PHOSPHORUS RELEASE AND UPTAKE ACCORDING TO NITRATE LOADING IN ANOXIC REACTOR OF BNR PROCESS

A batch and a continuous type experiments were conducted to test the conditions for simultaneous phosphorus release and uptake, and denitrification, taking place in one process. The bacteria able to denitrify as well as to remove phosphorus were evaluated for the application to biological nutrient removal(BNR) process. In the batch-type experiment, simultaneous reactions of phosphorus release and uptake, and also denitrification were observed under anoxic condition with high organic and nitrate loading. However the rate and the degree of P release were lower than that occurred under anaerobic condition. BNR processes composed of anaerobic-anoxic-oxic(AXO), anoxic-anaerobic-oxic(XAO) and anoxic-oxic(XO) were operated in continuous condition. The anoxic reactors in each process received nitrate loading. In the AXO process, P release in anaerobic reactor and the luxury uptake in oxic reactor proceeded actively regardless to nitrate loading. However in XAO and XO processes, P release and luxury uptake occurred only with the nitrate loading less than /kgMLSS-d. With higher nitrate load, P release increased and the luxury uptake decreased. Therefore, it appeared that the application of denitrifying phosphorus-removing bacteria (DPB) to BNR process must first resolve the problem with decrease of luxury uptake of phosphorus in oxic reactor.