Recovery of nitrogen removal by N2H4 after nitrite inhibited anammox reaction

A pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) of bacteria culture was used along with a batch experimental reaction device to study the effect of NO2--N concentration on the activity of anammox bacteria and the recovery of N2H4 on anammox bacteria after inhibition by high concentrations of NO2--N. The optimal influent NO2--N concentration in the pilot-scale reactor was 72.0 mg/L, with its total nitrogen consumption being approximately 40.0 g/d. Influent water NO2--N concentrations greater than 100 mg/L had a serious inhibitory effect on the anammox bacteria. At an influent NO2--N concentration of 120.35 mg/L, the addition of 10.0-15.0 mg/L of N2H4, restored the activity of granular anammox bacteria; the total nitrogen consumption was increased by 69.96%. Microbiological analysis showed that a change in NO2--N concentration within the range of 18.87-115.39 mg/L did not affect the microbial population structure of the pilot-scale reactor, wherein Candidatus Kuenenia was the dominant bacterial species. In samples collected at stages A0 (sludge inoculation), A20 (the number indicates the NO2--N concentration, which, in this stage, was 20 mg/L), A40, A60, A80, and A100, the proportion of Candidatus Kuenenia was 27%, 23%, 36%, 26%, 34%, and 33%, respectively.