Biological Nitrogen Removal Database

A manually curated data resource for microbial nitrogen removal


Groundwater Water systems


Experimental setup


Influent:Groundwater

Denitrification system:Sulfur-driven denitrification

Denitrifying reactor:Up-flow packed-bed

Medium:Sand

Culture taken from:Thiomicrospira sp. CVO taken from oil reservior brine (Coleville enrichment)

Organism (s) cultured:nan

Respiration:Anaerobic

Electron donor:Acetate

Electron acceptor:Nitrate


Experimental Information


Input NO3-N (mg/l):183.7

Nitrate removal rate (mg NO3-N/l/h):183.2

Denitrification rate (gNO3-N removed/m3/day):nan

Microorganisms identified:nan

Molecular tools:nan


Information about Article


Major findings:Microbial culture that originated from an oil reservior was used in biofilm reactors leading to improved sulphide and nitrate removal rates.

Authors:Tang et al., 2010

Title:Evaluation of autotrophic and heterotrophic processes in biofilm reactors used for removal of sulphide, nitrate and COD

Pubmed link:None

Full research link:Link

Abstract:Microbial cultures originated from an oil reservoir were used in three biofilm reactors and effects of sulphide and nitrate loading rates and molar loading ratio on the removal of sulphide, nitrate and acetate, and composition of end products were investigated. Application of biofilms improved sulphide and nitrate removal rates significantly when compared with freely suspended cells. Maximum sulphide and nitrate removal rates under autotrophic conditions were 30.0 and 24.4 mM h1 , respectively (residence time: 0.5 h). Oxidation of acetate occurred only at nitrate to sulphide molar loading ratios around 0.7 or higher when nitrate was present at levels higher than that required for oxidation of sulphide to sulphur. Conversion of sulphide to sulphate increased from 0% to 66% as nitrate to sulphide molar loading ratio was increased from 0.34 to 3.98. The highest nitrate and acetate removal rates in the bioreactor operated under heterotrophic conditions were 183.2 and 88.0 mM h1 , respectively (residence time: 0.8 h).