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Aerobic/anoxic post-treatment of anaerobically digested sewage sludge as an alternative to biological nitrogen removal from reject water

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Abstract

Stabilisation and biological nitrogen removal (BNR) of anaerobically digested sewage sludge were studied in a post-aeration reactor at pilot scale working under alternating anoxic-aerobic conditions. Digested sludge came from a two-stage anaerobic digestion (thermophilic + mesophilic). The best post-aerator performance was achieved when working at an HRT of 10 days (4 days aerobic; dissolved oxygen of 1.8 mg L−1) and VS content in the feed no lower than 6.7 g L−1. Free ammonia concentration values in the effluent above 1.5 mg N L−1 (around 150 mg NH4 +-N L−1 at pH 7) were necessary to promote the BNR over nitrite. Removal efficiencies up to 80 % NH4 +-N, 50–55 % total nitrogen and 15–20 % VS were recorded in this study, with no external addition of chemicals. A nitrogen mass balance revealed that the high percent of NH4 +-N assimilated in heterotrophic growth was counteracted with that released in ammonification and fermentation, leading to a NH4 +-N removal mainly related to biological nitritation/denitritation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the financial support from AQUALIA and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (NOVEDAR_Consolider CDS2007-00055).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Engineering Unit, CEIT and Tecnun (University of Navarra), Manuel de Lardizabal 15, 20018, San Sebastián, Spain

    Mikel Morras & J. L. García-Heras

  2. Facultat Física i Química, Departament d’Enginyeria Química, UB (University of Barcelona), Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Dosta

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  1. Mikel Morras
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  2. J. Dosta
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  3. J. L. García-Heras
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Correspondence to Mikel Morras.

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Morras, M., Dosta, J. & García-Heras, J.L. Aerobic/anoxic post-treatment of anaerobically digested sewage sludge as an alternative to biological nitrogen removal from reject water. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 38, 823–831 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-014-1325-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-014-1325-z

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