What is the Best Biological Process for Nitrogen Removal: When and Why?

Many different aerobic and anaerobic biological processes and treatment schemes are available for transforming organics and/or removing nitrogen from domestic wastewaters. Significant reductions in oxygen requirements and absence of a need for organics for nitrogen reduction are often indicated as advantageous for using the newer anammox organism approach for nitrogen removal rather than the traditional nitrification/denitrification method, the most common one in use today. However, treatment schemes differ, and there are some in which such suggested advantages may not hold. When nitrification/denitrification is used, an anoxic tank is now commonly used first and the nitrate formed by nitrification later is recycled back to that tank for oxidation of wastewater organics. This greatly reduces oxygen requirements and the need for adding organics. So when are such claims correct and when not? What factors in wastewater composition, regulatory requirements, and treatment flow sheet alter which treatment process is best to use? As an aid in making such judgments under different circumstances, the stoichiometry of the different biological processes involved and the different treatment approaches used were determined and compared. Advantages of each as well as imitations and potential opportunities for research to prevent them are presented.

Probabilistic evaluation of integrating resource recovery into wastewater treatment to improve environmental sustainability.

Global expectations for wastewater service infrastructure have evolved over time, and the standard treatment methods used by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are facing issues related to problem shifting due to the current emphasis on sustainability. A transition in WWTPs toward reuse of wastewater-derived resources is recognized as a promising solution for overcoming these obstacles. However, it remains uncertain whether this approach can reduce the environmental footprint of WWTPs. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a net environmental benefit calculation for several scenarios for more than 50 individual countries over a 20-y time frame. For developed countries, the resource recovery approach resulted in ∼154% net increase in the environmental performance of WWTPs compared with the traditional substance elimination approach, whereas this value decreased to ∼60% for developing countries. Subsequently, we conducted a probabilistic analysis integrating these estimates with national values and determined that, if this transition was attempted for WWTPs in developed countries, it would have a ∼65% probability of attaining net environmental benefits. However, this estimate decreased greatly to ∼10% for developing countries, implying a substantial risk of failure. These results suggest that implementation of this transition for WWTPs should be studied carefully in different temporal and spatial contexts. Developing countries should customize their approach to realizing more sustainable WWTPs, rather than attempting to simply replicate the successful models of developed countries. Results derived from the model forecasting highlight the role of bioenergy generation and reduced use of chemicals in improving the sustainability of WWTPs in developing countries.

Effects of FeCl3 addition on the operation of a staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (SAF-MBR).

The effects on sulfur removal and membrane fouling resulting from FeCl(3) addition to an anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (AFMBR) in a staged AFMBR (SAF-MBR) was investigated. Total sulfur removal in the SAF-MBR was 42-59% without FeCl(3) addition, but increased to 87-95% with FeCl(3) addition. Sulfide removal in the AFMBR increased to 90% with addition of FeCl(3) at a molar Fe(3+)/S ratio of 0.54 and to 95% when the ratio was increased to 0.95. Effluent sulfide concentration then decreased to 0.3-0.6 mg/L. Phosphate removals were only 19 and 37% with the above added FeCl(3) ratios, indicating that iron removed sulfide more readily than phosphate. Neither chemical oxygen demand nor biochemical oxygen demand removal efficiencies were affected by the addition of FeCl(3). When the AFMBR permeate became exposed to air, light brown particles were formed from effluent Fe(2+) oxidation to Fe(3+). FeCl(3) addition, while beneficial for sulfide removal, did increase the membrane fouling rate due to the deposition of inorganic precipitates in the membrane pores.

Development and application of a procedure for evaluating the long-term integrity of membranes for the anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (AFMBR).

