Synergetic association of hydroxyapatite-mediated biofilm and suspended sludge enhances resilience of partial nitrification/anammox (PN/A) system treating high-strength anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) permeate

Qian Li; Wenzhao Zhao; Shen Cui; Samir I Gadow; Yu Qin; Yu-You Li

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131391

Synergetic association of hydroxyapatite-mediated biofilm and suspended sludge enhances resilience of partial nitrification/anammox (PN/A) system treating high-strength anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) permeate

Bioresour Technol. 2024 Nov:412:131391. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131391. Epub 2024 Aug 30.

Authors

Qian Li¹, Wenzhao Zhao², Shen Cui², Samir I Gadow³, Yu Qin², Yu-You Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Lab of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, PR China; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06, Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06, Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan.
³ Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Agriculture and Biology Research Institute, National Research Centre, 33 EI Buhouth St., Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt.
⁴ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06, Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan; Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan. Electronic address: gyokuyu.ri.a5@tohoku.ac.jp.

PMID: 39216701
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131391

Abstract

A single-stage partial nitrification/anammox (PN/A) system with biocarriers was used to treat the permeate from an anaerobic membrane reactor (AnMBR) processing organic fraction of municipal solid wastes. The suitable Ca/P ratio and high pH in the AnMBR permeate facilitated hydroxyapatite (HAP) formation, enhancing the biofilm attachment and the settleability of suspended sludge. This maintained sufficient biomass and a stable microbial structure after flushing to mitigate the free nitrous acid inhibition. Robust anammox bacteria in the biofilm and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the suspended sludge ensured that the PN/A system achieved an 87.3 % nitrogen removal efficiency at an influent NH₄⁺-N concentration of 1802 mg/L. This study demonstrates that AnMBR permeate with high Ca, P and NH₄⁺-N content is suitable for single-stage PN/A system with biocarriers due to the high resilience enhanced by HAP, offering a reference for the treatment of high-strength AnMBR permeate.

Keywords: Elemental flow; High ammonium content; Microbial community; Settleability; Single-stage PN/A.

MeSH terms

Ammonia / metabolism
Anaerobiosis
Biofilms* / drug effects
Bioreactors*
Durapatite* / chemistry
Durapatite* / pharmacology
Membranes, Artificial*
Nitrification*
Nitrogen
Oxidation-Reduction
Sewage*

Substances

Durapatite
Sewage
Membranes, Artificial
Nitrogen
Ammonia