Nitrogen Compounds Removal in a Packed Bed External Loop Airlift Bioreactor

Siriwan Silapakul; Sorawit Powtongsook; Prasert Pavasant

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.22, No.3, 393-398, May, 2005

DOI10.1007/BF02719417 Export Citation

Nitrogen Compounds Removal in a Packed Bed External Loop Airlift Bioreactor

Siriwan Silapakul, Sorawit Powtongsook¹, and Prasert Pavasant^†

Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
¹Marine Biotechnology Research Unit (at Chulalongkorn University), National Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Bangkok, Thailand

E-mail:

A packed bed external loop airlift bioreactor (PBELAB) was proposed as an alternative treatment system for wastewater containing ammonia and nitrate compounds. The 60L PBELAB consisted of aeration and non-aeration zones, both of which were packed with plastic bioballs to enhance the surface area for the attachment of bacteria. The system was able to achieve complete removal of all nitrogen compounds with simultaneous nitrification and denitrification, i.e., ammonia was decomposed in the aeration zone and nitrate was biodegraded in the non-aeration zone. At normal operation, the nitrification rate obtained from the system was in the range of 0.14-0.87 gNH3-N/m2d and the denitrification rate was 0.04 gNO3-N/m2d. The factors found to have great influence on the system included dissolved oxygen concentration and biofilm thickness. In addition, PBELAB was proven to perform well under nitrate shock load condition.

Keywords:Nitrification;Denitrification;Ammonia;Nitrate;Wastewater

[References]

Arbiv R, vanRijn J, Aquacult. Eng., 14(2), 189 (1995)
Balderston WL, Sieburth JM, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 32, 808 (1976)
Bovendeur J, Zwage AB, Lobee BGJ, Blom JH, Water Res., 24(2), 207 (1990)
Davis DA, Amold CR, Aquacult. Eng., 17(3), 193 (1998)
Greiner AD, Timmons MB, Aquacult. Eng., 18(3), 189 (1998)
Hargreaves JA, Aquaculture, 166(3-4), 181 (1998)
Kamstra A, Heul JW, Nihof M, Aquacult. Eng., 17(3), 175 (1998)
Knosche R, Aquacult. Eng., 13(1), 71 (1994)
Lakang OI, Kleppe H, Aquacult. Eng., 21(3), 181 (2000)
Menasveta P, Panritdam T, Sihanonth P, Powtongsook S, Chuntapa B, Lee PG, Aquacult. Eng., 25(1), 35 (2001)
Nijhof M, Aquaculture, 134(1-2), 49 (1995)
Nijhof M, Bovendeur J, Aquaculture, 87, 133 (1990)
Otte G, Rosenthal H, Aquaculture, 18, 169 (1979)
Reyes AA, Lawson TB, Aquacult. Eng., 15(1), 27 (1996)
Sastry NB, Reyes AA, Rusch KA, Malone RF, Aquacult. Eng., 19(2), 105 (1999)
Sauthier N, Grasmick A, Blancheton JP, Water Res., 32(6), 1932 (1998)
Skolstrup J, Nielsen PH, Frier JO, McLean E, Aquacult. Eng., 18(4), 265 (1998)
Strickland JDH, Parson TR, A Practice Handbook of Seawater Analysis, 2nd edn. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin NO. 167, Ottawa, Canada (1972)
Tal Y, Watts EM, Schreier SB, Sowers KR, Schreier HJ, Aquaculture, 215(1-4), 187 (2003)
vanRijn J, Rivera G, Aquacult. Eng., 9, 217 (1990)
Wickins JF, Aquacult. Eng., 4, 155 (1985)
Wortman B, Wheaton F, Aquacult. Eng., 10, 183 (1991)
Zhu S, Chen S, Aquacult. Eng., 20(4), 245 (1999)

[Referenced By]

[1] Arbiv R, vanRijn J, Aquacult. Eng., 14(2), 189 (1995)

[2] Balderston WL, Sieburth JM, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 32, 808 (1976)

[3] Bovendeur J, Zwage AB, Lobee BGJ, Blom JH, Water Res., 24(2), 207 (1990)

[4] Davis DA, Amold CR, Aquacult. Eng., 17(3), 193 (1998)

[5] Greiner AD, Timmons MB, Aquacult. Eng., 18(3), 189 (1998)

[6] Hargreaves JA, Aquaculture, 166(3-4), 181 (1998)

[7] Kamstra A, Heul JW, Nihof M, Aquacult. Eng., 17(3), 175 (1998)

[8] Knosche R, Aquacult. Eng., 13(1), 71 (1994)

[9] Lakang OI, Kleppe H, Aquacult. Eng., 21(3), 181 (2000)

[10] Menasveta P, Panritdam T, Sihanonth P, Powtongsook S, Chuntapa B, Lee PG, Aquacult. Eng., 25(1), 35 (2001)

[11] Nijhof M, Aquaculture, 134(1-2), 49 (1995)

[12] Nijhof M, Bovendeur J, Aquaculture, 87, 133 (1990)

[13] Otte G, Rosenthal H, Aquaculture, 18, 169 (1979)

[14] Reyes AA, Lawson TB, Aquacult. Eng., 15(1), 27 (1996)

[15] Sastry NB, Reyes AA, Rusch KA, Malone RF, Aquacult. Eng., 19(2), 105 (1999)

[16] Sauthier N, Grasmick A, Blancheton JP, Water Res., 32(6), 1932 (1998)

[17] Skolstrup J, Nielsen PH, Frier JO, McLean E, Aquacult. Eng., 18(4), 265 (1998)

[18] Strickland JDH, Parson TR, A Practice Handbook of Seawater Analysis, 2nd edn. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin NO. 167, Ottawa, Canada (1972)

[19] Tal Y, Watts EM, Schreier SB, Sowers KR, Schreier HJ, Aquaculture, 215(1-4), 187 (2003)

[20] vanRijn J, Rivera G, Aquacult. Eng., 9, 217 (1990)

[21] Wickins JF, Aquacult. Eng., 4, 155 (1985)

[22] Wortman B, Wheaton F, Aquacult. Eng., 10, 183 (1991)

[23] Zhu S, Chen S, Aquacult. Eng., 20(4), 245 (1999)