A bench-scale short-term test, developed to predict the long-term integrity of membranes with potential for use in anaerobic fluidized-bed membrane bioreactors, was used to evaluate several commercial hollow-fiber membranes. It was found that membrane performance varied widely, some membranes failing much more rapidly than others. Also found was that larger sizes of the fluidized media, in this case granular activated carbon (GAC), severely affected membrane structural integrity more than did smaller sizes, as did the method used for membrane attachment. Within the limits studied, the GAC packing ratio had only a minor impact. A decrease in membrane permeability that sometimes resulted during the testing and was caused by the deposition of fine GAC particles could be eliminated without membrane damage through simultaneous chemical cleaning and sonication. This new testing procedure should be useful for selecting membranes and reactor operating conditions to better ensure long-term operating performance of anaerobic fluidized-bed membrane bioreactors.

The effect of SRT on nitrate formation during autotrophic nitrogen removal of anaerobically treated wastewater.

Autotrophic nitrogen removal, coupling nitritation (ammonium to nitrite) with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), offers a promising nitrogen-removal alternative, especially for post-treatment of anaerobically-treated wastewater. However, previous reports suggest that less than 90% total nitrogen removal should be expected with this process alone because over 10% of the ammonium removed will be converted to nitrate. This is caused because nitrite conversion to nitrate is required for reduction of carbon dioxide to cell carbon. However, recent research results suggest that more limited nitrate formation of only a few per cent sometimes occurs. It was hypothesized such lower nitrate yields may result from use of long solids retention times (SRT) where net biological yields are low, and providing that the ratio of oxygen added to influent ammonium concentrations is maintained at or below 0.75 mol/mol. Overall reaction equations were developed for each process and combined to evaluate the potential effect of SRT on process stoichiometry. The results support the use of a long SRT to reduce net cell yield, which in turn results in a small percentage conversion to nitrate during ammonium removal and high total nitrogen removals in the range of 90 to 94%.

Model to couple anaerobic process kinetics with biological growth equilibrium thermodynamics.

Monod kinetics indicates a substrate concentration limit (S(min)) at biological growth equilibrium where growth is just balanced by decay. A relationship between S(min) and the Gibbs free energy available at growth equilibrium (ΔG(E)) was introduced into the Monod model and applied directly to chemostat cultures. Results from four anaerobic mixed-culture chemostat studies yielded ΔG(E) of -17.7 ± 2.2 kJ/mol acetate converted to methane. ΔG(E) for propionate syntrophs in propionate-fed cultures was -8.0 ± 3.1 kJ/mol propionate, compared with that of -3.0 ± 0.9 kJ/mol H(2) for the hydrogenotrophs present. With ethanol present, however, ΔG(E) for the hydrogenotrophs became more favorable, -6.1 ± 1.6 kJ/mol H(2), while ΔG(E) for propionate became positive even though propionate was consumed, suggesting an alternative interspecies electron transport route. The results suggest that S(min), normally considered a function of an organism's intrinsic rate characteristics, is also a function of solution characteristics, and this is likely the case for the substrate affinity coefficient, K, as well. A comparison between ΔG(E) and S(min) and reported threshold thermodynamic and concentration limits, leads to the conclusion that ΔG(E) and S(min) represent lower and upper bounds, respectively, on such values. This study indicates that knowledge gained from pure-culture studies applies well to more complex natural anaerobic systems.

Domestic wastewater treatment as a net energy producer--can this be achieved?

In seeking greater sustainability in water resources management, wastewater is now being considered more as a resource than as a waste-a resource for water, for plant nutrients, and for energy. Energy, the primary focus of this article, can be obtained from wastewater's organic as well as from its thermal content. Also, using wastewater's nitrogen and P nutrients for plant fertilization, rather than wasting them, helps offset the high energy cost of producing synthetic fertilizers. Microbial fuel cells offer potential for direct biological conversion of wastewater's organic materials into electricity, although significant improvements are needed for this process to be competitive with anaerobic biological conversion of wastewater organics into biogas, a renewable fuel used in electricity generation. Newer membrane processes coupled with complete anaerobic treatment of wastewater offer the potential for wastewater treatment to become a net generator of energy, rather than the large energy consumer that it is today.

Anaerobic fluidized bed membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment.

