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Kinetics of nitrogen removal from sanitary landfill leachate

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Abstract

Leachates from municipal landfill ‘Lublinek‘ in Lodz city (Poland) were treated in two-sludge sequence batch reactor systems (type ND). The external carbon source—sodium acetate was used in denitrification. Two versions were tested—with and without supernatant recirculation from D-SBR to N-SBR. The 99% removal of inorganic nitrogen compounds was achieved in both versions. Due to recirculation, the buffering (by means of sodium bicarbonate) was not necessary. Kinetic models for nitrification and denitrification processes were proposed. Kinetic parameters of the models were estimated by the optimization method. The experimental results of both nitrification steps (oxidation of ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates) were best fitted with the interactive limitation model of nitrogen compounds and oxygen. The denitrification process was limited only by the concentration of nitrogen compounds.

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Abbreviations

AC:

Activated sludge

BOD:

Biological oxygen demand

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

CSTR:

Continuous stirred tank reactor

DF:

Down flow

D-SBR:

Denitrification sequence batch reactor

MLVSS:

Mixed liquor volatile suspended solids

N-SBR:

Nitrification sequence batch reactor

RBC:

Rotating bed contactor

SBR:

Sequence batch reactor

UASB:

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket

UF:

Up flow

c :

concentration (mg dm−3)

c*:

equilibrium concentration (mg dm−3)

K I :

inhibition coefficient (mg dm−3)

k L a :

oxygen volumetric mass transfer coefficient in the liquid phase (h−1)

K S :

saturation coefficient (mg dm−3)

r :

substrate utilization rate (mg N dm−3 day−1)

X :

biomass concentration (gMLVSS dm−3)

Y :

yield coefficient (–)

ν:

substrate utilization rate (mg gMLVSS−1 dm−3 day−1)

νmax :

maximum substrate utilization rate (mg gMLVSS−1 dm−3 day−1)

0:

initial value

A:

autotrophic biomass

H:

heterotrophic biomass

MLVSS:

mixed liquor volatile suspended solids

NH3/NO2 :

ammonia inhibition to nitrites utilization

N-NH:

the sum of ammonia and ammonium ion

N-NH3 :

ammonia

N-NH +4 :

ammonium ion

N-HNO2 :

nitrous acid

N-NO2 :

the sum of nitrites and nitrous acid

N-NO −2 :

nitrite

N-NO −3 :

nitrate

O2 :

oxygen

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Acknowledgments

Authors wish to thank Dr. Marcin Bizukojć for making the program Easyfit available.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Lodz, ul. Wolczanska 213, 93 005, Lodz, Poland

    Katarzyna Kaczorek & Stanisław Ledakowicz

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  1. Katarzyna Kaczorek
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  2. Stanisław Ledakowicz
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Correspondence to Katarzyna Kaczorek.

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Kaczorek, K., Ledakowicz, S. Kinetics of nitrogen removal from sanitary landfill leachate. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 29, 291–304 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-006-0078-8

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