Biological Nitrogen Removal Database
A manually curated data resource for microbial nitrogen removal
Biological Nitrogen Removal Database
A manually curated data resource for microbial nitrogen removal
Influent:Wastewater
Denitrification system:Sulfur-driven denitrification
Denitrifying reactor:Packed-bed
Medium:Sulphur granules
Culture taken from:Anaerobic sludge
Organism (s) cultured:nan
Respiration:Anaerobic
Electron donor:Methanol and Sulphur
Electron acceptor:Nitrate
Input NO3-N (mg/l):1200
Nitrate removal rate (mg NO3-N/l/h):nan
Denitrification rate (gNO3-N removed/m3/day):nan
Microorganisms identified:nan
Molecular tools:nan
Major findings:Methanol was used as alkalinity source to control the pH, in autotrophic denitrification of synthetic wastewater with varying alkalinity to NO3 /N ratios.
Authors:Kim et al., 2002
Title:Monitoring the Denitrification of Wastewater Containing High Concentrations of Nitrate With Methanol in a Sulfur-Packed Reactor
Pubmed link:Link
Full research link:Link
Abstract:Biological denitrification of high nitrate-containing wastewater was examined in a sulfur-packed column using a smaller amount of methanol than required stoichiometrically for heterotrophic denitrification. In the absence of methanol, the observed nitrate removal efficiency was only about 40%, and remained at 400 mg NO(3)(-)-N/l, which was due to an alkalinity deficiency of the pH buffer and of CO(2) as a carbon source. Complete denitrification was achieved by adding approximately 1.4 g methanol/g nitrate-nitrogen (NO(3)(-)-N) to a sulfur-packed reactor. As the methanol concentration increased, the overall nitrate removal efficiency increased. As influent methanol concentrations increased from 285 to 570, 855, and 1,140 mg/l, the value of Delta mg alkalinity as CaCO(3) consumed/Delta mg NO(3)(-)-N removed increased from -1.94 to -0.84, 0.24, and 0.96, and Delta mg SO(4)(2-) produced/Delta mg NO(3)(-)-N removed decreased from 4.42 to 3.57, 2.58, and 1.26, respectively. These results imply the co-occurrence of simultaneous autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification. Sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification in the presence of a small amount of methanol is very effective at decreasing both sulfate production and alkalinity consumption. Most of methanol added was removed completely in the effluent. A small amount of nitrite accumulated in the mixotrophic column, which was less than 20 mg NO(2)(-) -N/l, while under heterotrophic denitrification conditions, nitrite accumulated steadily and increased to 60 mg NO(2)(-) -N/l with increasing column height.