Application of high rate nitrifying trickling filters to remove low concentrations of ammonia from reclaimed municipal wastewater

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 61; no. 10; pp. 2425 - 2432
• Main Authors: van den Akker, B, Holmes, M, Short, M D, Cromar, N J, Fallowfield, H J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IWA Publishing 01.01.2010
• Subjects: Active control; Ammonia; Ammonia - isolation & purification; Animals; Aquatic molluscs; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biomass; Carbon - analysis; Carbon - isolation & purification; Chlorination; Filters; Filtration - methods; Flow rates; Flow velocity; Fluid filters; High flow; Low concentrations; Municipal wastewater; Nitrates - isolation & purification; Nitrification; Nitrites - isolation & purification; Organic carbon; Organic Chemicals - isolation & purification; Pilot Projects; Reclaimed water; Removal; Snails; Trickling filters; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Wastewater; Wastewater renovation; Wastewater treatment; Water Purification - methods; Water reclamation; Water treatment; Water treatment plants
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2010.708

The interference of ammonia with the chlorination process is a problem for many reclaimed water treatment plant operators. This paper presents the findings from a series of pilot experiments that investigated the efficacy of high flow rate nitrifying trickling filters (NTFs) for the removal of low concentrations of ammonia (0.5-3.0 mg N L(-1)) from reclaimed wastewater. Results showed that nitrification was impeded by a combination of high organic carbon loads and aquatic snails, which consumed much of the active biomass. With adequate snail control, nitrification rates (0.3-1.1 g NH(4)-N m(-2) d(-1)) equivalent to that of traditional wastewater NTFs were achieved, despite operating under comparably low ammonia feed concentrations and high hydraulic flow rates.