Research on combining partial nitrification - denitrification process with granular biomass materials for application in ammonium-rich wastewater treatment

Abstract

The process of partial nitrification combined with denitrification using granular biomass materials was studied to evaluate the ability to treat ammonium-rich wastewater. First, acclimation of activated sludge was performed to promote the growth of ammonium-oxidising microorganisms. Next, to evaluate the treatment efficiency of the partial nitrification process after the microorganisms have adapted, the suspended activated sludge biotechnology with intermittent aeration was performed. Finally, the process of treating ammonium-rich wastewater by combining the partial nitrification - denitrification process with granular biomass was carried out. The obtained results showed that in the adaptation phase, the nitrate accumulation rate (NAR) is up to 95.32%, and the treatment efficiency of substances is relatively high when using suspended activated sludge and granular biomass material. The treatment efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH4+ (ammonium) in the two stages was 98.04 and 92.04%, respectively, for activated sludge; 97.53 and 93.22%, respectively, for granular biomass. The results exhibited that the combination of partial nitrification - denitrification process using granular biomass materials has great potential for treating ammonium-rich wastewater.