article · Environmental Science & Technology
A modified anaerobic baffled reactor combining four compartments was tested over 136 days to achieve concurrent carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal from wastewater. The system integrated endogenous partial denitrification, phosphorus removal, and anammox processes without requiring aeration. Inoculated with specialised bacteria, the reactor attained removal efficiencies of 88.6 percent for chemical oxygen demand, 97.2 percent for total nitrogen, and 89.1 percent for phosphorus. Metagenomic analysis showed that each compartment developed distinct microbial populations tailored to specific treatment stages. Denitrifying phosphorus- and glycogen-accumulating organisms dominated the first two compartments, accounting for nearly ninety percent of organic matter consumption. Anammox bacteria populated the later compartments, driving roughly three-quarters of total nitrogen removal, while the final compartment maintained stable nutrient clearance under nutrient-depleted conditions. This configuration provides a land-efficient biological treatment route for low-strength municipal and nitrate-containing effluents.
Conventional wastewater treatment frequently requires intensive aeration and separate treatment stages to remove carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, consuming substantial energy and land. Integrating these biological removal processes within a single non-aerated reactor demonstrates that high-efficiency nutrient clearance can be achieved under low-energy conditions. This approach offers a route to lower operating costs and footprint requirements for managing municipal and nitrate-rich wastewaters.
This work presents an applied, laboratory-tested biological process for municipal wastewater facilities and industrial operators handling nitrate-bearing wastewater. By removing the need for aeration and consolidating nutrient removal into a segmented reactor, the design could reduce equipment footprints and energy consumption. Because testing was limited to a 136-day reactor study, further pilot-scale trials under variable operating conditions will be required before commercial adoption.
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The feasibility of a synergistic endogenous partial denitrification-phosphorus removal coupled anammox (SEPD-PR/A) system was investigated in a modified anaerobic baffled reactor (mABR) for synchronous carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal. The mABR comprising four identical compartments (i.e., C1-C4) was inoculated with precultured denitrifying glycogen-accumulating organisms (DGAOs), denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, and anammox bacteria. After 136 days of operation, the chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, and phosphorus removal efficiencies reached 88.6 ± 1.0, 97.2 ± 1.5, and 89.1 ± 4.2%, respectively. Network-based analysis revealed that the biofilmed community demonstrated stable nutrient removal performance under oligotrophic conditions in C4. The metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) such as MAG106, MAG127, MAG52, and MAG37 annotated as denitrifying phosphorus-accumulating organisms (DPAOs) and MAG146 as a DGAO were dominated in C1 and C2 and contributed to 89.2% of COD consumption. MAG54 and MAG16 annotated as <i>Candidatus_Brocadia</i> (total relative abundance of 16.5% in C3 and 4.3% in C4) were responsible for 74.4% of the total nitrogen removal through the anammox-mediated pathway. Functional gene analysis based on metagenomic sequencing confirmed that different compartments of the mABR were capable of performing distinct functions with specific advantageous microbial groups, facilitating targeted nutrient removal. Additionally, under oligotrophic conditions, the activity of the anammox bacteria-related genes of <i>hzs</i> was higher compared to that of <i>hdh</i>. Thus, an innovative method for the treatment of low-strength municipal and nitrate-containing wastewaters without aeration was presented, mediated by an anammox process with less land area and excellent quality effluent.
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00558
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