Toxic Effect of Ammonium Nitrogen on the Nitrification Process and Acclimatisation of Nitrifying Bacteria to High Concentrations of NH 4 -N in Wastewater

Iwona Beata Paśmionka, Karol Bulski, Piotr Herbut, Elżbieta Boligłowa, Frederico Márcio C. Vieira, Gabriela Bonassa, Marcelo Bortoli and Marina Celant de Prá
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Iwona Beata Paśmionka: Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Karol Bulski: Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Piotr Herbut: Department of Rural Building, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Land Surveying, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Elżbieta Boligłowa: Department of Microbiology and Biomonitoring, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, University of Agriculture in Kraków, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Frederico Márcio C. Vieira: Grupo de Estudos em Biometeorologia—GEBIOMET (Biometeorology Study Group), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Estrada para Boa Esperança, km 04, Comunidade São Cristóvão, Dois Vizinhos 85660-000, Brazil
Gabriela Bonassa: Grupo de Pesquisa em Gerenciamento e Tratamento de Resíduos—GETRAT, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Estrada para Boa Esperança, km 04, Comunidade São Cristóvão, Dois Vizinhos 85660-000, Brazil
Marcelo Bortoli: Grupo de Pesquisa em Gerenciamento e Tratamento de Resíduos—GETRAT, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Estrada para Boa Esperança, km 04, Comunidade São Cristóvão, Dois Vizinhos 85660-000, Brazil
Marina Celant de Prá: Grupo de Pesquisa em Gerenciamento e Tratamento de Resíduos—GETRAT, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Estrada para Boa Esperança, km 04, Comunidade São Cristóvão, Dois Vizinhos 85660-000, Brazil

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: The aim of the conducted research was to assess the effectiveness of the nitrification process, at different concentrations of ammonium nitrogen, in biologically treated wastewater in one of the largest municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants in Poland. The studies also attempted to acclimate nitrifying bacteria to the limited concentration of ammonium nitrogen and determined the efficiency of nitrification under the influence of acclimated activated sludge in the biological wastewater treatment system. The obtained results indicate that the concentration of ammonium nitrogen above 60.00 mg·dm −3 inhibits nitrification, even after increasing the biomass of nitrifiers. The increase in the efficiency of the nitrification process in the tested system can be obtained by using the activated sludge inoculated with nitrifiers. For this purpose, nitrifiers should be preacclimated, at least for a period of time, allowing them to colonize the activated sludge. The acclimated activated sludge allows reducing the amount of ammonium nitrogen in treated sewage by approx. 35.0%. The process of stable nitrification in the biological treatment system was observed nine days after introducing the acclimated activated sludge into the aeration chamber.

Keywords: activated sludge; ammonium nitrogen; chemical sewage; nitrification inhibition; acclimatization; nitrifiers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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