High-level nitrogen removal achieved by Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled with Fe(III) reduction (Feammox) is an essential process in the geochemical iron and nitrogen cycling. This study explores Feammox-based nitrogen removal in a continuous laboratory up-flow bioreactor stimulated by intermittently adding 5 mM Fe(OH)3 at intervals o...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Water Research X |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589914724000811 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846137682924666880 |
|---|---|
| author | Xiaohui Cheng Lanlan Hu Tao Liu Xiang Cheng Jiyun Li Kangning Xu Min Zheng |
| author_facet | Xiaohui Cheng Lanlan Hu Tao Liu Xiang Cheng Jiyun Li Kangning Xu Min Zheng |
| author_sort | Xiaohui Cheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled with Fe(III) reduction (Feammox) is an essential process in the geochemical iron and nitrogen cycling. This study explores Feammox-based nitrogen removal in a continuous laboratory up-flow bioreactor stimulated by intermittently adding 5 mM Fe(OH)3 at intervals of approximately two months. The feed was synthetic wastewater with a relatively low ammonium concentration (∼100 mg N/L), yet without organic carbon in order to test its autotrophic nitrogen removal performance. The operation of this system showed the achievement of high-level ammonium and total nitrogen removal efficiency (∼97% and ∼90% on average, respectively) within four months of operation, along with a relatively practical rate of ∼50 mg N/(L·d). The demand of Fe(Ⅲ) for ammonium removal during the whole bioreactor operation was estimated to be only 0.033, two orders of magnitude less than that calculated based on the Feammox reaction producing nitrogen gas. A series of assays on Fe(II) oxidation with different oxidants (O2, NO2− and NO3−) in abiotic and biotic batch tests further revealed an important role of Fe(II) oxidation processes, likely driven by microbial nitrate reduction and chemical oxygen reduction, in assisting the regeneration of Fe(III) for continuous Feammox-based nitrogen removal. This work demonstrates that Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion is a potential option for future wastewater treatment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d0c7e3182f0a49fd963e7e2990ab0a91 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2589-9147 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Research X |
| spelling | doaj-art-d0c7e3182f0a49fd963e7e2990ab0a912024-12-08T06:11:53ZengElsevierWater Research X2589-91472025-05-0127100292High-level nitrogen removal achieved by Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversionXiaohui Cheng0Lanlan Hu1Tao Liu2Xiang Cheng3Jiyun Li4Kangning Xu5Min Zheng6Beijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, ChinaBeijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, ChinaDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, ChinaBeijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, ChinaSchool of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, ChinaBeijing Key Lab for Source Control Technology of Water Pollution, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China; Corresponding authors.Water Research Centre, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia; Corresponding authors.Anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled with Fe(III) reduction (Feammox) is an essential process in the geochemical iron and nitrogen cycling. This study explores Feammox-based nitrogen removal in a continuous laboratory up-flow bioreactor stimulated by intermittently adding 5 mM Fe(OH)3 at intervals of approximately two months. The feed was synthetic wastewater with a relatively low ammonium concentration (∼100 mg N/L), yet without organic carbon in order to test its autotrophic nitrogen removal performance. The operation of this system showed the achievement of high-level ammonium and total nitrogen removal efficiency (∼97% and ∼90% on average, respectively) within four months of operation, along with a relatively practical rate of ∼50 mg N/(L·d). The demand of Fe(Ⅲ) for ammonium removal during the whole bioreactor operation was estimated to be only 0.033, two orders of magnitude less than that calculated based on the Feammox reaction producing nitrogen gas. A series of assays on Fe(II) oxidation with different oxidants (O2, NO2− and NO3−) in abiotic and biotic batch tests further revealed an important role of Fe(II) oxidation processes, likely driven by microbial nitrate reduction and chemical oxygen reduction, in assisting the regeneration of Fe(III) for continuous Feammox-based nitrogen removal. This work demonstrates that Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion is a potential option for future wastewater treatment.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589914724000811FeammoxAnammoxAutotrophic nitrogen removalDissimilatory iron reduction bacteria |
| spellingShingle | Xiaohui Cheng Lanlan Hu Tao Liu Xiang Cheng Jiyun Li Kangning Xu Min Zheng High-level nitrogen removal achieved by Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion Water Research X Feammox Anammox Autotrophic nitrogen removal Dissimilatory iron reduction bacteria |
| title | High-level nitrogen removal achieved by Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion |
| title_full | High-level nitrogen removal achieved by Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion |
| title_fullStr | High-level nitrogen removal achieved by Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion |
| title_full_unstemmed | High-level nitrogen removal achieved by Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion |
| title_short | High-level nitrogen removal achieved by Feammox-based autotrophic nitrogen conversion |
| title_sort | high level nitrogen removal achieved by feammox based autotrophic nitrogen conversion |
| topic | Feammox Anammox Autotrophic nitrogen removal Dissimilatory iron reduction bacteria |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589914724000811 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiaohuicheng highlevelnitrogenremovalachievedbyfeammoxbasedautotrophicnitrogenconversion AT lanlanhu highlevelnitrogenremovalachievedbyfeammoxbasedautotrophicnitrogenconversion AT taoliu highlevelnitrogenremovalachievedbyfeammoxbasedautotrophicnitrogenconversion AT xiangcheng highlevelnitrogenremovalachievedbyfeammoxbasedautotrophicnitrogenconversion AT jiyunli highlevelnitrogenremovalachievedbyfeammoxbasedautotrophicnitrogenconversion AT kangningxu highlevelnitrogenremovalachievedbyfeammoxbasedautotrophicnitrogenconversion AT minzheng highlevelnitrogenremovalachievedbyfeammoxbasedautotrophicnitrogenconversion |