Biological Nitrogen Removal Database

A manually curated data resource for microbial nitrogen removal


Groundwater Water systems


Experimental setup


Influent:Tap water

Denitrification system:Lithotrophic denitrification

Denitrifying reactor:Fluidized-bed

Medium:Granular activated carbon

Culture taken from:Thiobacillus denitrificans

Organism (s) cultured:nan

Respiration:Anaerobic

Electron donor:Thiosulfate

Electron acceptor:Nitrate


Experimental Information


Input NO3-N (mg/l):600

Nitrate removal rate (mg NO3-N/l/h):51.5-135.4

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

Microorganisms identified:Thiobacillus denitrificans; Chryseobacterium hispalense; Sediminibacterium salmoneum; Dyella thiooxydans;

Molecular tools:PCR-DGGE


Information about Article


Major findings:This study reports on the first time use of the Ratkowsky model, which was successfully used to simulate the effect of temperature on the nitrate removal efficiency of Thiobacillus denitrificans dominated biofilm.

Authors:Zou et al., 2016

Title:High rate autotrophic denitrification in fluidized-bed biofilm reactors

Pubmed link:None

Full research link:Link

Abstract:High rate, high efficiency thiosulfate-driven autotrophic denitrification and denitritation with Thiobacillus denitrificans dominated biofilms were achieved in fluidized-bed reactors (FBRs) operated at 20.0±2.0 and 30.0±0.2°C. Complete nitrate removal was obtained even at nitrate loading rate and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 600 mg L-1 h -1 and 10 min, respectively. Further decrease of HRT to 5 min resulted in 50% of nitrate removal efficiency. Nitrite did not accumulate when nitrate was used as electron acceptor unless HRT was decreased to 5 min. Effluent pH remained at 5.8 during denitrification. When nitrite was supplemented as the electron acceptor, denitritation effectively proceeded with the highest nitrite loading rate of 228 mg·L-1·h-1. Similar denitrification and denitritation performances were obtained at 20.0±2.0 and 30.0±0.2°C. Batch assays conducted at temperature range from 1 to 46°C, however, showed a significant impact of temperature on autotrophic denitrification. Ratkowsky model was used to estimate the minimum, optimal and maximum growth temperatures of Thiobacillus denitrificans dominated culture that were below 1, 26.6 and 50.8°C, respectively.