Boosting nitrification with the BABE technology

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Wastewater Treatment Technologies
• Microbial Ecology

Background:

• Growing demand for compact, cost-effective nitrogen removal solutions in wastewater treatment plants.
• Sludge liquor treatment presents challenges due to high ammonia concentrations.
• Existing technologies often lack robustness or scalability for enhanced nitrification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the BABE (Bio Augmentation Batch Enhanced) technology for nitrogen removal.
• To assess the effectiveness of augmenting nitrifying bacteria in a side stream to enhance overall plant capacity.
• To demonstrate the applicability of BABE technology in diverse wastewater treatment scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a patented BABE system for biological treatment of sludge liquor.
• Augmentation of activated sludge in the main process by boosting nitrifying bacteria in a side stream.
• Conducting experiments on a practical scale and supporting with model studies.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated effective and stable operation of the BABE technology at a practical scale.
• Confirmed increased nitrification capacity in wastewater treatment plants utilizing BABE.
• Model studies validated the technology's applicability for introducing, enhancing, and enlarging nitrification/denitrification.

Conclusions:

• The BABE technology offers a novel, robust, and cost-effective approach to enhance nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment.
• The system is versatile, applicable to upgrading existing plants with insufficient or incomplete nitrification, and for enlarging denitrification.
• A full-scale application in the Netherlands is anticipated, highlighting the technology's practical viability.