Abstract

Internal Recycle ratios (IR) were alternated and operated to determine its efficiency on nitrate removal within a SMALL FOOTPRINT bioreactor. Determining a suitable recycle ratio is essential to justify the prerequisites required for operative optimization. In order to achieve considerable nitrogen reduction, the reactor was designed with primary (pre) and secondary (post) anoxic chambers, combined aeration chamber for nitrification and carbon removal and final settler to settle the biomass prior to discharge. The nitrate oxidized in aeration chamber was recycled back to the pre-anoxic chamber. The residual nitrate flows to the post anoxic chamber for denitrification. Each IR ratio of 6, 4 and 0, was operated with distinct influent Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) to Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) ratios of 18.9, 14.9 and 10.9, respectively. The IR of 6 with COD/TKN ratio of 18.9 attained maximum Total Nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of 90.7%. The overall average total nitrogen (TN) = 4.0 mg/L in effluent was achieved, signifying an average of 9.5% efficiency more than the process without nitrate recycle, with average effluent TN = 7.7 mg/L.

Keywords:

Compact, , internal recycles, nitrogen , SMALL FOOTPRINT,

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