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Partial nitrification—operational parameters and microorganisms involved

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Abstract

Nitrite is a common intermediate in at least three different oxidative or reductive biochemical pathways that occur in nature (nitrification, denitrification and dissimilatory or assimilatory nitrate reduction). Nitrite accumulation or partial nitrification has been reported in literature for decades. In engineered systems, partial nitrification is of interest as it offers cost savings in aeration as well as in the form of lesser need for addition of organic carbon as compared to the conventional denitrification. A broad range of operating parameters and factors has been reviewed in this paper which are essential for achieving partial nitrification. Of these, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, free ammonia (FA) and nitrous acid concentrations, inhibitory compounds are important factors in achieving partial nitrification.

Two groups of bacteria, namely ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are involved in nitrification. Chemolitho-autotrophic AOB are responsible for the rate-limiting step of nitrification in a wide variety of environments, making them important in the global cycling of nitrogen. Characterization and identification of the bacterial populations in an engineered system which have been considered to be a “black box”, has been made possible by using non-cultivation based techniques such as fluorescent in situ hybridization technique (FISH), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), Sequencing and other techniques involving quantitative chemical analyses of specific biomarkers including quinones. Accordingly, this paper also attempts to give examples of how various molecular techniques can be used for characterizing various microorganisms involved in biological nitrogen removal.

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Abbreviations

Anammox:

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation

AMO:

Ammonia Monooxygenase

AOB:

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria

cDNA:

Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid

Cd:

Cadmium

\({\hbox{ClO}_{2}^{-}}\) :

Chlorite ion

\({\hbox{ClO}_{3}^{-}}\) :

Chlorate ion

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

Cr:

Chromium

Cu:

Copper

DGGE:

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

DO:

Dissolved oxygen

EPA:

Environmental Protection Agency

FA:

Free ammonia

Fe:

Iron

FISH:

Fluorescence in situ hybridization

FNA:

Free nitrous acid

HAO:

Hydroxylamine oxidoreductase

HNO2 :

Nitrous acid

HRT:

Hydraulic residence time

MCRT:

Mean cell residence time

MK:

Menaquinone

N2 :

Nitrogen gas

NaCl:

Sodium chloride

NaOH:

Sodium hydroxide

NH3 :

Ammonia

\({\hbox{NH}_{4}^{+}}\) :

Ammonium ion

NH2OH:

Hydroxyl amine

NO:

Nitric oxide

N2O:

Nitrous oxide

\({\hbox{NO}_{2}^{-}}\) :

Nitrite ion

\({\hbox{NO}_{3}^{-}}\) :

Nitrate ion

NOB:

Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria

NOD:

Nitrogenous oxygen demand

NOR:

Nitrite oxidoreductase

Pb:

Lead

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

Q:

Ubiquinone

RNA:

Ribonucleic acid

rRNA:

Ribosomal ribonucleic acid

RT:

Reverse transcriptase

Sharon:

Single reactor high activity ammonia removal over nitrite

SMBR:

Submerged membrane bioreactor

SRT:

Sludge residence time

TAN:

Total ammoniacal nitrogen

TOC:

Total organic carbon

VAS:

Volatile attached solids

WWTP:

Wastewater treatment plant

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Acknowledgements

This review was carried out as part of the “Wastewater Treatment and Management” project component of the Asian Regional Research Programme on Environmental Technology (ARRPET) of the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

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    Banashri Sinha & Ajit P. Annachhatre

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Correspondence to Ajit P. Annachhatre.

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Sinha, B., Annachhatre, A.P. Partial nitrification—operational parameters and microorganisms involved. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 6, 285–313 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-006-9116-x

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