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Advanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater via simultaneous enhanced biological phosphorus removal and semi-nitritation (EBPR-SN) combined with anammox

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Abstract

In this study, a novel laboratory-scale synchronous enhanced biological phosphorus removal and semi-nitritation (termed as EBPR-SN) combined with anammox process was put forward for achieving nutrient elimination from municipal wastewater at 27 ℃. This process consisted of two 10 L sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), i.e. EBPR-SN SBR followed by Anammox SBR. The EBPR-SN SBR was operated for 400 days with five periods and the Anammox SBR was operated starting on period IV. Eventually, for treating municipal wastewater containing low chemical oxygen demand/nitrogen (COD/N) of 3.2 (mg/mg), the EBPR-SN plus Anammox system performed advanced total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and P removal, with TIN and P removal efficiencies of 81.4% and 94.3%, respectively. Further analysis suggested that the contributions of simultaneous partial nitrification denitrification, denitrification, and anammox to TIN removal were 15.0%, 45.0%, and 40.0%, respectively. The enriched phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) in the EBPR-SN SBR facilitated P removal. Besides, the EBPR-SN SBR achieved P removal and provided stable anammox substrates, suggesting a short sludge retention time (SRT 12 d) could achieve synergy between ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and PAOs. These results provided an alternative process for treating municipal wastewater with limited organics.

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Abbreviations

AOB:

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria

C/N:

Carbon/nitrogen

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

DN:

Denitrification

DO:

Dissolved oxygen

EBPR-SN:

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal and semi-nitritation

FNA:

Free nitrite acid

GAOs:

Glycogen-accumulating organisms

Gly:

Glycogen

MLSS:

Mixed liquor suspended solids

N:

Nitrogen

NAR:

Nitrite accumulation ratio

NOB:

Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria

OHO:

Ordinary heterotrophic organisms

P:

Phosphorus

PAOs:

Phosphorus-accumulating organisms

PHAs:

Polyhydroxyalkanoates

PHB:

Poly-b-hydroxybutyrate

PHV:

Poly-b-hydroxyvalerate

PRA:

Phosphorus release amount

PUA:

Phosphorus uptake amount

SBR:

Sequencing batch reactor

SPND:

Simultaneous partial nitrification denitrification

SRT:

Sludge retention time

TIN:

Total inorganic nitrogen

WWTP:

Wastewater treatment plants

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC0401103), National Natural Science Foundation of China (21806006), Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Project (D171100001017002), and the Funding Projects of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Municipal Wastewater Treatment and Reuse TechnologyEngineering Research Center of Beijing, Beijing University of Technology, No.100, Ping Le Yuan, Chao Yang District, Beijing, 100124, China

    Chuansheng Yuan, Yongzhen Peng, Jiantao Ji, Bo Wang, Xiyao Li & Qiong Zhang

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  1. Chuansheng Yuan
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Correspondence to Yongzhen Peng.

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Yuan, C., Peng, Y., Ji, J. et al. Advanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater via simultaneous enhanced biological phosphorus removal and semi-nitritation (EBPR-SN) combined with anammox. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 43, 2039–2052 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-020-02392-8

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