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors have potential for energy-efficient treatment of domestic and other wastewaters, membrane fouling being a major hurdle to application. It was found that fouling can be controlled if membranes are placed directly in contact with the granular activated carbon (GAC) in an anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor (AFMBR) used here for post-treatment of effluent from another anaerobic reactor treating dilute wastewater. A 120-d continuous-feed evaluation was conducted using this two-stage anaerobic treatment system operated at 35 °C and fed a synthetic wastewater with chemical oxygen demand (COD) averaging 513 mg/L. The first-stage was a similar fluidized-bed bioreactor without membranes (AFBR), operated at 2.0-2.8 h hydraulic retention time (HRT), and was followed by the above AFMBR, operating at 2.2 h HRT. Successful membrane cleaning was practiced twice. After the second cleaning and membrane flux set at 10 L/m(2)/h, transmembrane pressure increased linearly from 0.075 to only 0.1 bar during the final 40 d of operation. COD removals were 88% and 87% in the respective reactors and 99% overall, with permeate COD of 7 ± 4 mg/L. Total energy required for fluidization for both reactors combined was 0.058 kWh/m(3), which could be satisfied by using only 30% of the gaseous methane energy produced. That of the AFMBR alone was 0.028 kWh/m(3), which is significantly less than reported for other submerged membrane bioreactors with gas sparging for fouling control.

Temperate climate energy-positive anaerobic secondary treatment of domestic wastewater at pilot-scale.

Conventional aerobic secondary treatment of domestic wastewater is energy intensive. Here we report net energy positive operation of a pilot-scale anaerobic secondary treatment system in a temperate climate, with low levels of volatile solids for disposal (< 0.15 mgVSS/mgCODremoved) and hydraulic residence times as low as 5.3 h. This was accomplished with a second-generation staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (SAF-MBR 2.0) consisting of a first-stage anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR) followed by a second-stage gas-sparged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). In stage 1, fluidized granular activated carbon (GAC) particles harbor methanogenic communities that convert soluble biodegradable COD into methane; in stage 2, submerged membranes produce system effluent (permeate) and retain particulate COD that can be hydrolyzed and/or recycled back to stage 1 for conversion to methane. An energy balance on SAF-MBR 2.0 (excluding energy from anaerobic digestion of primary suspended solids) indicated net energy positive operation (+ 0.11 kWh/m3), with energy recovery from produced methane (0.39 kWh electricity/m3 + 0.64 kWh heat/m3) exceeding energy consumption due to GAC fluidization (0.07 kWh electricity/m3) and gas sparging (0.20 kWh electricity/m3 at an optimal flux of 12.2 L/m2 h). Two factors dominated the operating expenses: energy requirements and recovery cleaning frequency; these factors were in turn affected by flux conditions, membrane fouling rate, and temperature. For optimization of expenses, the frequency of low-cost maintenance cleanings was adjusted to minimize recovery cleanings while maintaining optimal flux with low energy costs. An issue still to be resolved is the occurrence of ultrafine COD in membrane permeate that accounted for much of the total effluent COD.

Bioaugmentation with butane-utilizing microorganisms to promote in situ cometabolic treatment of 1,1,1-trichloroethane and 1,1-dichloroethene.

