Comparison of Simultaneous Nitrification and Denitrification for Three Different Reactors.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Water Treatment

Background:

• Ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N) discharge into water bodies poses significant environmental risks.
• Effective wastewater treatment is crucial for maintaining water quality and ecological balance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficiency of three different reactors in removing NH4-N from wastewater.
• To identify the optimal reactor configuration for high nitrogen removal.

Main Methods:

• Performance assessment of three reactors: entrapped sludge reactor (ESR), suspended sludge reactor (SSR), and mixed sludge reactor (MSR).
• Utilizing intermittent aeration to facilitate simultaneous nitrification and denitrification.
• Evaluating nitrogen removal efficiency and effluent quality.

Main Results:

• The ESR achieved a superior nitrogen removal efficiency of 98.3%.
• ESR demonstrated efficient internal carbon consumption for denitrification.
• SSR and MSR showed significantly lower removal efficiencies (64.7% and 45.1%, respectively) due to incomplete denitrification.

Conclusions:

• Entrapped sludge reactor (ESR) is highly effective for NH4-N removal from wastewater.
• Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification with internal carbon utilization is key to high treatment efficiency.
• Wastewater treatment strategies must ensure sufficient organic carbon for complete denitrification.