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Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery
Published on: January 22, 2015
Nitrite and nitrate as electron acceptors for bioelectrochemical ammonium oxidation under electrostatic field
Anna Joicy1, Young-Chae Song1, Hanchao Yu1
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, 49112, South Korea.
Abstract:
Bioelectrochemical ammonium oxidation with nitrite and nitrate as electron acceptors was investigated in bulk solution exposed to electrostatic field. In a bioelectrochemical reactor, electroactive nitrogen removal bacteria including ammonium oxidizing exoelectrogens (AOE) and denitrifying electrotrophs (DNE) were enriched by electrostatic field of 0.2 V/cm in a bulk solution containing nitrite, nitrate, and ammonium. Ammonium was oxidized simultaneously with decreases in nitrite and nitrate as electron acceptors due to direct interspecies electron transfer between AOE and DNE. The specific ammonium oxidation rate was 48 mg NH4-N/g VSS.d when nitrate fraction was 1/3 in the electron acceptor composed of nitrite and nitrate. The specific ammonium oxidation rate gradually decreased with increasing nitrate fraction. However, it was still 24 mg NH4-N/g VSS.d when nitrate was the only electron acceptor. This indicates that nitrate can be used as an electron acceptor for bioelectrochemical ammonium oxidation, although it is a less effective than nitrite. This finding provides an advantage that strict nitritation which selectively produces nitrite from ammonium can be avoided when treating ammonia-rich wastewater in a bioelectrochemical reactor.
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