Enhanced nitrogen removal from pharmaceutical wastewater using SBA-ANAMMOX process

Efficient biological nitrogen removal from pharmaceutical wastewater has been focused recently. The present study dealt with the treatment of colistin sulfate and kitasamycin manufacturing wastewater through anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX). The biotoxicity assay on luminescent bacterium Photobacterium phosphoreum (T3 mutation) showed that the pharmaceutical wastewater imparted severe toxicity with a relative luminosity of 3.46% ± 0.45%. During long-term operation, the cumulative toxicity from toxic pollutants in wastewater resulted in the performance collapse of conventional ANAMMOX process. A novel ANAMMOX process with sequential biocatalyst (ANAMMOX granules) addition (SBA-ANAMMOX process) was developed by combining high-rate ANAMMOX reactor with sequential biocatalyst addition (SBA). At biocatalyst addition rate of 0.025 g VSS (L wastewater)−1 day−1, the nitrogen removal rate of the process reached up to 9.4 kg N m−3 day−1 in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. The effluent ammonium concentration was lower than 50 mg N L−1, which met the Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants for Pharmaceutical Industry in China (GB 21903-2008). The application of SBA-ANAMMOX process in refractory ammonium-rich wastewater is promising.