Kinetic behaviors of nitrifying biofblm growth in wastewater nitrification process

Abstract

A conventional laboratory scale annular reactor was employed to investigate the growth dynamics of nitrifying biofilm. A dense and thin nitrifying biofilm was developed in the reactor. It was found that the feed concentration (S_o) has a significant effect on the performance of the nitrifying biofilm reactor. It was demonstrated that the biological constants are strongly dependent on S_o. The same is true for the volumetric removal rate of substrate (k_ov), which shows that the process always depends on the reaction. The results indicated that thinner biofilms ranging from 15 to 20μm have a higher specific nitrification rate, that is, the biological reaction of ammonium nitrogen probably occurs at the biofilm‐liquid interface. It is preferable to use thin biofilm for an attached culture. Meanwhile, it was shown that in this system high nitrification capacities could be reached.. It was expected to have promising possibilities to develop a new biological process specialized in wastewater nitrification.