Low-strength wastewater treatment in an anammox UASB reactor : effect of the liquid upflow velocity
Reino, Clara (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental)
Carrera, Julian (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental)

Date:	2017
Abstract:	Two-stage systems have been proposed to overcome the drawbacks associated to the implementation of the autotrophic biological nitrogen removal process in the mainstream of urban wastewater treatment plants. In this study, an upflow anammox sludge blanket (UAnSB) reactor was successfully operated for 325 days treating a low-strength synthetic influent mimicking mainstream conditions. A nitrogen loading rate of up to 1. 8 ± 0. 2 g N L⁻¹ d⁻¹ was achieved at 26 ºC and the nitrogen removal rate obtained (1. 7 ± 0. 1 g N L⁻¹ d⁻¹) resulted considerably higher than most of the previously reported values for systems treating low-strength wastewater at similar temperatures. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed a high enrichment in the anammox specie Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans during the whole operation. The evolution of the granule diameter was followed throughout the operation of the UAnSB reactor and a direct correlation of the average granule diameter with the liquid upflow velocity (Vup) was established, being the higher the Vup, the bigger the granules. A stable granule diameter of 790 ± 40 μm was achieved by maintaining a Vup of 1. 0 ± 0. 1 m h⁻¹. The low VupS applied avoid the use of effluent recirculation which would present a huge inconvenient to implement UAnSB reactors at real scale, however these low VupS led to external mass transfer problems in the reactor. In spite of the mass transfer limitations, not only a high specific anammox activity (0. 26 ± 0. 02 g N g⁻¹ VS d⁻¹) was achieved in the UASB reactor but also a high nitrogen removal (80 ± 3%).
Grants:	Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CTQ2014-60495-R Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2014/SGR-1255
Note:	Aquest article pertany al grup de recerca GENOCOV https://ddd.uab.cat/collection/genocov
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Anammox ; Mainstream ; Granules ; Upflow velocity ; Boundary layer
Published in:	Chemical engineering journal, Vol. 313 (April 2017) , p. 217-225, ISSN 1873-3212

DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2016.12.051

Post-print 19 p, 471.4 KB

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