Nitrogen and Phosphorus Control

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent by Bacterial Sulfate Reduction in a Bioreactor

NITROGEN

Nitrification is a two-stage process in which ammonia (NH4+) is oxidized to nitrite (NO2-) and nitrite to nitrate (NO3-). Aerobic autotrophic bacteria should be dominant in this process. Ammonia and nitrate removal is achieved in wastewater with the help of both heterotrophic and autotrophic bacterial cultures such as Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrobacter winogradsky, which are resistant to different environmental conditions with less oxygen, a wider temperature range.

PHOSPHORUS

Biological Phosphorus Removal (BFG or Bio-P) or biological excess phosphorus removal (BAFG) is sometimes carried out by taking phosphorus in wastewater into the cell in amounts much higher than those required for cell synthesis and maintenance and removing it from the system as phosphorus sludge. Phosphorus removal is carried out in wastewater with specially developed, facultative, phosphorus-storing bacterial cultures such as Pseudomonas putida. In activated sludge systems and all systems, 60-70% removal is achieved within 3-10 days without the need for any additional equipment.