A comparative study of methanol as a supplementary carbon source for enhancing denitrification in primary and secondary anoxic zones

Ginige, Maneesha P., Bowyer, Jocelyn C., Foley, Leah, Keller, Jurg and Yuan, Zhiguo (2009) A comparative study of methanol as a supplementary carbon source for enhancing denitrification in primary and secondary anoxic zones. Biodegradation, 20 2: 221-234.


Author Ginige, Maneesha P.
Bowyer, Jocelyn C.
Foley, Leah
Keller, Jurg
Yuan, Zhiguo
Title A comparative study of methanol as a supplementary carbon source for enhancing denitrification in primary and secondary anoxic zones
Journal name Biodegradation  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank B)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2009-04
Sub-type Article
Year available 2008
DOI 10.1007/s10532-008-9215-1
Volume number 20
Issue number 2
ISSN 0923-9820
Start page 221
End page 234
Total pages 14
Editor Ronald L. Crawford
Place of publication Netherlands
Publisher Springer
Collection year 2009
Language eng
Subject C1
090409 Wastewater Treatment Processes
960912 Urban and Industrial Water Management
Abstract A comparative study on the use of methanol as a supplementary carbon source to enhance denitrification in primary and secondary anoxic zones is reported. Three lab-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBR) were operated to achieve nitrogen and carbon removal from domestic wastewater. Methanol was added to the primary anoxic period of the first SBR, and to the secondary anoxic period of the second SBR. No methanol was added to the third SBR, which served as a control. The extent of improvement on the denitrification performance was found to be dependent on the reactor configuration. Addition to the secondary anoxic period is more effective when very low effluent nitrate levels are to be achieved and hence requires a relatively large amount of methanol. Adding a small amount of methanol to the secondary anoxic period may cause nitrite accumulation, which does not improve overall nitrogen removal. In the latter case, methanol should be added to the primary anoxic period. The addition of methanol can also improve biological phosphorus removal by creating anaerobic conditions and increasing the availability of organic carbon in wastewater for polyphosphate accumulating organisms. This potentially provides a cost-effective approach to phosphorus removal from wastewater with a low carbon content. New fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) probes targeting methanol-utilising denitrifiers were designed using stable isotope probing. Microbial structure analysis of the sludges using the new and existing FISH probes clearly showed that the addition of methanol stimulated the growth of specific methanol-utilizing denitrifiers, which improved the capability of sludge to use methanol and ethanol for denitrification, but reduced its capability to use wastewater COD for denitrification. Unlike acetate, long-term application of methanol has no negative impact on the settling properties of the sludge.
Keyword Denitrification
External carbon
Methanol
Methanol utilizing denitrifiers
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Confirmed Code

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Article
Collections: 2009 Higher Education Research Data Collection
Advanced Water Management Centre Publications
 
Versions
Version Filter Type
Citation counts: TR Web of Science Citation Count  Cited 5 times in Thomson Reuters Web of Science Article | Citations
Scopus Citation Count Cited 8 times in Scopus Article | Citations
Google Scholar Search Google Scholar
Access Statistics: 151 Abstract Views  -  Detailed Statistics
Created: Tue, 23 Jun 2009, 11:52:43 EST by Sarah Borsellino on behalf of Advanced Water Management Centre