Nitritation and denitritation of ammonium-rich wastewater using fluidized-bed biofilm reactors

In the FBBDR, the NOx-N (NO2-N + NO3-N) concentrations supplied were between 227 and 330 mg N/l (NLR was between 0.08 and 0.4 kg/m3 day) and the influent flow was increased as long as the total nitrogen removal was close to 90%. The NO2-N and NO3-N concentrations in the effluent were 3.0 and 0.9 mg/l at 0.08 kg/m3 day loading rate. About 98% removal of NOx-N was achieved at the lowest NLR in the FBBDR. The FBBDR exhibited high nitrogen removal up to the NLR of 0.25 kg/m3 day. The NOx-N effluent concentration never exceeded 15 mg/l. The total nitrogen removal efficiency in the FBBRs was higher than 93% at 21 ± 1 °C.