Nitrogen removal in

wastewater stabilisation ponds

B. Picot, T. Andrianarison, D.P. Olijnyk, F. Brissaud

Hydrosciences, Universities I and II

of Montpellier - France

Wang X., Qui J.P.

School of Environmental Science and Engineering,
Shanghai JiaoTong University,
China
SmallWat 07, Sevilla, november 11-15, 2007
• As a result of the implementation of the
E.U. directive 91/271/EEC, nutrient
removal is more and more frequently
required.

• More attention has to be paid to the

potential of ponds for nutrient removal

This work is focused on nitrogen removal

 Objectives of this study

• to evaluate the efficiency of nitrogen

removal in a large scale WSP system

• To assess relative contribution of

ammonia volatilisation and
nitrification/denitrification
in overall N removal
 Meze WSP and Thau lagoon

Sète

Thau lagoon

Mèze

M3
 Waste Stabilisation Pond System of Mèze
Capacity Area
1980 8000 PE 8 ha

2004 20000 PE 14 ha
Screening anaerobic ponds
V = 2 × 5000 m3
M1 d = 3.1 m
Inlet λV = 100 g BOD/m3.d
HRT = 4 days
A1 Aerator = 0.5 kWhr/ kg BOD
M2 A2

R1 Facultative with step-feeding

M3 R2 and recirculation (SFP)
Maturation ponds R4 A = 4 x 0.68 ha
a = 4 + 2 + 2 ha R3 d = 1.8 m
d = 1.7 m λS= 200 kg/ha.d
λS = 50 kgBOD/ha.d P1 HRT =28 d
HRT= 46 d Aerators = 0.5 kWhr/ kg BOD

P2 Polishing Ponds
A = 1.9 +1.2 ha
Outlet
d = 0.8 - 1.3 m
HRT = 16 d
 Contribution of each treatment
stage to overall removal
Mèze WSP - 2003-2004 -
Overall removal 79% 81% 94% 68% 39%
100%
6
19 2
M1 21
Inlet 80% 0 19 33

A1 21 23 61
A2 7
60% 26 Effluent
M2 R1 22 P12
24
R2 40% 38 M123
R4 14 SFP
M3 47 6
R3 20% 39 6 A12
34 7
P1 16 12
0% -3

P2 SS COD BOD TKN TP

-20%
Outlet

• Anaerobic ponds (A12) and step fed facultative ponds

with recirculation and aeration (SFP) are very efficient
at removing SS, COD and BOD
• Maturation (M123) and polishing ponds (P12) are efficient
at removing N and P
 Nitrogen Removal
Influent : TN 52mg/L Effluent

NOx-N
1%

NH4-N
Org-N 28%
27%
Removal
64% Org-N
NH4-N 5%
72% NOx-N
3%

N TK

100%
15 12
32 6
80% 12 47 Ef f l uent
8 69
60% P12
59 58 10
40% 38 M123
11
5 9 SFP
20% 6 15
12 2 23 A12
16 20
8 9
0% -2
Total Summer Autumn Wi nter Spr i ng
-20%

N removal is higher in summer and autumn

than in winter and spring
 Nitrogen cycle

Effluent Effluent Effluent

Volatilization Denitrification

Mineralization
Organic Ammonia Nitrification Nitrite and
nitrogen Nitrate
Assimilation

Sedimentation Regeneration

Benthic
sludge
Influent Influent Influent
• Contradictory assumptions on N removal

– Volatilization ?
– Nitrification/denitrification ?

– Sedimentation
– Assimilation
 Mèze 2003-04 M1

A1
Inlet

A2

M2 R1
R2
Outlet of the M3
R4
R3
maturation stage P1
Normal flow path
Other flow paths
P2
40 Outlet 9

35 8
temperature
7
Temperature (°C), N-NH4 (mg/L)

30

N-NO2 , N-NO3 (mg/L)

6
25
5
20
N-NH4
4
15 N-NO3 3
10
2

5 N-NO2 1

0 0
Jul-03 Sep-03 Nov-03 Jan-04 Mar-04 May-04 Jul-04
• 2003-2004: clues of nitrification and
denitrification in the
maturation stage

• 2005: monitoring focused on the

last maturation pond, M3

Goals - check the fate of N species

- identify and quantify the
mechanisms responsible for N
removal
 Biogaz Collector

biogaz
Analysis
NH3, N2O

volume lecture and sampling of

purge of air at t=0 biogas at t=24h
 NH 3 Biogas Measure

HCl Tedlar bag

0.1N

¾Biogas was not produced before June,

¾Since June collected biogas
•did not contain any measurable NH3 even when pH value reached 9 in July
•Contained N2O

ÎAmmonia volatilisation was not important mechanism of N removal

Î N2 O was a sign of denitrification process
 Nitrogen concentration in
maturation pond effluent M3
April to august 2005
N (mg/l) , temperature (°C)

50
temperature
40 NH4-N
30 NO2-N
20 NO3-N
Norg
10
TN
0
7/4/05

5/5/05

2/6/05
21/4/05

19/5/05

16/6/05

30/6/05

14/7/05
Oxidised nitrogen was near of zero until may, it reached
30 mg/l in june (17 mg/l N-NO2, 13mg/l N-NO3)
and decrease quickly when denitrification occured
 160 35

N transformation rates( kgNd -1)

140 30
120

Temperature ( o C)
25
temperature
100
20
80
Observed N 15
60 Volatilization
total losses
(calculated) 10
40
20 5

0 0
08/04/2005 08/05/2005 07/06/2005 07/07/2005

Volatilization does not account for N losses, particularly in

hot season
The role of nitrification/denitrification in N removal has
to be crucial
 30

25

20
DO (mg/L)

15

10

0
22/6/05 24/6/05 26/6/05 28/6/05 30/6/05 2/7/05 4/7/05 6/7/05 8/7/05

Probe at mid depth

With a CODdissolved of 50-60 mg.L-1, the conditions for

nitrification
and denitrification
are met
 During 1year
140 Dénitrification
Volatilisation
Sédimentation -Régénération
120

100

80
kg N/ j

60

40

20

0
Moyenne Eté Automne Hiver Printemps
annuelle
-20

Mean Summer Autumn Winter Spring

 Conclusion
¾ Total nitrogen removal in wastewater stabilisation ponds was season
dependent; it was higher in summer than in winter.

¾ The major part of nitrogen removal occurred in the maturation

ponds.

¾ Even if nitrite and nitrate concentrations were very often near zero,
oxidised forms of nitrogen could reach high level during a few weeks
when nitrification did not go with denitrification.
Monthly samples to survey ponds can mask their presence.

¾ Nitrification took place during warm periods from June to November

when water temperature was higher than 20°C.

¾ Nitrification was followed by denitrification with a delay of about 1-2

weeks.

¾ Denitrification stopped the first when water temperature decreased

quickly (in november in the South of France).
¾ Nitrification-denitrification is the major pathway for
nitrogen removal in maturation pond during warm
operations.

¾ Volatilisation of ammonia accounts for a minor part

¾ The identification of the mechanisms responsible for

N removal will help promoting technical solutions
leading to enhanced performances
SmallWat 07, Sevilla, november 11-15, 2007
SmallWat 07, Sevilla, november 11-15, 2007