Volume 27, Issue 4 pp. 481-492

New concepts of microbial treatment processes for the nitrogen removal in wastewater

Ingo Schmidt

Corresponding Author

Ingo Schmidt

University of Nijmegen, Department of Microbiology, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +31 (024) 3652568; Fax: +31 (024) 3652830, E-mail address: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Olav Sliekers

Olav Sliekers

Delft University of Technology, Kluyver Laboratory for Biotechnology, Department of Microbiology and Enzymology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands

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Markus Schmid

Markus Schmid

Delft University of Technology, Kluyver Laboratory for Biotechnology, Department of Microbiology and Enzymology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands

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Eberhard Bock

Eberhard Bock

University of Hamburg, Institute for Botany, Department of Microbiology, Ohnhorststraße 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany

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John Fuerst

John Fuerst

University of Queensland, Department of Microbiology, Brisbane, Qld. 4072, Australia

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J.Gijs Kuenen

J.Gijs Kuenen

Delft University of Technology, Kluyver Laboratory for Biotechnology, Department of Microbiology and Enzymology, Julianalaan 67, 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands

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Mike S.M. Jetten

Mike S.M. Jetten

University of Nijmegen, Department of Microbiology, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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Marc Strous

Marc Strous

University of Nijmegen, Department of Microbiology, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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First published: 09 January 2006
Citations: 35

Abstract

Many countries strive to reduce the emissions of nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrate, NOx) to the surface waters and the atmosphere. Since mainstream domestic wastewater treatment systems are usually already overloaded with ammonia, a dedicated nitrogen removal from concentrated secondary or industrial wastewaters is often more cost-effective than the disposal of such wastes to domestic wastewater treatment. The cost-effectiveness of separate treatment has increased dramatically in the past few years, since several processes for the biological removal of ammonia from concentrated waste streams have become available. Here, we review those processes that make use of new concepts in microbiology: partial nitrification, nitrifier denitrification and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (the anammox process). These processes target the removal of ammonia from gases, and ammonium-bicarbonate from concentrated wastewaters (i.e. sludge liquor and landfill leachate). The review addresses the microbiology, its consequences for their application, the current status regarding application, and the future developments.

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