Enzhe Yang, Jing Chen, Ke Liu, Jianhong Jiang, Hong Wang, Sha Wu, Lixiu Shi, Jingyi Jiang, Eli Hendrik Sanjaya, Hong Chen
Current research focuses on efficient single-stage nitrogen removal from organic matter wastewater using the partial nitritation-anammox (PNA) process. In this study, we constructed a single-stage partial nitritation-anammox and denitrification (SPNAD) system using a dissolved oxygen-differentiated airlift internal circulation reactor. The system was operated continuously for 364 days at 250 mg/L NH4+–N. During the operation, the COD/NH4+–N ratio (C/N) was increased from 0.5 to 4 (0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4), and the aeration rate (AR) gradually increased. The results showed that the SPNAD system maintained efficient and stable operation at C/N = 1–2 and AR = 1.4–1.6 L/min, with an average total nitrogen removal efficiency of 87.2%. The removal pathways of pollutants in the system and the interactions between microbes were revealed by analyzing the changes in sludge characteristics and microbial community structure at different phases. As the influent C/N increased, the relative abundance of Nitrosomonas and Candidatus Brocadia decreased, and that of denitrifying bacteria, such as Denitratisoma, increased to 44%. The nitrogen removal pathway of the system gradually changed from autotrophic nitrogen removal to nitrification-denitrification. At the optimum C/N, the SPNAD system synergistically removed nitrogen through PNA and nitrification-denitrification. Overall, the unique reactor configuration facilitated the formation of dissolved oxygen compartments, providing a suitable environment for different microbes. An appropriate organic matter concentration maintained the dynamic stability of microbial growth and interactions. These enhance microbial synergy and enable efficient single-stage nitrogen removal. © 2023
School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha, 410114, China; Key Laboratory of Dongting Lake Aquatic Eco-Environmental Control and Restoration of Hunan Province, Changsha, 410114, China; China Machinery International Engineering Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd, Changsha, 410007, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Chemistry Department, Universitas Negeri Malang, 65145, Indonesia