nitrite. Bioresource Technology, 278: 435–439

[6] de Almeida Fernandes L, Pereira A D, Leal C D, Davenport R, Werner D, Filho C R M, Bressani-Ribeiro T, De Lemos Chernicharo C A, De Araujo J C (2018). Effect of temperature on microbial diversity and nitrogen removal performance of an anammox reactor treating anaerobically pretreated municipal wastewater. Bioresource Technology, 258: 208–219

[7] Degrange V, Bardin R (1995). Detection and counting of Nitrobacter populations in soil by PCR. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 61(6): 2093–2098

[8] Du R, Peng Y, Ji J, Shi L, Gao R, Li X (2019). Partial denitrification providing nitrite: Opportunities of extending application for anammox. Environment International, 131: 105001

[9] Federation W E, Association A P H (2005). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association (APHA)

[10] Fernández N, Sierra-Alvarez R, Field J A, Amils R, Sanz J L ( 2008). Microbial community dynamics in a chemolithotrophic denitrification reactor inoculated with methanogenic granular sludge. Chemosphere, 70(3): 462–474

[11] Geets J, De Cooman M, Wittebolle L, Heylen K, Vanparys B, De Vos P, Verstraete W, Boon N (2007). Real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous quantification of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in activated sludge. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 75(1): 211–221

[12] Guo J, Ni B J, Han X, Chen X, Bond P, Peng Y, Yuan Z (2017). Unraveling microbial structure and diversity of activated sludge in a full-scale simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal plant using metagenomic sequencing. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 102: 16–25

[13] Guo Q, Hu H, Shi Z, Yang C, Li P, Huang M, Ni W M, Shi M L, Jin R C (2016). Towards simultaneously removing nitrogen and sulfur by a novel process: Anammox and autotrophic desulfurization–denitrification (AADD). Chemical Engineering Journal, 297: 207–216

[14] Han X, Zhang S, Yang S, Zhang L, Peng Y (2020). Full-scale partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process for treating sludge dewatering liquor from anaerobic digestion after thermal hydrolysis. Bioresource Technology, 297: 122380

[15] Houtmeyers S, Degrève J, Willems K, Dewil R, Appels L (2014). Comparing the influence of low power ultrasonic and microwave pre-treatments on the solubilisation and semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. Bioresource Technology, 171: 44–49

[16] Hu H, Ma S, Zhang X, Ren H (2020). Characteristics of dissolved organic nitrogen in effluent from a biological nitrogen removal process using sludge alkaline fermentation liquid as an external carbon source. Water Research, 176: 115741

[17] Huang X, Mu T, Shen C, Lu L, Liu J (2016). Alkaline fermentation of waste activated sludge stimulated by saponin: volatile fatty acid production, mechanisms and pilot-scale application. Water Science and Technology, 74(12): 2860–2869

[18] Ji J, Peng Y, Li X, Zhang Q, Liu X (2020). A novel partial nitrification-synchronous anammox and endogenous partial denitrification (PN-SAEPD) process for advanced nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater at ambient temperatures. Water Research, 175: 115690

[19] Ji Z, Chen Y (2010). Using sludge fermentation liquid to improve wastewater short-cut nitrification-denitrification and denitrifying phosphorus removal via nitrite. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(23): 8957–8963

[20] Leal C D, Pereira A D, Nunes F T, Ferreira L O, Coelho A C, Bicalho S K, Mac Conell E F, Ribeiro T B, De Lemos Chernicharo C A, De Araujo J C (2016). Anammox for nitrogen removal from anaerobically pre-treated municipal wastewater: Effect of COD/N ratios on process performance and bacterial community structure. Bioresource Technology, 211: 257–266

[21] Lezcano M Á, Velázquez D, Quesada A, El-Shehawy R (2017). Diversity and temporal shifts of the bacterial community associated with a toxic cyanobacterial bloom: An interplay between microcystin producers and degraders. Water Research, 125: 52–61

[22] Li J, Li J, Gao R, Wang M, Yang L, Wang X, Zhang L, Peng Y (2018). A critical review of one-stage anammox processes for treating industrial wastewater: Optimization strategies based on key functional microorganisms. Bioresource Technology, 265: 498–505

[23] Li J, Li J, Peng Y, Wang S, Zhang L, Yang S, Li S (2020). Insight into the impacts of organics on anammox and their potential linking to system performance of sewage partial nitrification-anammox (PN/A): A critical review. Bioresource Technology, 300: 122655

[24] Li J, Peng Y, Zhang L, Liu J, Wang X, Gao R, Pang L, Zhou Y (2019a). Quantify the contribution of anammox for enhanced nitrogen removal through metagenomic analysis and mass balance in an anoxic moving bed biofilm reactor. Water Research, 160: 178–187

[25] Li J, Zhang L, Liu J, Lin J, Peng Y (2019b). Hydroxylamine addition and real-time aeration control in sewage nitritation system for reduced start-up period and improved process stability. Bioresource Technology, 294: 122183