A field study was performed to evaluate the potential for in-situ aerobic cometabolism of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) through bioaugmentation with a butane enrichment culture containing predominantly two Rhodococcus sp. strains named 179BP and 183BP that could cometabolize 1,1,1-TCA and 1,1-dicholoroethene (1,1-DCE). Batch tests indicated that 1,1-DCE was more rapidly transformed than 1,1,1-TCA by both strains with 183BP being the most effective organism. This second in a series of bioaugmentation field studies was conducted in the saturated zone at the Moffett Field In Situ Test Facility in California. In the previous test, bioaugmentation with an enrichment culture containing the 183BP strain achieved short term in situ treatment of 1,1-DCE, 1,1,1-TCA, and 1,1-dichloroethane (1,1-DCA). However, transformation activity towards 1,1,1-TCA was lost over the course of the study. The goal of this second study was to determine if more effective and long-term treatment of 1,1,1-TCA could be achieved through bioaugmentation with a highly enriched culture containing 179BP and 183BP strains. Upon bioaugmentation and continuous addition of butane and dissolved oxygen and or hydrogen peroxide as sources of dissolved oxygen, about 70% removal of 1,1,1-TCA was initially achieved. 1,1-DCE that was present as a trace contaminant was also effectively removed (approximately 80%). No removal of 1,1,1-TCA resulted in a control test leg that was not bioaugmented, although butane and oxygen consumption by the indigenous populations was similar to that in the bioaugmented test leg. However, with prolonged treatment, removal of 1,1,1-TCA in the bioaugmented leg decreased to about 50 to 60%. Hydrogen pexoxide (H2O2) injection increased dissolved oxygen concentration, thus permitting more butane addition into the test zone, but more effective 1,1,1-TCA treatment did not result. The results showed bioaugmentation with the enrichment cultures was effective in enhancing the cometabolic treatment of 1,1,1-TCA and low concentrations of 1,1-DCE over the entire period of the 50-day test. Compared to the first season of testing, cometabolic treatment of 1,1,1-TCA was not lost. The better performance achieved in the second season of testing may be attributed to less 1,1-DCE transformation product toxicity, more effective addition of butane, and bioaugmentation with the highly enriched dual culture.

A comparative pilot-scale evaluation of gas-sparged and granular activated carbon-fluidized anaerobic membrane bioreactors for domestic wastewater treatment.

Two significantly different pilot-scale AnMBRs were used to treat screened domestic wastewater for over one year. Both systems similarly reduced BOD5 and COD by 86-90% within a 13-32 °C temperature range and at comparable COD loading rates of 1.3-1.4 kg-COD m-3 d-1 and membrane fluxes of 7.6-7.9 L m-2 h-1 (LMH). However, the GAC-fluidized AnMBR achieved these results at a 65% shorter hydraulic retention time than the gas-sparged AnMBR. The gas-sparged AnMBR was able to operate at a similar operating permeability with greater reactor concentrations of suspended solids and colloidal organics than the GAC-fluidized AnMBR. Also, the membranes were damaged more in the GAC-fluidized system. To better capture the relative advantages of each system a hybrid AnMBR comprised of a GAC-fluidized bioreactor connected to a separate gas-sparged ultrafiltration membrane system is proposed. This will likely be more effective, efficient, robust, resilient, and cost-effective.

Comparison between acetate and hydrogen as electron donors and implications for the reductive dehalogenation of PCE and TCE.

Bioremediation by reductive dehalogenation of groundwater contaminated with tetrachloroethene (PCE) or trichloroethene (TCE) is generally carried out through the addition of a fermentable electron donor such as lactate, benzoate, carbohydrates or vegetable oil. These fermentable donors are converted by fermenting organisms into acetate and hydrogen, either of which might be used by dehalogenating microorganisms. Comparisons were made between H2 and acetate on the rate and extent of reductive dehalogenation of PCE. PCE dehalogenation with H2 alone was complete to ethene, but with acetate alone it generally proceeded only about half as fast and only to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE). Additionally, acetate was not used as an electron donor in the presence of H2. These findings suggest the fermentable electron donor requirement for PCE dehalogenation to ethene can be reduced up to 50% by separating PCE dehalogenation into two stages, the first of which uses acetate for the conversion of PCE to cDCE, and the second uses H2 for the conversion of cDCE to ethene. This can be implemented with a recycle system in which the fermentable substrate is added down-gradient, where the hydrogen being produced by fermentation effects cDCE conversion into ethene. The acetate produced is recycled up-gradient to achieve PCE conversion into cDCE. With the lower electron donor usage required, potential problems of aquifer clogging, excess methane production, and high groundwater chemical oxygen demand (COD) can be greatly reduced.

Low energy single-staged anaerobic fluidized bed ceramic membrane bioreactor (AFCMBR) for wastewater treatment.

