title: Application of biofilm reactors to improve ammonia oxidation in low nitrogen loaded wastewater.
abstract: An airlift reactor using zeolite particles as carrier material was used for the nitrification of effluents from the aquaculture industry. During the start-up the nitrogen concentration was kept around 100 mg NH4(+)-N/L to develop the nitrifying population. Later it was decreased down to around 3 mg NH4(+)-N/L and the dilution rate was increased up to 4.8 d(-1) in order to simulate the conditions in a an aquaculture waster treatment system. A nitrogen loading rate (NLR) of 535 mg NH(+)-N/m2 d was fully oxidized to nitrate. Higher values of NLRs caused nitrite accumulation. A second biofilm reactor was fed with a synthetic medium containing 50 mg NH4(+)-N/L which simulated the effluents from anaerobic units treating domestic wastewater. A nitrogen loading rate of 400 mg NH4(+)-N/L d was oxidized into nitrate with an efficiency of 60% at a dilution rate of 8 d(-1). Both biofilm systems allowed the development of a nitrifying population to treat the studied types of wastewaters.
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Rua Lope Gómez de Marzoa s/n, University of Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. isabel.seca@rai.usc.es
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Seca
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Torres
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Val del Río
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mosquera-Corral
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Campos
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Méndez
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017756:Aquaculture; D018441:Biofilms; D019149:Bioreactors; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen