Model-based evaluation of temperature and inflow variations on a partial nitrification–ANAMMOX biofilm process

A mathematical model describing nitrification (nitritification plus nitratification) and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) combined in a biofilm reactor was developed. Based on this model, a previously proposed one-reactor completely autotrophic ammonium removal over nitrite (CANON) process was evaluated for its temperature dependency and behaviour under variable inflow. The temperature-dependency of growth rates of the involved organisms is described by an Arrhenius-type equation. If temperature decreases, the activities of the involved organisms decrease. This means that thicker biofilms are needed or the ammonium surface load (ASL) to the biofilm should be decreased to maintain full N-removal at lower temperatures. Although the growth rate of nitrite oxidisers is higher than that of ammonium oxidisers at lower temperatures, these organisms can be effectively competed out due to a lower oxygen affinity. Variable inflow or dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration negatively affect the N-removal efficiency due to an unbalance between applied ASL load and required oxygen concentration. A variation of the dissolved oxygen concentration in a small range (±0.2 g O2/m3) has no significant influence on the process performance, which means that requirements on electrode sensitivity and a DO control scheme are not too stringent. A variable ASL has obvious influence on the process performance, at both constant and variable DO. A good adjustment of DO in accordance with the variable ASL is needed to optimise the N-removal efficiency. At T=20°C, an N-removal efficiency of 88% is possible at ASL=0.5 g NH4+−N/m2 d, in a biofilm of at least 0.7 mm thickness and a DO level of 0.3 g O2/m3 in the bulk liquid.