An aluminum dioxide (Al2O3) ceramic membrane was used in a single-stage anaerobic fluidized bed ceramic membrane bioreactor (AFCMBR) for low-strength wastewater treatment. The AFCMBR was operated continuously for 395days at 25°C using a synthetic wastewater having a chemical oxygen demand (COD) averaging 260mg/L. A membrane net flux as high as 14.5-17L/m2h was achieved with only periodic maintenance cleaning, obtained by adding 25mg/L of sodium hypochlorite solution. No adverse effect of the maintenance cleaning on organic removal was observed. An average SCOD in the membrane permeate of 23mg/L was achieved with a 1h hydraulic retention time (HRT). Biosolids production averaged 0.014±0.007gVSS/gCOD removed. The estimated electrical energy required to operate the AFCMBR system was 0.039kWh/m3, which is only about 17% of the electrical energy that could be generated with the methane produced.

Medical bioremediation: prospects for the application of microbial catabolic diversity to aging and several major age-related diseases.

Several major diseases of old age, including atherosclerosis, macular degeneration and neurodegenerative diseases are associated with the intracellular accumulation of substances that impair cellular function and viability. Moreover, the accumulation of lipofuscin, a substance that may have similarly deleterious effects, is one of the most universal markers of aging in postmitotic cells. Reversing this accumulation may thus be valuable, but has proven challenging, doubtless because substances resistant to cellular catabolism are inherently hard to degrade. We suggest a radically new approach: augmenting humans' natural catabolic machinery with microbial enzymes. Many recalcitrant organic molecules are naturally degraded in the soil. Since the soil in certain environments - graveyards, for example - is enriched in human remains but does not accumulate these substances, it presumably harbours microbes that degrade them. The enzymes responsible could be identified and engineered to metabolise these substances in vivo. Here, we survey a range of such substances, their putative roles in age-related diseases and the possible benefits of their removal. We discuss how microbes capable of degrading them can be isolated, characterised and their relevant enzymes engineered for this purpose and ways to avoid potential side-effects.

Simulated and experimental evaluation of factors affecting the rate and extent of reductive dehalogenation of chloroethenes with glucose.

Carbohydrates such as molasses are being added to aquifers to serve as electron donors for reductive dehalogenation of chloroethenes. Glucose, as a model carbohydrate, was studied to better understand the processes involved and to evaluate the effectiveness for dehalogenation of different approaches for carbohydrate addition. A simulation model was developed and calibrated with experimental data for the reductive dehalogenation of tetrachloroethene to ethene via cis-1,2-dichloroethene. The model included fermentors that convert the primary donor (glucose) into butyrate, acetate and hydrogen, methanogens, and two separate dehalogenator groups. The dehalogenation groups use the hydrogen intermediate as an electron donor and the different haloethenes as electron acceptors through competitive inhibition. Model simulations suggest first that the initial relative population size of dehalogenators and H(2)-utilizing methanogens greatly affects the degree of dehalogenation achieved. Second, the growth and decay of biomass from soluble carbohydrate plays a significant role in reductive dehalogenation. Finally, the carbohydrate delivery strategies used (periodic versus batch addition and the time interval between periodic addition) greatly affect the degree of dehalogenation that can be obtained with a given amount of added carbohydrate.

Pilot-scale temperate-climate treatment of domestic wastewater with a staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (SAF-MBR).

A pilot-scale staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (SAF-MBR) was operated continuously for 485 days, without chemical cleaning of membranes, treating primary-settled domestic wastewater with wastewater temperature between 8 and 30°C and total hydraulic retention time (HRT) between 4.6 and 6.8h. Average chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) removals averaged 81% and 85%, respectively, during the first winter at 8-15°C before full acclimation had occurred. However, subsequently when fully acclimated, summer and winter COD removals of 94% and 90% and BOD5 removals of 98% and 90%, respectively, were obtained with average effluent COD never higher than 23 mg/L nor BOD5 higher than 9 mg/L. Operational energy requirement of 0.23 kW h/m(3) could be met with primary and secondary methane production, and could be reduced further through hydraulic change. Biosolids production in all seasons averaged 0.051 g volatile suspended solids per g COD removed.

