DEAMMONIFICATION: A COST-EFFECTIVE TREATMENT PROCESS FOR NITROGEN-RICH WASTEWATERS

Nitrogen elimination through autotrophic micro-organisms is currently in the focus of research projects on the treatment of wastewater with high nitrogen contents, for instance, to develop and fix dimensioning parameters for controlled full-scale applications. In fact, several leachate treatment plants have already shown for years that the steady operation of nitrogen elimination without carbon demand is possible. Due to the low growth rates of the participating microorganisms, these processes can be found in particular in biofilm systems, which also open the way for the simultaneous running of the two basic processes, in particular, the nitritation and the oxidization of the remaining ammonium by nitrite to N2 and H2O.In the following, we will discuss the basis of the operation results of industrial and pilot-scale plants the operation stability of the aerobic/anoxic deammonification, and outline our experiences, in particular, for the conversion in biofilm systems and for the treatment of leachate, sludge liquor and industrial wastewaters.