Novel partial nitritation treatment for anaerobic digestion liquor of swine wastewater using swim-bed technology

A swim-bed reactor using the biofringe acryl-fiber biomass carrier was used for partial nitritation treatment for anaerobic digestion liquor of swine wastewater. The sludge in the reactor demonstrated excellent settling properties, and the sludge volumetric index (SVI) was always about 50 ml g−1. The mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration was maintained above 10,000 mg l−1 with a maximum of 16,800 mg l−1. Satisfactory and stable partial nitritation was obtained at a nitrogen loading rate (NLR) of 1.9 kg-N m−3 d−1 without any operational control. Only a little nitrate was produced almost during the whole operational period and the nitrite to total oxidized nitrogen ratio (NO2-N/(NO2-N+NO3-N)) was always above 95%. In addition, the influence of temperature on partial nitritation efficiencies was also investigated and non-controlled efficiencies were maintained stably between 15°C and 30°C at an NLR of 1.9 kg-N m−3 d−1, but suddenly deteriorated when the temperature fell below 15°C. Nitrite oxidizing bacteria were inhibited by free ammonia and free nitric acid, which prevented the conversion of nitrite to nitrate and the inhibition due to free nitric acid weaken with a decrease in temperature. It was apparent that these phenomena were crucial to the control of partial nitritation treatment.