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. 2023 Nov 29;16(23):7417.
doi: 10.3390/ma16237417.

The Importance of the Mineral Substrate of the Biofilm in the Process of Low-Temperature Removal of Nitrogen Compounds from Wastewater

Anna Maria Anielak  1 , Michał Polus  1 , Helena Diakun  2 , Izabela Radomska-Kreft  2
Affiliations

The Importance of the Mineral Substrate of the Biofilm in the Process of Low-Temperature Removal of Nitrogen Compounds from Wastewater

Anna Maria Anielak et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

This study researched the use of biofilms to remove nitrogen compounds from municipal sewages at low temperatures, especially in winter. An aluminosilicate substrate was used to create a biofilm, which has an affinity for ammonium ions. The selection of biofilm-forming microorganisms has been shown to occur on aluminosilicate. This substrate is mainly inhabited by microorganisms that remove nitrogen compounds. As a result, microorganisms protected against external factors in the biofilm effectively remove nitrogen compounds. The TN content in sewage treated at a temperature of 10 °C was of a 4 mg/L order and was 3-5 times lower than in the reference system (classical conditions). This process involves shortened nitrification/denitrification such as Anammox. As a result of a given process, CO2 emissions were reduced and much smaller amounts of NOx were produced, positively impacting the ongoing climate changes. Microbiological DNA/RNA tests have shown that the biofilm is primarily composed of archaea and bacteria that remove nitrogen compounds, including those that oxidize ammonia.

Keywords: SBR; ammonia-oxidizing archaea; ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; biofilm; denitrification; nitrification; nitrogen compounds; simultaneous nitrification and denitrification.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Municipal sewage treatment plant in Człuchów. Technological scheme.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mineral composition of the substrate used in the tests.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Physical and chemical characteristics of raw sewage treated at the sewage treatment plant in Człuchów.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Installation of the mineral substrate (A) in the retention tank (tank 3) and (B) in the central chamber of the SBR 4.1 reactor.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The sewage temperature in reactors T(I) in the SBR 4.1 reactor and T(II) in the SBR 4.2 reactor.
Figure 6
Figure 6
pH of the sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 pH(I) and SBR 4.2 pH(II) reactor.
Figure 7
Figure 7
COD of sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 and SBR 4.2 reactor.
Figure 8
Figure 8
BOD of sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 and SBR 4.2 reactor.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Concentration of phosphorus compounds in sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 (TP(I)) and SBR 4.2 reactor (TP(II)).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Concentration of suspended solids in sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 (TSS(I)) and SBR 4.2 reactor (TSS(II)).
Figure 11
Figure 11
N-NH4 concentration values in sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 reactor (N-NH4 (I)) and in the SBR 4.2 reactor (N-NH4 (II)).
Figure 12
Figure 12
N-NO2 concentration values in sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 reactor (N-NO2 (I)) and in the SBR 4.2 reactor (N-NO2 (II)).
Figure 13
Figure 13
N-NO3 concentration values in sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 reactor (N-NO3 (I)) and in the SBR 4.2 reactor (N-NO3 (II)).
Figure 14
Figure 14
TN content in sewage treated in the SBR 4.1 (TN I) and SBR 4.2 (TN II) reactor.
Figure 15
Figure 15
Values of selected indicators characterizing sewage treated 24 h a day in the SBR 4.1 reactor.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Values of selected indicators characterizing sewage treated 24 h a day in the SBR 4.2 reactor.
Figure 17
Figure 17
Photograph of the substrate (A) before testing and (B) after immobilization of microorganisms (with an enlarged fragment of the surface).
Figure 18
Figure 18
Detection of AOA and NOB based on the presence of genes specific for ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms.
Figure 18
Figure 18
Detection of AOA and NOB based on the presence of genes specific for ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms.
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