Influence of operating conditions on nitrous oxide formation during nitritation and nitrification

Nitrous oxide (N₂O), a strong greenhouse gas, can be produced by ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) as a by-product of ammonium oxidation and can potentially be formed in all types of nitrification processes. However, partial nitritation has been reported to cause significantly higher N₂O emissions than complete nitrification. In the study presented here, the mechanisms and factors that drive N₂O formation by AOB were investigated with respect to different operational strategies to achieve nitrite accumulation base on combined evaluation of oxygen uptake rate (OUR) and N₂O formation rate. On the one hand, N₂O formation during partial nitritation and nitrification in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with continuous aerobic conditions was observed. On the other hand, the effect of intermittent aeration on N₂O formation during nitrification was investigated. The presence of nitrite, the extend of sludge-specific ammonium loading, low oxygen concentration, and transition from aerobic to anoxic conditions significantly increased N₂O formation in this reactor independently from each other, indicating that different formation pathways, supposedly via nitrite or hydroxylamine, were active.     

Determination of the nitrous oxide emission potential of deammonification under anoxic conditions

Various studies have been performed to determine nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from conventional biological nitrogen removal processes in wastewater treatment like nitrification and denitrification in the main stream. However, with respect to the overall emissions of a wastewater treatment plant, part-stream treatment for high-strength wastewater (e.g., sludge liquor) is also expected to hold a significant emission potential because of high concentrations and extreme boundary conditions. This paper presents results from a laboratory-scale study on nitrous oxide production by biomass from a deammonification process (nitritation + anammox) under anoxic conditions. It was discovered that N2O formation results from incomplete endogenous denitrification rather than anammox and is dependent on substrate availability. Based on direct measurements of the dissolved N2O concentrations in a sequencing batch reactor, the dynamic behavior of N2O production is characterized in more detail. The results show that, during anoxic conditions, the N2O emission potential of deammonification is significantly lower than from conventional denitrification.     

Model-based evaluation on the conversion ratio of ammonium to nitrite in a nitritation process for ammonium-rich wastewater treatment

Modeling for nitritation process was discussed and analyzed quantitatively for the factors that influence nitrite accumulation. The results indicated that pH, inorganic carbon source and Hydraulic Retention Time(HRT) as well as biomass concentration are the main factors that influenced the conversion ratio of ammonium to nitrite. A constant high pH can lead to a high nitritation rate and results in high conversion ratio on condition that free ammonia inhibition do not happen. In a CSTR system, without pH control, this conversion ratio can be monitored by pH variation in the reactor. The pH goes down far from the inlet level means a strongly nitrite accumulation. High concentration of alkalinity can promoted the conversion ratio by means of accelerating the nitritation rate through providing sufficient inorganic carbon source(carbon dioxide). When inorganic carbon source was depleted, the nitritation process stopped. HRT adjustment could be an efficient way to make the nitritation system run more flexible, which to some extent can meet the requirements of the fluctuant of inlet parameters such as ammonium concentration, pH, and temperature and so on. Biomass concentration is the key point, especially for a CSTR system in steady state, which was normally circumscribed by the characteristics of bacteria and may also affected by aeration mode and can be increased by prolonging the HRT on the condition of no nitrate accumulation when no recirculation available. The higher the biomass concentration is, the better the nitrite accumulation can be obtained. accumulation     

Metabolism of DDT in Different Tissues of Young Rats

The bioconcentration and distribution pattern of p,p′-DDT 1,1,1-1trichloro-2,2-bis(2-chlorophenyl-4-chlorophenyl)-ethane] and its main metabolites (p,p′-DDD [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) ethane] and p,p′-DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) in adipose tissue, liver, brain, kidney, thymus, and testis were examined in young rats after 10 days of intraperitoneal injection of 50 and 100 mg of p,p′-DDT/kg of body weight. Analyses were performed by high-resolution gas chromatography. p,p′-DDT was found to be accumulated in a dose-dependent manner with the highest concentration in adipose tissue. However, in brain, the accumulation of pesticide was low and remained unchanged at the higher dose. This difference may relate to the protective role of the blood-brain barrier, which limits the access of the xenobiotic in the cerebral compartment, and to the differential tissue lipid composition. Although tissues concentration of p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDD correlated positively to total p,p′-DDT levels, the active role in detoxification of pollutants may explain why p,p′-DDD is more abundant in liver than in the rest of organs. On the contrary, in brain, the concentration of p,p′-DDE is higher than that of p,p′-DDD, suggesting that the metabolism of the parent insecticide proceeds via more than one pathway.     

In situ remediation of MTBE utilizing ozone

There has been a great deal of focus on methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) over the past few years by local, state, and federal government, industry, public stakeholders, the environmental services market, and educational institutions. This focus is, in large part, the result of the widespread detection of MTBE in groundwater and surface waters across the United States. The presence of MTBE in groundwater has been attributed primarily to the release from underground storage tank (UST) systems at gasoline service stations. MTBE's physical and chemical properties are different than other constituents of gasoline that have traditionally been cause for concern [benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX)]. This difference in properties is why MTBE migrates differently in the subsurface environment and exhibits different constraints relative to mitigation and remediation of MTBE once it has been released to subsurface soils and groundwater. Resource Control Corporation (RCC) has accomplished the remediation of MTBE from subsurface soil and groundwater at multiple sites using ozone. RCC has successfully applied ozone at several sites with different lithologies, geochemistry, and concentrations of constituents of concern. This article presents results from several projects utilizing in situ chemical oxidation with ozone. On these projects MTBE concentrations in groundwater were reduced to remedial objectives usually sooner than anticipated. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.