[Nitrogen removal performance of ANAMMOX ABR process in tannery wastewater treatment]

Anaerobic ammonium-N removal from tannery wastewater was investigated using a lab-scale anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR). The results indicated that ABR could be used as a good anaerobic ammonium oxidation reactor, the stable and effective performance of ammonium-N and COD removal from tannery wastewater was demonstrated in the ANAMMOX ABR. When the NH4(+) -N concentration of the influents were in the range of 25.0 mg x L(-1) to 76.2 mg x L(-1) and COD ranged from 131 mg x L(-1) to 237 mg x L(-1), under the volumetric loading of 0.05 kg x (m3 x d)(-1) to 0.15 kg x (m3 x d)(-1), the NH4(+)-N and COD of the effluents were from 0.20 mg x L(-1) to 7.12 mg x L(-1) and from 35.1 mg x L(-1) to 69.2 mg x L(-1), respectively, and the removal efficiency of NH4(+) -N and COD were 90.8% to 99.6% and 66.9% to 74.7%, respectively. In addition, the brown-red, brown-yellow, red granular sludges were developed in ABR. SEM observation confirmed the presence of ANAMMOX bacteria in granular sludge of all four compartments of ANAMMOX ABR. According to FISH results, ANAMMOX bacteria had grown in all four compartments to various degrees during the acclimatization and running process, the percentage of ANAMMOX bacteria in sludge increased from 4% to 9%, 8%, 12% and 30% in compartment 1, compartment 2, compartment 3 and compartment 4, respectively, and a higher population percentage of ANAMMOX bacteria existed in the rear than in the front compartments.