Skip to main content
Log in

Nitrogen Removal and N2O Emission During Low Carbon Wastewater Treatment Using the Multiple A/O Process

  • Published:
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

With the organic carbon of acetate (SBR-A) and propionate (SBR-P), the effect of organic carbon sources on nitrogen removal and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission in the multiple anoxic and aerobic process was investigated. The nitrogen removal percentages in SBR-A and SBR-P reactor were both 72%, and the phosphate removal percentages were 97 and 85.4%, respectively. During nitrification, both the NH4 +-N oxidation rate in the SBR-A and SBR-P had a small change without the influence of the addition of nitrite nitrogen (NO2 -N). With the addition of 10 mg/L NO2 -N, the nitrate nitrogen (NO3 -N) production rate, N2O accumulation rate and emission factor had increased. At the same time, the N2O emission factor of SBR-A and SBR-P reactors increased from 2.13 and 0.87% to 4.66 and 2.08%, respectively. During exogenous denitrification, when nitrite was used as electron acceptor, the N2O emission factors were 34.1 and 8.6 times more than those of NO3 -N as electron acceptor in SBR-A and SBR-P. During endogenous denitrification with NO2 -N as electron acceptor, the accumulation rate and emission factor of N2O were higher than those of NO3 -N as electron acceptor. High-throughput sequencing test showed that the dominant bacteria were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes in both reactors at the phylum level, while the main denitrification functional bacteria were Thauera sp., Zoogloea sp. and Dechloromonas sp. at the genus level.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adouani, N., Lendormi, T., Limousy, L., & Sire, O. (2010). Effect of the carbon source on N2O emissions during biological denitrification. Resour Conserv Recy, 54, 299–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahn, J., Schroeder, S., Beer, M., McIlroy, S., Bayly, R. C., May, J. W., Vasiliadis, G., & Seviour, R. J. (2007). Ecology of the microbial community removing phosphate from wastewater under continuously aerobic conditions in a sequencing batch reactor. Appl Environ Microb, 73, 2257–2270.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • APHA. (1995). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. Washington DC: American Public Health Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellini, M. I., Gutierrez, L., Tarlera, S., & Scavino, A. F. (2013). Isolation and functional analysis of denitrifiers in an aquifer with high potential for denitrification. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 36, 505–516.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beun, J. J., Dircks, K., Van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., & Heijnen, J. J. (2002). Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate metabolism in dynamically fed mixed microbial cultures. Water Research, 36, 1167–1180.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blackburne, R., Yuan, Z. Q., & Keller, J. (2008). Demonstration of nitrogen removal via nitrite in a sequencing batch reactor treating domestic wastewater. Water Research, 42, 2166–2176.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bournazou, M. N. C., Hooshiar, K., Arellano-Garcia, H., Wozny, G., & Lyberatos, G. (2013). Model based optimization of the intermittent aeration profile for SBRs under partial nitrification. Water Research, 47, 3399–3410.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foley, J., de Haas, D., Yuan, Z. G., & Lant, P. (2010). Nitrous oxide generation in full-scale biological nutrient removal wastewater treatment plants. Water Research, 44, 831–844.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hellinga, C., Schellen, A. A. J. C., Mulder, J. W., van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., & Heijnen, J. J. (1998). The SHARON process: an innovative method for nitrogen removal from ammonium-rich waste water. Water Science and Technology, 37, 135–142.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, Z., Zhang, J., Li, S. P., & Xie, H. J. (2013). Impact of carbon source on nitrous oxide emission from anoxic/oxic biological nitrogen removal process and identification of its emission sources. Environemental Science and Pollution Research, 20, 1059–1069.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, Z. H., Gedalanga, P. B., & Olson, B. H. (2010). Distribution of nitrobacteria and nitrospira communities in an aerobic activated sludge bioreactor and their contributions to nitrite oxidation, proceedings of the water environment federation (pp. 2390–2403). Alexandria: Water Environment Federation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. M., Graf, D. R. H., Bru, D., Philippot, L., & Hallin, S. (2013). The unaccounted yet abundant nitrous oxide-reducing microbial community: a potential nitrous oxide sink. The ISME Journal, 7, 417–426.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kampschreur, M. J., Temmink, H., Kleerebezem, R., Jetten, M. S. M., & van Loosdrecht, M. C. M. (2009). Nitrous oxide emission during wastewater treatment. Water Research, 43, 4093–4103.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X. H., Yang, Q., Wu, C. Y., Peng, Y. Z., & Zhou, L. (2006). N2O emissions from different biological nitrogen removal processes and factors affecting N2O production. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 26, 1940–1947.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smolders, G. J. F., Vandermeij, J., Vanloosdrecht, M. C. M., & Heijnen, J. J. (1994). Model of the anaerobic metabolism of the biological phosphorus removal process—stoichiometry and Ph influence. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 43, 461–470.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tokutomi, T. (2004). Operation of a nitrite-type airlift reactor at low DO concentration. Water Science and Technology, 49, 81–88.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. Y., Geng, J. J., Guo, G., Wang, C., & Liu, S. H. (2011). N2O production in anaerobic/anoxic denitrifying phosphorus removal process: the effects of carbon sources shock. Chemical Engineering Journal, 172, 999–1007.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xing, L. Z., Ou, L. Y., Kong, J., Wang, N., & Wu, G. X. (2016). Effect of carbon source on denitrification performance and N2O emission in a low oxygen multistage AO process. Technology of Water Treatment, 42, 36–42.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yarbrough, J. M., Rake, J. B., & Eagon, R. G. (1980). Bacterial inhibitory effects of nitrite - inhibition of active-transport, but not of group translocation, and of intracellular enzymes. Appl Environ Microb, 39, 831–834.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng, W., Li, L., Yang, Y. Y., Wang, S. Y., & Peng, Y. Z. (2010). Nitritation and denitritation of domestic wastewater using a continuous anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic (A(2)O) process at ambient temperatures. Bioresource Technology, 101, 8074–8082.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, N., Li, C., Xie, H., & Zhang, J. (2014). The mechanism of effect on N2O production of carbon source types in denitrifying phosphorus removal process. Journal of Shandong University (Engineering Science), 44, 72–77.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, M. S., Tian, Y. H., Liu, T., Ma, T., Li, L., Li, C., Ahmad, M., Chen, Q., & Ni, J. R. (2015). Minimization of nitrous oxide emission in a pilot-scale oxidation ditch: generation, spatial variation and microbial interpretation. Bioresource Technology, 179, 510–517.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, X. Y., & Chen, Y. G. (2011). Reduction of N2O and NO generation in anaerobic-aerobic (low dissolved oxygen) biological wastewater treatment process by using sludge alkaline fermentation liquid. Environmental Science & Technology, 45, 2137–2143.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Fundamental Research Project on Knowledge Innovation of Shenzhen R & D Fund (No. JCYJ20150331151358156).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guangxue Wu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xing, L., Ou, L., Zhang, Y. et al. Nitrogen Removal and N2O Emission During Low Carbon Wastewater Treatment Using the Multiple A/O Process. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 367 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3446-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3446-x

Keywords

Navigation