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Handbook of Water and Used Water Purification pp 1–39Cite as

Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorous Removal, Basics and Overview of Technical Applications

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Abstract

Used water consists largely of organic carbon, either as a solution or particulate matter. Apart from organic compounds, nitrogen and phosphorus also number among the main used water constituents. The overall objective of biological treatment is to reduce these dissolved and particulate biodegradable constituents to an extent that prevents them from inducing a further deterioration in the receiving waters and its communities. This biological treatment is carried out by different groups of microorganisms, but it is bacteria that are primarily responsible for the conversion processes, and depending upon how the biomass exists in the reactor, biological treatment can be divided into suspended and attached growth. Hybrid processes represent a new chapter in biological used water treatment and combine the benefits of both suspended and attached growth processes. Three different types of biochemical processes can occur as used water is treated: carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal. In order to remove these pollutants, various reactor’s configuration and combination of anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic conditions are required. This chapter deals with these conversion processes and basic removal mechanisms, and process schemes and treatment methods are also described.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Technology, Novi Sad University, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Bogdanka Radetic

  2. Civil Engineering and Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria

    Bogdanka Radetic

  3. WABAG Wassertechnik AG, Winterthur, Switzerland

    Claudio Lehmann

  4. Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Claudio Lehmann

Authors
  1. Bogdanka Radetic
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  2. Claudio Lehmann
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bogdanka Radetic or Claudio Lehmann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Director Technology, Research & Developm, VA TECH WABAG GmbH Director Technology, Research & Developm, Vienna, Wien, Austria

    Josef Lahnsteiner

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Radetic, B., Lehmann, C. (2018). Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorous Removal, Basics and Overview of Technical Applications. In: Lahnsteiner, J. (eds) Handbook of Water and Used Water Purification. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66382-1_93-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66382-1_93-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-66382-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-66382-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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