-A laboratory scale activated sludge sequencing batch reactor was operated in order to obtain total removal of influent ammonia (200; 300 and 500 mg NH 3 -N.L -1 ) with sustained nitrite accumulation at the end of the aerobic stages with phenol (1,000 mg C 6 H 5 OH.L -1 ) as the carbon source for denitrifying microorganisms during the anoxic stages. Ammonia removal above 95% and ratios of (NO
Wastewaters containing high phenol and ammonium concentrations present a great pollutant potential to the environment. An example of this kind of effluent is the discharge of coke-plants, which presents, quantitatively, the phenols as the main organic compound. Inorganic compounds are also present in these wastewaters and are mainly cyanide, thiocyanate, sulphate and ammonium, the last one being able to achieve hundreds of milligrammes per litre. In Sao Paulo State, there are two legislations to be accomplished, State Decree 8468/76 and CONAMA Resolution 357/05 that stand that the polluters must accomplish the discharge limits of 20 mg N/L to total ammonium nitrogen and 0,5 mg C 6 H 5 OH/L to phenols, as well as accomplish the waterbody classification. The present research was planned after well succeded results of former researches in EPUSP's Hydraulic and Sanitation Engineering Department aiming to remove phenolic compounds and ammonium from a synthetic coke-plant wastewater, by nitrification/denitrification of the influent in activated sludge plants. The main purpose of this work was to remove nitrogen of a similar wastewater containing high phenol (1000 mg/L) and ammonium (500 a 1000 mgN/L) concentrations in two activated sludge pilot plants (single sludge): a partial one ("P") to remove nitrite (or "nitritation/denitritation") in the first case, only with internal carbon source for the denitrification, and a total one ("T") in a second case, with internal and external carbon sources. It was also aim of this work to compare the results obtained by the Partial ("P") pilot system with a parallel batch sequence reactor operated to remove nitrogen via nitrite. The research concluded that the continuos system, due to its operational characteristic, was not efficient to remove nitrogen via nitrite that does not favor the maintenance of free ammonia in the oxic phase in inhibitory concentrations to the nitrite oxidizers, as according to the wellsucceeded batch system, the existance of free ammonia and the pH have been the main parameters to raise the nitrite accumulation in the reactor. Nevertheless, the system presented satisfactory results to the denitrification with phenol as carbon source and, during the whole experimental work, the final effluent just showed despicable phenol concentrations. Summing up, continuos system was just adequate to remove nitrogen via nitrate, while the batch system favored its removal via nitrite. Due to the Total ("T") system which aims to complete nitrification/denitrification with internal and external carbon sources, the results showed that, despite ethanol having been successfully used by the heterotrophic bacteria to denitrification, its use as external carbon source was not adequate in single sludge system, because the microorganisms do not use phenol in denitrification, just using ethanol, causing phenol accumulation and unbalance of the system. Therefore, it was concluded that the use of ethanol as external carbon source to denitrification would be recommended only in anoxic ...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.