[26] Li X, Chen H, Hu L, Yu L, Chen Y, Gu G (2011). Pilot-scale waste activated sludge alkaline fermentation, fermentation liquid separation, and application of fermentation liquid to improve biological nutrient removal. Environmental Science & Technology, 45(5): 1834–1839

[27] Liu G, Xu X, Zhu L, Xing S, Chen J (2013). Biological nutrient removal in a continuous anaerobic–aerobic–anoxic process treating synthetic domestic wastewater. Chemical Engineering Journal, 225: 223–229

[28] Liu J, Yuan Y, Li B, Zhang Q, Wu L, Li X, Peng Y (2017). Enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater in an anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic sequencing batch reactor with sludge fermentation products as carbon source. Bioresource Technology, 244: 1158–1165

[29] Ma J, Wang Z, He D, Li Y, Wu Z (2015). Long-term investigation of a novel electrochemical membrane bioreactor for low-strength municipal wastewater treatment. Water Research, 78: 98–110

[30] Oshiki M, Satoh H, Okabe S (2016). Ecology and physiology of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria. Environmental Microbiology, 18(9): 2784–2796

[31] Peng Y, Zhang L, Zhang S, Gan Y, Wu C (2012). Enhanced nitrogen removal from sludge dewatering liquor by simultaneous primary sludge fermentation and nitrate reduction in batch and continuous reactors. Bioresource Technology, 104: 144–149

[32] Purkhold U, Pommerening-Röser A, Juretschko S, Schmid M C, Koops H P, Wagner M (2000). Phylogeny of all recognized species of ammonia oxidizers based on comparative 16S rRNA and amoA sequence analysis: implications for molecular diversity surveys. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 66(12): 5368–5382

[33] Qu J,Wang H, Wang K, Yu G, Ke B, Yu H Q, Ren H, Zheng X, Li J, Li W W, Gao S, Gong H (2019). Municipal wastewater treatment in China: Development history and future perspectives. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 13(6): 88

[34] Schmid M C, Maas B, Dapena A, Van De Pas-Schoonen K, Van De Vossenberg J, Kartal B, Van Niftrik L, Schmidt I, Cirpus I, Kuenen J G, Wagner M, Sinninghe Damsté J S, Kuypers M, Revsbech N P, Mendez R, Jetten M S M, Strous M (2005). Biomarkers for in situ detection of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71(4): 1677–1684

[35] Wang S, Wang Y, Feng X, Zhai L, Zhu G (2011). Quantitative analyses of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea and bacteria in the sediments of four nitrogen-rich wetlands in China. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 90(2): 779–787

[36] Yang Q, Peng Y, Liu X, Zeng W, Mino T, Satoh H (2007). Nitrogen removal via nitrite from municipal wastewater at low temperatures using real-time control to optimize nitrifying communities. Environmental Science & Technology, 41(23): 8159–8164

[37] Yang Q, Xiong P, Ding P, Chu L, Wang J (2015). Treatment of petrochemical wastewater by microaerobic hydrolysis and anoxic/oxic processes and analysis of bacterial diversity. Bioresource Technology, 196: 169–175

[38] Yang Y, Zhang L, Cheng J, Zhang S, Li X, Peng Y (2018). Microbial community evolution in partial nitritation/anammox process: from sidestream to mainstream. Bioresource Technology, 251: 327–333

[39] Yuan Y, Liu J, Ma B, Liu Y, Wang B, Peng Y (2016). Improving municipal wastewater nitrogen and phosphorous removal by feeding sludge fermentation products to sequencing batch reactor (SBR). Bioresource Technology, 222: 326–334

[40] Yuan Y, Wang S, Liu Y, Li B, Wang B, Peng Y (2015). Long-term effect of pH on short-chain fatty acids accumulation and microbial community in sludge fermentation systems. Bioresource Technology, 197: 56–63

[41] Zhang B, Xu X, Zhu L (2017). Structure and function of the microbial consortia of activated sludge in typical municipal wastewater treatment plants in winter. Scientific Reports, 7(1):17930

[42] Zhang C, Chen Y (2009). Simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus recovery from sludge-fermentation liquid mixture and application of the fermentation liquid to enhance municipal wastewater biological nutrient removal. Environmental Science & Technology, 43(16): 6164–6170

[43] Zhang J, Zhang L, Miao Y, Sun Y, Zhang Q, Wu L, Peng Y (2019). Enhancing sewage nitrogen removal via anammox and endogenous denitrification: Significance of anaerobic/oxic/anoxic operation mode. Bioresource Technology, 289: 121665

[44] Zheng B, Zhang L, Guo J, Zhang S, Yang A, Peng Y (2016). Suspended sludge and biofilm shaped different anammox communities in two pilot-scale one-stage anammox reactors. Bioresource Technology, 211: 273–279

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press