Partial nitritation treatment of underground brine waste with high ammonium and salt content

• Published in: Journal of bioscience and bioengineering Vol. 108; no. 4; pp. 330 - 335
• Main Authors: Shinohara, Takehiko, Qiao, Sen, Yamamoto, Taichi, Nishiyama, Takashi, Fujii, Takao, Kaiho, Tatsuo, Bhatti, Zafar, Furukawa, Kenji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.10.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: AMMONIUM; AMONIO; Anammox; ARN RIBOSOMAL; ARN RIBOSOMIAL; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; BRINES; DECHET; DESECHOS; Free ammonia; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Kinetics; METANO; METHANE; Nitrates - metabolism; NITRITE; NITRITES; Nitrites - metabolism; NITRITOS; Nitrogen removal; Oxidation-Reduction; Partial nitritation; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds - analysis; RIBOSOMAL RNA; RNA, Bacterial - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; SALINIDAD; SALINITE; SALINITY; SALMUERA; Salts - analysis; Salts - chemistry; SAUMURE; Sodium Chloride - analysis; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; WASTES; Water Purification - methods; Japan, Honshu, Chiba Prefect; INW, Japan; Nitrogen removal; Anammox; Partial nitritation; Free ammonia; Salinity; Ammonia; Ammonium; Treatment; Wastes; Nitrogen
• ISSN: 1389-1723; 1347-4421
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2009.04.014

Underground brine waste containing high concentrations of ammonium and with a salinity of 3% is usually generated during the production of methane gas and iodine in the gas field of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. In this study, one swim-bed reactor, packed with a novel acrylic fiber biomass carrier (Biofringe), was applied to the partial nitritation treatment of this kind of underground brine waste. A stable nitrite production rate of 1.6 kg NO 2-N m − 3 d − 1 was obtained under a nitrogen loading rate of 3.0 kg-N m − 3 d − 1 , at a pH of 7.5 and a temperature of 25 °C. Nitrate production was negligible and the effluent NO 2-N/NO x -N ratio was above 98% due to the successful inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacterial activity. Free ammonia was considered to be the main factor for inhibiting the activity of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. A microbial community shift was demonstrated by 16S rRNA analysis, and it was shown that the ammonium-oxidizing bacteria became the predominant species after successful nitrite accumulation was observed.