Nitrification and denitrification in two-chamber microbial fuel cells for treatment of wastewater containing high concentrations of ammonia nitrogen.
Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in the aerated cathode chamber of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) inoculated with nitrifying bacteria were investigated using two-chamber MFCs. Based on the variations of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the cathode chamber of four MFCs added with different concentrations of [Formula: see text] (50, 65, 130 and 230 mg/L), the occurrence of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification leading to effective removal of nitrogen was confirmed. Electrochemical reaction with electrons transferred from the anode chamber was found to be the major mechanism responsible for the removal of [Formula: see text] in the cathode chamber. The estimated values of the first-order rate constant for nitrification and denitrification varied in the range of 0.3-1.7 day(-1) and 0.2-0.9 day(-1), revealing a decreasing trend with increases in the initial [Formula: see text] concentrations and the detected maximum concentration of the nitrification product of [Formula: see text] in the cathode chamber, respectively.
a Graduate School of Engineering , Gifu University , Gifu , Japan.
Haixia
H
Du
b River Basin Research Center , Gifu University , Gifu , Japan.
Fusheng
F
Li
a Graduate School of Engineering , Gifu University , Gifu , Japan.
Zaiji
Z
Yu
c College of Environmental Science and Engineering , South China University of Technology , Guangzhou , People's Republic of China.
Chunhua
C
Feng
d School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering , North China Electric Power University , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
Wenhan
W
Li
D000641:Ammonia / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000382:microbiology*; D058440:Denitrification; D004566:Electrodes / Q000382:microbiology; D058465:Nitrification; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation*
D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Microbial fuel cell; denitrification; electricity generation; kinetics; nitrification