ARS | Publication request: Partial nitritation of swine wastewater in view of its coupling with the anammox process

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: May 19, 2011
Publication Date: May 19, 2011
Citation: Magri, A., Vanotti, M.B., Szogi, A.A. 2011. Partial nitritation of swine wastewater in view of its coupling with the anammox process. In: Proceedings of First International Anammox Symposium, May 19-21, 2011, Kumamoto, Japan. p. 9-16.

Technical Abstract: Partial nitritation (PN) of swine wastewater was investigated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) using a high performance nitrifying sludge (HPNS). Characteristics of the wastewater used were low content of biodegradable organic carbon and high alkalinity-to-ammonium ratio. Process temperature was 32°C. Target oxidation of ammonium nitrogen to nitrite nitrogen was 57% (1.32 g nitrite-N per g ammonium-N), which corresponds with the stoichiometry of the anammox reaction. Thus, the effluent of the PN process could be used in the anammox process. This target was successfully achieved just by controlling the inflow rate and corresponding N loading rate (NLR). An average NLR of 1.47 g ammonium-N per liter per day was applied to the PN reactor during a period of 70 days. The nitrite production rate obtained was 0.91 g nitrite-N per liter per day. No nitrate was produced. The treated effluent contained 1.39 g nitrite-N per g ammonium-N, which was within 5% of the target ratio. Under steady state conditions, the pH was shown as a good indicator of the PN process performance. Furthermore, in a second SBR the anammox process was effectively applied to the PN effluent attaining an N conversion rate of 0.36 g N per liter per hour (14.3 mg N per g of volatile suspended solids per hour).