Nitrogen removal efficiency and capacity in biofilms with biologically hydrolysed sludge as a carbon source

Abstract

The possibility of using biologically hydrolysed sludge as carbon source for the denitrification process in biofilms has been investigated. The goal of the biological sludge hydrolysis process is a high degree of solubilization of the organic matter in the sludge. The soluble organic matter is best dominated by readily biodegradable compounds. The biological hydrolysis of chemical/biological raw sludge resulted in a degree of solubilization (yield) of 11%, where about 84% of the soluble organic matter originated from protein materials. The solubilized nitrogen was found as ammonium-nitrogen. The sludge was composed of 70% chemical sludge and 30% biological sludge. On average 66% of the soluble organic matter was volatile fatty acids. Only the volatile fatty acids were utilized as carbon source in the denitrifying biofilm. The biofilms were around 1000 μm thick, and the denitrification rate with respect to the concentration of volatile fatty acids could be described by a hyperbolic Monod-type function. The effect of the diffusion resistance in the biofilms was reflected by the use of an artificial “half-saturation” constant, K*CODVFA = 3 mg CODVFA/l. The maximum denitrification rate was found to be rmaxNO3-N = 0.57 g NO3-N/g VS· d. The stoichiometric consumption ratio between soluble organic matter and nitrate was 4.5 g CODVFA/g NO3-N on average. A simulation example on the nitrogen removal capacity when the carbon source is provided by sludge hydrolysis is given.