Study of a Fixed-Bed Anammox Reactor with High Treatment Capability

Abstract

This study focused on a 1500 L fixed-bed anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) reactor (effective volume: 1563 L), which was developed using malt ceramics (MC) produced from carbonized spent grains as the biomass carriers for anammox sludge. Start-up time for the 1500 L reactor was reduced to 105 d by using effluent from a 400 L fixed-bed anammox reactor as seeding anammox microorganisms. In the 1500 L reactor, stable nitrogen removal rates of 1.98–4.12 kg-NH₄-N/m³/d were obtained though the continuous treatment of real wastewater containing synthetic inorganic wastewater with an HRT of 3.0 h at room temperature (25°C) for 120 d.