RESUMO
We used polylactic acid (PLA) and starch to develop a slow-release carbon source and biofilm carrier by blending and fusing techniques for removing nitrate contamination from groundwater, investigated the changes of nitrate, nitrite concentrations and COD in denitrification process supplied by the slow-release carbon source in different mass ratios [PLA/starch (P: S) were 8:2, 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, respectively]. The experimental results demonstrated that the best mass ratio of PLA/starch was 5:5, resulting in a nitrate removal rate of more than 99%. A high denitrification performance was achieved in continuous fixed-bed reactor, the effluent nitrate concentration was below 2 mg x L(-1). These experiments provide scientific basis for the development of environmentally-friendly and controllable slow-release carbon source.