Nitrous and nitric oxides and the effect of oxygen level and nitrite concentration on its emission from nitritation and nitrification-denitrification reactors

• Main Authors: Magnaye, Florante A., Gaspillo, Pag-Asa D., Auresenia, Joseph L., Kampschreur, Marlies J., Kleerebezem, Robbert, Van Loosdrecht, Mark
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Nitrous oxide; Nitric oxide; Nitrites; Oxygen; Chemical Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/684
• Institution: De La Salle University

Two different laboratory scale experiments were performed to evaluate nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N2O) production from ammonium-rich wastewater using both continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR). A nitritation reactor (CSTR) based on a Sharon (Single reactor system for High activity Ammonium Removal Over Nitrite) process was used for the partial nitrification of 1000 mg per liter of ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N) resulting in a high concentration of nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N) in the reactor while a 12-hour cycle SBR with anoxic-aerobic phases was used for the complete nitrification and denitrification of 340 mg per liter ammonium-nitrogen of wastewater. Concentrations of NO and N2O were measured from these reactors and the results showed that nitrite concentration in the reactor has significant effect on the production of NO and N2O for both CSTR and SBR. On the other hand, oxygen level also has a significant effect on the emission of NO and N2O observed in the two reactors. When no oxygen is supplied to the reactor, both NO and N2O concentrations in the off gas rise sharply while Upon gradual lowering of the DO in the reactor, the NO level decreases, but the N2O level increases. © 2008 IEEE.