Enhanced nitrogen removal from pharmaceutical wastewater using SBA-ANAMMOX process
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery
Published on: January 22, 2015
Chong-Jian Tang1, Ping Zheng, Ting-Ting Chen
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China. chjtangzju@yahoo.com.cn
Abstract:
Efficient biological nitrogen removal from pharmaceutical wastewater has been focused recently. The present study dealt with the treatment of colistin sulfate and kitasamycin manufacturing wastewater through anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX). The biotoxicity assay on luminescent bacterium Photobacterium phosphoreum (T3 mutation) showed that the pharmaceutical wastewater imparted severe toxicity with a relative luminosity of 3.46% ± 0.45%. During long-term operation, the cumulative toxicity from toxic pollutants in wastewater resulted in the performance collapse of conventional ANAMMOX process. A novel ANAMMOX process with sequential biocatalyst (ANAMMOX granules) addition (SBA-ANAMMOX process) was developed by combining high-rate ANAMMOX reactor with sequential biocatalyst addition (SBA). At biocatalyst addition rate of 0.025 g VSS (L wastewater)(-1) day(-1), the nitrogen removal rate of the process reached up to 9.4 kg N m(-3) day(-1) in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. The effluent ammonium concentration was lower than 50 mg N L(-1), which met the Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants for Pharmaceutical Industry in China (GB 21903-2008). The application of SBA-ANAMMOX process in refractory ammonium-rich wastewater is promising.
More Related Videos
15:19Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
Published on: October 15, 2015
07:34Biogas Purification through the use of a Microalgae-Bacterial System in Semi-Industrial High Rate Algal Ponds
Published on: March 22, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Biological Treatment of Effluent and Waste Water
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Bioreactor Design and Operational System
Production of Antibiotics
Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium