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Modeling sequential ammonia oxidation kinetics in enriched nitrifying microbial culture
Author(s) -
KatipogluYazan Tugce,
Ubay Cokgor Emine,
Orhon Derin
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.4287
Subject(s) - nitrification , ammonia , nitrite , environmental chemistry , chemistry , activated sludge , nitrifying bacteria , biomass (ecology) , kinetics , pulp and paper industry , bioreactor , oxygen , nitrogen , environmental engineering , food science , environmental science , biology , sewage treatment , ecology , nitrate , biochemistry , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
BACKGROUND This work evaluated the kinetics of stepwise ammonia oxidation, separately accounting for ammonia oxidizers ( AOB ) and nitrite oxidizers ( NOB ) in an enriched nitrifying microbial culture. This culture was sustained in a fill and draw reactor fed with 50 mg N L −1 of ammonia together with limited organic substrate. Batch experiments were started with the enriched biomass and the same ammonia feeding to monitor profiles of oxygen uptake rate and resulting nitrogen fractions.RESULTS A model structured to define organic carbon removal and nitrification was calibrated with the experimental profiles. Modeling identified a sequential nitrification mechanism with different maximum specific growth rates of 1.4 day −1 for AOB and 0.65 day −1 for NOB , with two distinct nitrifying communities. It could not be calibrated with a single phase overall nitrification approach as in most activated sludge models.CONCLUSION Oxygen uptake rate measurements highlighted the potential merit of an enriched culture by identifying measurable metabolic responses for all biomass fractions. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry