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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Estimating Sediment Denitrification Rates Using Cores and N2O Microsensors
Published on: December 6, 2018
Achieving complete nitrogen removal by coupling nitritation-anammox and methane-dependent denitrification: A
Xueming Chen1, Jianhua Guo1, Guo-Jun Xie1
1Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
Denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) coupled with Anammox processes achieve over 99% total nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment. This study models optimal conditions for efficient nitrogen removal using methane, showcasing a promising single-stage reactor design.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Wastewater Treatment Engineering
- Biogeochemical Cycles
Background:
- Denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) offers a pathway for complete nitrogen removal by utilizing on-site methane.
- Coupling DAMO with nitritation-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) presents an advanced wastewater treatment strategy.
- Membrane biofilm reactors (MBfRs) are suitable for housing the complex microbial communities involved.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms and operational window for efficient nitrogen removal using a coupled Anammox-DAMO system in MBfRs.
- To model microbial interactions and evaluate the impact of key process parameters on total nitrogen (TN) removal.
- To assess the feasibility of a single-stage MBfR for complete nitrogen removal by integrating nitritation, Anammox, and DAMO processes.
Main Methods:
- Development and validation of a mathematical model describing microbial interactions (Anammox bacteria, DAMO archaea, DAMO bacteria).
- Simulation of MBfR performance under varying conditions: NO2(-)/NH4(+) ratio, methane supply, biofilm thickness, and TN surface loading.
- Integration of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) models to simulate a single-stage nitritation-Anammox-DAMO process.
Main Results:
- The model accurately predicted experimental data, confirming its validity for evaluating system performance.
- Optimal NO2(-)/NH4(+) ratio for maximum TN removal (>99.0%) was determined to be around 1.0, independent of TN loading.
- Methane supply requirements increased with TN loading, while methane utilization efficiency decreased; microbial cooperation was key to TN removal.
- Maximum TN removal was achieved at a dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of approximately 0.17 g m⁻³ in the simulated single-stage system.
Conclusions:
- The coupled Anammox-DAMO system in MBfRs demonstrates high efficiency for complete nitrogen removal from wastewater.
- Optimizing the NO2(-)/NH4(+) ratio and methane supply is crucial for maximizing treatment performance.
- A single-stage MBfR integrating nitritation, Anammox, and DAMO is a feasible and promising technology for advanced wastewater treatment.
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