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In order to examine the effects of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) on the performance of denitrifying granular sludge (DGS) in a continuous flow model, the variations of nitrogen removal efficiency in the reactor, sludge morphology, and denitrifying characteristics at different influent nZVI concentrations were investigated in an upflow sludge bed (USB). The results showed that nZVI concentrations lower than 5 mg·L

To explore the potential stressing effect of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) on denitrifying granular sludge (DGS), the evolution of DGS denitrifying performance under different C/N ratios was investigated in this study, by carrying out batch tests of eight successive periods with the nZVI shock-loading. The results showed that the specific denitrification rate of µ value decreased when the nZVI dosage was higher than 5 mg · L⁻¹. Meanwhile, a positive correlation between the inhibition ratio (IR) of µ value and substrate C/N ratios or nZVI dosage was observed. When the nZVI dosage reached 100 mg · L⁻¹, both extracellular protein and polysaccharides concentrations decreased obviously. It would be beneficial to promote the recovery of DGS denitrifying activity and reduce the COD demanding to remove unit mass of nitrate, by increasing external carbon source with C/N ratios of higher than 4. On the basis of Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms, when higher C/N ratio was provided, stronger bioadsorption of nZVI would be achieved. During the recovery period, a significant improvement of DCS denitrifying performance under the high C/N ratio was expected, due to the continuous washout of total iron in sludge phase (Qe), while the µ value would reach or approach the one of the control group when Qe was lower than 0.4 mg · g⁻¹.

Two anaerobic baffled reactors (ABR) were compared for anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) enrichment using synthetic wastewater with different inoculated sludge, the mixed anaerobic flocculent sludge/granular sludge (R1) and anaerobic activated sludge (R2). The research showed the ANAMMOX activity occurred in both reactors allowing continuous removal of ammonium and nitrite, in which the ammonia and nitrite nitrogen loading was about 54.5-68.0 g (m3 x d)(-1), when maintaining the temperature at 30-35 degrees C, pH at 7.5 +/- 0.5 and HRT at 26 h. However, the ANAMMOX reaction was successfully started after 120 d and 125 d, respectively. The removal rules of the two reactors were basically similar, and the enrichment processes occurred in both reactors could be divided into 4 phases, which were sluggish phase, expressive phase, enhanced phase and steady phase. In the steady phase, the average removal rates of NH4+ -N, NO2- -N were higher than 90%, and the average removal load achieved 57.3-67.9 g x (m3 x d)(-1). Moreover, the ammonium removal load in R1 was slightly higher than that in R2. Additionally, more than 90% of nitrogen was dramatically removed in the first compartment of ABR. Meanwhile, the color of sludge gradually changed from brown, litter bed brown to black along with the flow direction, which was similar to the removal rule of nitrogen. In a word, the results showed the different inoculated sludge did not cause obvious differences in the starting rule and the removal characteristics of ANAMMOX reactor.