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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #338154
Research Project: Improvement of Soil Management Practices and Manure Treatment/Handling Systems of the Southern Coastal Plain

Location: Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research

Title: Characterization of a combined batch-continuous procedure for the culture of anammox biomass

Author
item CONNAN, ROMAIN - Institut National De Recherche En Sciences Et Technologies Pour L'Environnement Et L'agriculture(ir
item DABERT, PATRICK - Institut National De Recherche En Sciences Et Technologies Pour L'Environnement Et L'agriculture(ir
item LE ROUX, SOPHIE - Institut National De Recherche En Sciences Et Technologies Pour L'Environnement Et L'agriculture(ir
item CHAPLEUR, OLIVIER - Institut National De Recherche En Sciences Et Technologies Pour L'Environnement Et L'agriculture(ir
item BRIDOUX, GILBERT - Collaborator
item Vanotti, Matias
item BELINE, FABRICE - Institut National De Recherche En Sciences Et Technologies Pour L'Environnement Et L'agriculture(ir
item MAGRI, ALBERT - Institut National De Recherche En Sciences Et Technologies Pour L'Environnement Et L'agriculture(ir

Submitted to: Ecological Engineering
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2017
Publication Date: 6/9/2017
Citation: Connan, R., Dabert, P., Le Roux, S., Chapleur, O., Bridoux, G., Vanotti, M.B., Beline, F., Magri, A. 2017. Characterization of a combined batch-continuous procedure for the culture of anammox biomass. Ecological Engineering. 106:231-241.

Interpretive Summary: Interest in biological nitrogen (N) removal through anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is increasing in the field of wastewater treatment as a more economic and sustainable alternative than conventional nitrification-denitrification. However, anammox biomass is difficult to enrich, and this can hinder the start-up of new applications. A laboratory study was conducted during 1.5 years at France’s National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA) to develop an enriched culture of anammox that could be used for N removal from farming effluents in the high-density animal regions of Normandy. The study used the protocols developed earlier at USDA-ARS for anammox enrichment. Sludges from an activated sludge municipal plant was used as raw inoculum for enrichment of the anammox biomass. In a first step, the carbon in the inoculum was removed biologically using nitrate. In a second step, anammox enrichment was conducted under suspended biomass batch mode and increased N loadings. In the last step, the enrichment was continued using a continuous up-flow reactor packed with a polyester non-woven material to promote the attached growth of the biomass. The procedure was successful. The enriched biomass obtained had a high capacity to remove N via the anammox pathway, at a removal rate of 1.2 kg of nitrogen per cubic meter of reactor per day. DNA sequencing showed that the dominant anammox species was Brocadia sinica.

Technical Abstract: Interest in autotrophic nitrogen (N) removal through anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is increasing in the field of wastewater treatment as a more economic and sustainable alternative than conventional nitrification-denitrification. However, anammox biomass is difficult to enrich, and this can hinder the start-up of new applications. We carried out experimental work to characterize a combined batch-continuous procedure for the enrichment and culture of anammox biomass. In the first stage (time span: 120 days), the enrichment was started in batch mode using suspended activated sludge as inoculum. Anammox activity was clearly developed since the specific ammonium (NH4) conversion rate increased from 0 to 118 milligrams (mg) NH4-N/gram (g) volatile solids (VS) per day; i.e., 560 mg N per liter per day in terms of N-conversion rate (NCR). Subsequently, the sludge was transferred into a continuous upflow reactor packed with a polyester non-woven material to promote the attached growth of the biomass. Such bioreactor was operated without interruption during 400 d. Under an appropriate feeding regime, the anammox activity increased fast, and a sustained NCR of 1183 mg N per liter per day was reached according to the N loading rate applied. Evolution of the microbial community structure was characterized using high-throughput DNA sequencing. The overall procedure prompted the selection of a community enriched in the anammox bacterial species Candidatus Brocadia sinica ('70% of the total DNA sequences). Other coexisting microbial groups belonged to Rhodocyclaceae (class '-Proteobacteria), Anaerolineae (phylum Chloroflexi) and Ignavibacteriaceae (phylum Chlorobi).