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A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Anammox-driven advanced nitrogen removal from high-strength ammonia wastewater: Multi-pathway synergism and
Haoran Liang1, Jinjin Liu1, Zhaozhi Wang1
1National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Technology, Engineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, PR China.
Abstract:
The anammox process demonstrates significant potential as an energy-efficient nitrogen removal technology in wastewater treatment. However, its operational strategies and nutrient transformation mechanisms for treating complex high-ammonia wastewater require further investigation. This study developed a continuous-flow anoxic-aerobic integrated fixed-film activated sludge (A/O IFAS) system centered on anammox to treat mature landfill leachate (MLL) with an extremely low BOD5/N ratio (<0.1). By synergistically adjusting the hydraulic retention time to 3 days, sludge reflux ratio to 200% ± 5%, and aerobic zone dissolved oxygen to 1.0 mg/L, the system achieved a total nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) of 98.2 ± 3.5% and an average effluent total nitrogen (TN) of 29.1 ± 4.3 mg/L without external carbon addition. Based on 15N isotope tracing and nitrogen transformation mechanism analysis, this study innovatively evaluated multi-pathway nitrogen removal and synergistic contributions, with anammox as the core pathway contributing 87.7% of TN removal and the aerobic zone as the hotspot achieving 89.4%. The IFAS configuration fostered micro-anoxic niches within the aerobic environment, driving the spatial redistribution of the key anammox bacteriaCandidatus Kueneniafrom floc sludge (0.5%) to biofilm carriers (5.8%). This work provides an efficient, low-energy autotrophic nitrogen removal strategy for high-ammonia, extremely low C/N wastewater and serves as a reliable technical case to advance the engineering application of anammox.
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