Effect of biologically mediated pH change on phosphorus removal in BNR system for piggery waste treatment

Abstract

Since applicable amount of animal waste to farm land has been greatly reduced because of the nutrient overload, nitrogen and phosphorus removal from animal waste has received a great attention. This study was conducted to evaluate how phosphorus was removed during biological nutrient removal (BNR) from piggery waste using laboratory and full scale units operated at 25 to 40°C. The phosphorus removal was performed by chemical precipitation with struvite and hydroxyapatite (HAP), cellular formation, it is basically related with pH and organic and nitrogen loads resulting in influent COD/N ratios. The removal efficiencies increased from 50 to 90% as COD/N ratios increased to 6 to 7, but carbon was not limited beyond this ratio for denitrification resulting in a stable pH. Overall, about 70% of the phosphorus removal was due to the precipitates of struvite and/or HAP, and the remaining removal was due to the cellular P formation. Any significant temperature effect on phosphorus removal was not observed within the operating temperature. In order to maximize phosphorus removal in BNR system, additional anoxic stage must be furnished prior to discharge its final effluent after oxic stage.

Keywords:

• BNR
• COD/N ratio
• hydroxyapatite and struvite
• nitrogen
• pH
• phosphorus
• piggery waste

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude for financial support to Korean Ministry of Environment (with a project title of Integrated Technology Development of Animal Wastes Treatment and Recycling).