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Methanation and chemolitrophic nitrogen removal by an anaerobic membrane bioreactor coupled partial nitrification and Anammox

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Abstract

An AnMBR-PN/A system was developed for mainstream sewage treatment. To verify the efficient methanation and subsequent chemolitrophic nitrogen removal, a long-term experiment and analysis of microbial activity were carried out. AnMBR performance was less affected by the change of hydraulic retention time (HRT), which could provide a stable influent for subsequent PN/A units. The COD removal efficiency of AnMBR was > 93% during the experiment, 85.5% of COD could be recovered in form of CH4. With the HRT of PN/A being shortened from 10 to 6 h, nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) of PN/A increased from 60.5% to 80.4%, but decreased to 68.8% when the HRTPN/A further decreased to 4 h. Microbial analysis revealed that the highest specific ammonia oxidation activity (SAOA) and the ratio of SAOA to specific nitrate oxidation activity (SNOA) provide stable NO2−-N/NH4+-N for anammox, and anammox bacteria (mainly identified as Candidatus Brocadia) enriched at the bottom of Anammox-UASB might play an important role in nitrogen removal. In addition, the decrease of COD in Anammox-UASB indicated partial denitrification occurred, which jointly promoted nitrogen removal with anammox.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52070148 and 52270049), the Shaanxi Provincial Key Program for Science and Technology Development (China) (No.2022KWZ-25), and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (No. P20794).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, 710055, China

    Qian Li, Zhaoyang Hou, Xingyuan Huang, Shuming Yang, Jinfan Zhang, Jingwei Fu & Rong Chen

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan

    Yu-You Li

  3. International S&T Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology (Ministry of Education), Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, 710055, China

    Qian Li & Rong Chen

Authors
  1. Qian Li
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  2. Zhaoyang Hou
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  3. Xingyuan Huang
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  4. Shuming Yang
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  5. Jinfan Zhang
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  6. Jingwei Fu
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  7. Yu-You Li
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  8. Rong Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rong Chen.

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Highlights

• Efficient carbon methanation and nitrogen removal was achieved in AnMBR-PN/A system.

• AOB outcompeted NOB in PN section by limiting aeration and shortening SRT.

• The moderate residual organic matter of PN section triggered PD in anammox unit.

• AnAOB located at the bottom of UASB played an important role in nitrogen removal.

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Li, Q., Hou, Z., Huang, X. et al. Methanation and chemolitrophic nitrogen removal by an anaerobic membrane bioreactor coupled partial nitrification and Anammox. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 17, 68 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-023-1668-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-023-1668-2

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