Abstract
High-rate biological conversion of sulfide and nitrate in synthetic wastewater to, respectively, elemental sulfur (S0) and nitrogen-containing gas (such as N2) was achieved in an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor. A novel strategy was adopted to first cultivate mature granules using anaerobic sludge as seed sludge in sulfate-laden medium. The cultivated granules were then incubated in sulfide-laden medium to acclimate autotrophic denitrifiers. The incubated granules converted sulfide, nitrate, and acetate simultaneously in the same EGSB reactor to S0, N-containing gases and CO2 at loading rates of 3.0 kg S m−3 d−1, 1.45 kg N m−3 d−1, and 2.77 kg Ac m−1 d−1, respectively, and was not inhibited by sulfide concentrations up to 800 mg l−1. Effects of the C/N ratio on granule performance were identified. The granules cultivated in the sulfide-laden medium have Pseudomonas spp. and Azoarcus sp. presenting the heterotrophs and autotrophs that co-work in the high-rate EGSB-SDD (simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification) reactor.
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This work was supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 50638020) and Ministry of Education of China (Development of Simutaneous desulfurization and denitrification process and the control strategy for high strength wastewater, New Century Distinguished young Scientist Supporting Plan).
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Chen, C., Ren, N., Wang, A. et al. Simultaneous biological removal of sulfur, nitrogen and carbon using EGSB reactor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 78, 1057–1063 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-008-1396-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-008-1396-3