Journal of Environmental Biology

Effect of substrates and free ammonia on kinetic characteristics of nitritation and nitratation by entrapped nitrifiers

Zhirong Li¹*, Zhi Zhang² and Zhenjia Zhang¹

¹School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai-200 240, China

²School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200 240, China

*Corresponding Author E-mail: lizr0210@gmail.com

Publication Data

Paper received:

15 January 2014

Revised received:

13 March 2014

Accepted:

14 March 2014

Abstract

In the present study, nitrifying bacteria entrapped in waterborne polyurethane gel was used to investigate the kinetic characteristics of nitritation and nitratation in relation to achieve shortcut nitrification. The nitrite accumulation rate was over 80% during the acclimation period. The following kinetic parameters were experimentally obtained: maximum nitrification rate (v_max), half-saturation coefficient (KS and KO), and inhibition coefficient (K_IH). The bacterial populations were also determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. 73.5% proportion of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) resulted in a significantly higher ammonia oxidizing rate than nitrite oxidizing rate, which is in agreement with higher V_max of nitritation (608.5 mgNl^-1-pellet h-1) over nitratation (66.3 mgN l^-1-pellet h^-1). 

Key words

Entrapped nitrifying bacteria, Kinetics, Nitratation, Nitritation, Shortcut nitrifiication

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