Difficulties in maintaining long-term partial nitritation of ammonium-rich sludge digester liquids in a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR)

Nitrogen can be eliminated effectively from sludge digester effluents by anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), but 55-60% of the ammonium must first be oxidized to nitrite. Although a continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with suspended biomass could be used, its hydraulic dilution rate is limited to 0.8-1 d-1 (30¡C). Higher specific nitrite production rates can be achieved by sludge retention, as shown here for a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with Kaldnes® carriers on laboratory and pilot scales. The maximum nitrite production rate amounted to 2.7 gNO₂-Nm^-2d^-1 (3 gO₂m^-3d^-1, 30.5°C), thus doubling the dilution rate compared to CSTR operation with suspended biomass for a supernatant with 700 gNH₄-Nm^-3. Whenever the available alkalinity was fully consumed, an optimal amount of nitrite was produced. However, a significant amount of nitrate was produced after 11 months of operation, making the effluent unsuitable for anaerobic ammonium oxidation. Because the sludge retention time (SRT) is relatively long in biofilm systems, slow growth of nitrite oxidizers occurs. None of the selection criteria applied - a high ammonium loading rate, high free ammonia or low oxygen concentration - led to selective suppression of nitrite oxidation. A CSTR or SBR with suspended biomass is consequently recommended for full-scale operation.