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Influence of temperature and COD loading on biological nitrification–denitrification process using a trickling filter: an empirical modeling approach

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Abstract

To cut down aeration power for nitrification, we constructed a biological nitrification–denitrification process with a trickling filter for nitrification and an anaerobic biological filter for denitrification. The influences of temperature and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading on the nitrification and denitrification performance of the process are discussed in this paper through experimental and empirical modeling approaches. The model constants were determined by the experimental data of the process using municipal wastewater in Ryukoku University. Then, the influences of temperature and COD loading were estimated by the model. The COD levels required for NO3–N removal depended on both, the temperature and influent COD/NO3–N ratio. A lower temperature and higher influent COD/NO3–N ratio increased the COD requirement, because of the different responses between denitrifying bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria against temperature, COD, and NO3–N concentrations. In addition, our experimental system could satisfy the Japanese effluent standard at temperatures higher than 12 °C. The dissolved nitrogen (DN) concentration in the final effluent was more strongly affected by the NH4–N discharged from the trickling filter than it was by the residual NO3–N in the effluent from the denitrification tank. Therefore, the enhancement of the nitrification efficiency in the trickling filter was inferred to enhance the nitrogen removal efficiency. To prevent a low nitrogen removal efficiency at temperatures lower than 15 °C, it was necessary to set the low hydraulic loading.

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Abbreviations

\(C_{{{\text{NO}}_{ 3} - {\text{N}}}}\) :

NO3–N concentration (mg-N L−1)

\(C_{{{\text{inNO}}_{ 3} {\text{ - N}}}}\) :

NO3–N concentration in the influent (mg-N L−1)

\(C_{{{\text{NO}}_{ 3} - {\text{N}}}}^{'}\) :

NO3–N concentration in effluent from the trickling filter (mg-N L−1)

\(C_{\text{in,WW}}\) :

NO3–N concentration in influent wastewater (mg-N L−1)

\(C_{\text{in NL}}\) :

NO3–N concentration in the nitrified liquor (mg-N L−1)

\(C_{{{\text{NH}}_{4} {\text{ - N}}}}\) :

NH4–N concentration (mg-N L−1)

\(C_{{{\text{in,NH}}_{4} {\text{ - N}}}}\) :

NH4–N concentration in the influent (mg- L−1)

\(C_{\text{COD}}\) :

COD (mg L−1)

\(C_{\text{in,COD}}\) :

COD in the influent (mg L−1)

\(K_{\text{den,20}}\) :

Pseudo-first-order denitrification rate constant at 20 °C (1.1 × 10−2 min−1)

\(K_{\text{den,T}}\) :

Pseudo-first-order denitrification rate constant at T °C (min−1)

K nit,20 :

Pseudo-first-order nitrification rate constant at 20 °C (0.27 min−1)

K COD,20 :

Aerobic COD removal rate constants at 20 °C (0.27 min−1)

K COD,den,20 :

COD removal rate constants at 20 °C by denitrification bacteria under NO3–N rich environment 2.0 × 10−3 min−1)

K COD,het,20 :

Pseudo-first-order removal rate constant of COD at 20 °C by heterotrophic bacteria (1.7 × 10−3 min−1)

K COD,het,T :

Pseudo-first-order removal rate constant of COD at T °C by heterotrophic bacteria (min−1)

θ den :

Temperature-activity coefficient of denitrification (1.150)

θ nit :

Temperature-activity coefficient of nitrification (1.096)

θ het :

Temperature-activity coefficient for COD removal by heterotrophic bacteria (1.072)

θ COD :

Temperature-activity coefficient for aerobic COD removal (1.035 [9])

T :

Water temperature (°C)

\(R_{{{\text{NO}}_{3} {\text{ - N}}}}\) :

NO3–N removal rate under COD rich environment (mg-N L−1 min−1)

\(R_{{{\text{NO}}_{ 3} - {\text{N}}}}^{'}\) :

NO3–N removal rate under NO3–N rich environment (mg-N L−1 min−1)

R COD :

COD removal rate under COD rich environment (mg L−1 min−1)

\(R_{\text{COD}}^{'}\) :

COD removal rate under NO3–N rich environment (mg L−1 min−1)

α :

Conversion factor from COD removed to NO3–N removed (0.25

Q :

Flow rate (m3 day−1)

V :

Water volume of denitrification tank (2.15 × 10−3 m3)

A :

Cross-sectional area of denitrification tank (6.5 × 10−3 m2)

ε :

Recirculation rate of nitrified liquor

t :

Hydraulic retention time of denitrification tank (h)

t’ :

Time required for passing through the trickling filter (min)

\(C_{{^{D} }}^{n}\) :

Constant (10.756)

m :

Constant (0.68)

q :

Hydraulic loading to the trickling filter (m3 m−2 day−1)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Science and Technology, Ryukoku University, 1-5 Yokotani, Setaoe-cho, Otsu, 520-2194, Japan

    Ryo Kanda

  2. Faculty of Science and Technology, Ryukoku University, 1-5 Yokotani, Setaoe-cho, Otsu, 520-2194, Japan

    Naoyuki Kishimoto

  3. Development Department, Dainippon Plastics Co., Ltd, 5-1-1 Minoridai, Matsudo, Chiba, 270-2231, Japan

    Joji Hinobayashi

  4. Sales Department, Dainippon Plastics Co., Ltd, 3-1-3 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka, Osaka, 530-0001, Japan

    Tsutomu Hashimoto

  5. Water Environment Division, Maezawa Kasei Industries Co., Ltd., Saitama, 360-0236, Japan

    Satoru Tanaka & Yoshitaka Murakami

Authors
  1. Ryo Kanda
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  2. Naoyuki Kishimoto
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  3. Joji Hinobayashi
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  4. Tsutomu Hashimoto
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  5. Satoru Tanaka
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  6. Yoshitaka Murakami
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Correspondence to Ryo Kanda.

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Kanda, R., Kishimoto, N., Hinobayashi, J. et al. Influence of temperature and COD loading on biological nitrification–denitrification process using a trickling filter: an empirical modeling approach. Int J Environ Res 11, 71–82 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-017-0008-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41742-017-0008-4

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