Nitrogen removal capacity of simultaneously autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification in a sewer receiving nitrified source-separated urine

Discharging source-separated and nitrified urine into sewer helps to save cost and space in biological nitrogen treatment as in-sewer denitrification is induced. This unique denitrification process may become complicated in sewers with sulfide contamination as simultaneously autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification possibly occur but may compete each other for nitrate in oxidation of sulfide and organics. The objective of this study is to estimate the mixed denitrification rate in a sulfide-contaminated sewer when nitrified urine (mainly nitrite and nitrate) is discharged. In this study two investigations were conducted: (1) determination of the autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixed denitrification rates via lab batch tests and (2) determination of the total nitrogen removal rate in a 6.5-km long force main sewer via field study with calcium nitrate dosed at an average influent rate of 15.6 mg N/L. The lab tests determined the rates of autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixed denitrification at 0.36 ± 0.06, 6.54 ± 0.04 and 1.99 ± 0.1 mg N/L/h, respectively, while the field study estimated the total in-sewer denitrification rate at 2.32 mg N/L/h in the sewer when sulfide was present. Simultaneously autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification was found when sewage was contaminated with sulfide. However, nitrogen removal rate of heterotrophic denitrification was 3.3 times higher that of the mixed denitrification process. The results indicate that discharging source-separated and nitrified urine into sewer is meaningful to decentralized sewage treatment, especially when sulfide is absent in the sewer.