Biological Nitrification and Denitrification Processes

Abstract

If the wastewater to be treated contains various forms of nitrogen, three biological treatment steps are required for nitrogen removal: (a) in a bio-oxidation step, organic nitrogen is anerobically broken down to ammonia nitrogen; (b) in a subsequent nitrification step, ammonia nitrogen in the wastewater is aerobically converted to nitrate nitrogen; and (c) in a final denitrification step, nitrate nitrogen is anaerobically or anoxically converted to nitrogen gas. This chapter discusses bio-oxidation, nitrification and denitrification process steps, their principles, and design considerations in detail. Key Words Biological process r nitrogen removal r bio-oxidation r nitrification r denitrification r theory r design r process control r design.