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A model for determination of operational conditions for successful shortcut nitrification

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Abstract

Accumulation of nitrite in shortcut nitrification is influenced by several factors including dissolved oxygen concentration (DO), pH, temperature, free ammonia (FA), and free nitrous acid (FNA). In this study, a model based on minimum dissolved oxygen concentration (DOmin), minimum/maximum substrate concentration (Smin and Smax), was developed. The model evaluated the influence of pH (7–9), temperature (10–35 °C), and solids retention time (SRT) (5 days–infinity) on MSC values. The evaluation was conducted either by controlling total ammonium nitrogen (TAN) or total nitrite nitrogen (TNN), concentration at 50 mg N/L while allowing the other to vary from 0 to 1000 mg N/L. In addition, specific application for shortcut nitrification-anammox process at 10 °C was analyzed. At any given operational condition, the model was able to predict if shortcut nitrification can be achieved and provide the operational DO range which is higher than the DOmin of AOB and lower than that of NOB. Furthermore, experimental data from different literature studies were taken for model simulation and the model prediction fit well the experiment. For the Sharon process, model prediction with default kinetics did not work but the model could make good prediction after adjusting the kinetic values based on the Sharon-specific kinetics reported in the literature. The model provides a method to identify feasible combinations of pH, DO, TAN, TNN, and SRT for successful shortcut nitrification.

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Abbreviations

AOB:

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria

BNR:

Biological nitrogen removal

CSTR:

Continuous stirred-tank reactor

DO:

Dissolved oxygen concentration

DOmin :

Minimum DO concentration

FA:

Free ammonia

FNA:

Free nitrous acid

MSC:

Minimum/maximum substrate concentration

NOB:

Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria

Smin :

Minimum substrate concentration

Smax :

Maximum substrate concentration

SRT:

Solids retention time

TAN:

Total ammonium nitrogen

TNN:

Total nitrite nitrogen

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science and Engineering Research council of Canada [grant number CRDPJ 458990-13].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Western Ontario, Spencer Engineering Building #3037, London, ON, N6A 5B9, Canada

    Xiaoguang Liu & George Nakhla

  2. Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B9, Canada

    Mingu Kim & George Nakhla

Authors
  1. Xiaoguang Liu
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  2. Mingu Kim
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  3. George Nakhla
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Correspondence to George Nakhla.

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Responsible editor: Marcus Schul

Electronic supporting information (ESI): DO data for nitrite accumulation and model derivation.

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Liu, X., Kim, M. & Nakhla, G. A model for determination of operational conditions for successful shortcut nitrification. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 3539–3549 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8017-y

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