Influence of Low Air Pressure on the Partial Denitrification-Anammox (PD/A) Process

Wen Dai, Zhenpeng Han, Yongze Lu, Shuping Li, Gangyin Yan and Guangcan Zhu ()
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Wen Dai: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Zhenpeng Han: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Yongze Lu: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Shuping Li: Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration of Xizang, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang 712082, China
Gangyin Yan: Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration of Xizang, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang 712082, China
Guangcan Zhu: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-14

Abstract: Low air pressure is a feature of high-altitude regions. Domestic wastewater from such regions typically has a low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio). These factors combine to make traditional biological nitrogen removal in high-altitude regions inefficient and more energy-intensive. The partial denitrification-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (PD/A) process was reported to remove ammonia nitrogen from municipal sewage, consuming fewer carbon sources and requiring no aeration supply. In this study, we set up laboratory-scale reactors in simulated high-altitude environmental conditions, and studied the effect of air pressure on the PD/A process. We found that low pressure promotes nitrogen removal efficiency ( NRE ), achieving 93.0 ± 0.3% at 65 kPa, and the contribution rate of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) to nitrogen removal increased to 77.7%. Lower dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations caused by lower air pressure were the reason for higher nitrite accumulation efficiency ( NAE ) in a partial denitrification (PD) system, with measured values of 78.4 ± 2.8% at 65 kPa. The anammox process was promoted by low air pressure, mainly because the low air pressure resulted in higher anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria activity, with specific anammox activity ( SAA ) reaching 26.3 mg·N/(g·VSS·d). Although the relative abundance of partial-denitrifying bacteria declined slightly, at 65 kPa compared with 96 kPa, they were still the dominant genus of the PD/A sludge, and continued to generate nitrite nitrogen steadily, even at low air pressures. The anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacterial abundance remained relatively stable, but their activity was increased, which aided the PD/A process. This study demonstrates how low pressure promotes the PD/A process, indicating the possibility of sustainable improved nitrogen removal in high-altitude regions.

Keywords: high-altitude wastewater biological treatment; nitrogen removal; combined partial denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation; low air pressure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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