Application of high rate nitrifying trickling filters to remove low concentrations of ammonia from reclaimed municipal wastewater.
The interference of ammonia with the chlorination process is a problem for many reclaimed water treatment plant operators. This paper presents the findings from a series of pilot experiments that investigated the efficacy of high flow rate nitrifying trickling filters (NTFs) for the removal of low concentrations of ammonia (0.5-3.0 mg N L(-1)) from reclaimed wastewater. Results showed that nitrification was impeded by a combination of high organic carbon loads and aquatic snails, which consumed much of the active biomass. With adequate snail control, nitrification rates (0.3-1.1 g NH(4)-N m(-2) d(-1)) equivalent to that of traditional wastewater NTFs were achieved, despite operating under comparably low ammonia feed concentrations and high hydraulic flow rates.
van den Akker
B
B
Department of Environmental Health, Flinders Research Centre for Coastal and Catchment Environments, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. b.vandenakker@unsw.edu.au
Holmes
M
M
Short
M D
MD
Cromar
N J
NJ
Fallowfield
H J
HJ
D000641:Ammonia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods; D009566:Nitrates / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009573:Nitrites / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012908:Snails; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods
D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D002244:Carbon; D000641:Ammonia