Anaerobic treatment of low-strength wastewater: a comparison between single and staged anaerobic fluidized bed membrane bioreactors.

Performance of a single anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (AFMBR) was compared with that of a staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor system (SAF-MBR) that consisted of an anaerobic fluidized bed bioreactor (AFBR) followed by an AFMBR. Both systems were fed with an equal COD mixture (200mg/L) of acetate and propionate at 25°C. COD removals of 93-96% were obtained by both systems, independent of the hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 2-4h. Over more than 200d of continuous operation, trans-membrane pressure (TMP) in both systems was less than 0.2bar without significant membrane fouling as a result of the scouring of membrane surfaces by the moving granular activated carbon particles. Results of bulk liquid suspended solids, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and soluble microbial products (SMP) analyses also revealed no significant differences between the two systems, indicating the single AFMBR is an effective alternative to the SAF-MBR system.

Lower operational limits to volatile fatty acid degradation with dilute wastewaters in an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor.

A general concern that anaerobic treatment of dilute wastewaters is limited by the inability of methanogenic and related syntrophic organisms to reduce substrate concentrations adequately was evaluated using a 35 °C granular activated carbon-containing laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactor fed an acetate-propionate equal chemical oxygen demand (COD) mixture synthetic wastewater. Contrary to general expectations, effluent acetate and propionate concentrations remained near or below their detection limits of 0.4 mg COD/L with influent COD of 200mg/L, 17 min hydraulic retention time, and organic loading as high as 17 kg COD/m(3)d, or with influent COD values ranging from 45 to 2010 mg COD/L and organic loadings of 4.2-4.5 kg COD/m(3)d. The effluent acetate concentrations in these well-fed systems were at or much below reported threshold limits for starving non-fed cultures, suggesting that a better understanding of threshold values and factors affecting treatment efficiency with anaerobic treatment of dilute wastewaters is needed.

Anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater with a staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (SAF-MBR) system.

A laboratory-scale staged anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (SAF-MBR) system was used to treat a municipal wastewater primary-clarifier effluent. It was operated continuously for 192 days at 6-11 L/m(2)/h flux and trans-membrane pressure generally of 0.1 bar or less with no fouling control except the scouring effect of the fluidized granular activated carbon on membrane surfaces. With a total hydraulic retention time of 2.3h at 25°C, the average effluent chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand concentrations of 25 and 7 mg/L yielded corresponding removals of 84% and 92%, respectively. Also, near complete removal of suspended solids was obtained. Biosolids production, representing 5% of the COD removed, equaled 0.049 g VSS/g BOD(5) removed, far less than the case with comparable aerobic processes. The electrical energy required for the operation of the SAF-MBR system, 0.047 kW h/m(3), could be more than satisfied by using the methane produced.

Efficient single-stage autotrophic nitrogen removal with dilute wastewater through oxygen supply control.

Autotrophic nitrogen removal via ammonia oxidizing (AOB) and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria was evaluated for treatment of a dilute 50mg/L ammonia-containing solution in a single-stage nitrogen-removal filter at 25°C. Important was an external oxygenation system that permitted close control and measurement of oxygen supply, a difficulty with the generally used diffused air systems. Hydraulic retention time (HRT) was reduced in steps from 15 to 1h. At 1h HRT, total nitrogen (TN) removals varied between 73% and 94%, the maximum being obtained with a benchmark oxygenation ratio of 0.75mol O(2)/mol ammonia fed. At higher ratios, nitrate was formed causing TN removal efficiency to decrease. With lower ratios, TN and ammonia removals decreased in proportion to the decrease in BOR. When operating at or below the BOR, nitrate formation equaled no more than 2% of the ammonia removed, a value much less than has previously been reported.