Nitrification in Saline Industrial Wastewater

PhD student: dr.ir. M.S. Moussa

e-mail: M.Moussa@unesco-ihe.org
Promotor: Prof.dr. H.J. Gijzen (Unesco-IHE)
Prof.dr.Ir. M.C.M. van Loosdrecht (TU Delft)
Supervisor: Dr. H.J. Lubberding
Dr.Ir. M.C. Hooijmans
Defence date 29 March 2004
Institute: UNESCO-IHE, Department of Sanitary and Environmental
TU Delft, Department of biotechnology, Environmental Biotechnology Group
Project term: September 1999 December 2003
Financed by: BTS, Shell, Heiploeg and Ecco

Description

Researchers so far have concentrated mainly on nitrification in domestic

wastewater treatment and achieved broad knowledge and practical
experience about the process. The result is that biological nitrogen
removal is widely and successfully applied for municipal wastewater.
However, these experiences are not directly applicable to industrial
wastewater due to its specific composition. Several industries are dealing
with a high salt concentration in their
wastewater. Also the policy of more
economic use of water and water reuse will
result in an increase of salt content of the
ultimately produced wastewater.
The response of the nitrification process to
saline conditions and the adaptation
mechanisms of nitrifying bacteria towards
these conditions are still unknown. The available studies on the
effect of salt on nitrification show a decline in activity for ammonia
and nitrite oxidisers. However, it does not give clear answers on:
what are the main inhibiting factors causing the effects, do all salts
have similar effects, what is the maximum acceptable salt level, are
ammonia oxidisers or nitrite
oxidisers most sensitive to salt
stress, can nitrifiers adapt to long
term salt stress and are some
specific nitrifiers more resistant
to salt stress than others?
The research was carried out in two phases to clarify this
indistinctness. In the first phase, laboratory scale activities were
conducted to obtain fundamental data to determine the
relationship between salinity and nitrification. In the second
phase, the results collected from the laboratory experiments
were compared and validated with the results collected from
full-scale treatment plants. Modelling was employed in both
phases to provide a mathematical description for salt inhibition
on nitrification and to facilitate the comparison.

The research has lead to an improved understanding of the

effect of salinity on nitrification. The results obtained within the
course of this research can be used to improve the
sustainability of the existing wastewater treatment plants
(WWTP) operated under salt stress. The findings also form a guideline for more economical and
sustainable design and start up of WWTPs dealing with salt in future.
Project outcome:

Experimental determination of nitrite and ammonia oxidation activity

[1] Moussa MS, Lubberding HJ, Hooijmans CM, van Loosdrecht MCM, Gijzen HJ. (2003).
Improved method for determination of ammonia and nitrite oxidation activities in mixed
bacterial cultures. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 63: 217-221.

Effect of salt on nitrification rates

[2] Moussa MS, Garcia O, Lubberding HJ, Hooijmans CM, Van Loosdrecht MCM & Gijzen HJ.
Short term effect of various salt on ammonia and nitrite oxidisers in mixed bacterial cultures.
(submitted).

[3] Moussa MS, Sumanasekera DU, Hag IS, Lubberding HJ, Hooijmans CM, Gijzen HJ & Van
Loosdrecht MCM. Long term effects of salt on activity, population structure and floc
characteristics in mixed bacterial cultures (in preparation).

Mathematical modeling of salt inhibition

[4] Moussa MS, Lubberding HJ, Hooijmans CM, Gijzen HJ & Van Loosdrecht MCM. Novel
approach for modelling Nitrification, Heterotrophic growth and predation in wastewater
treatment. (submitted).

Full scale evaluation of obtained results

[5] Moussa MS, Garcia O, Lubberding HJ, Hooijmans CM, Van Loosdrecht MCM & Gijzen HJ.
Nitrification activities in full-scale treatment plants with varying salt loads. (in preparation).

[6] Moussa MS, Rojas AR, Hooijmans CM, Gijzen HJ & Van Loosdrecht MCM. (2004). Model-
based evaluation of nitrogen removal in a tannery wastewater treatment plant. Water
SciTechnol 50(6) p251-260.