Kinetics of ammonium removal with suspended and immobilized nitrifying bacteria in different reactor systems

The degradation of ammonium by free and immobilized bacteria in different reactor systems was investigated. It was found that the start-up of a nitrifying system is enhanced if a reservoir of immobilized bacteria is present. It was also found that in a single stage system with suspended nitrifying bacteria a stable ammonium removal > 95 % could be established up to an influent ammonium concentration of 1000 mg/1 and a volumetric loading rate (VLR) of 2.3 kg NH₄⁺ m⁻³ d⁻¹. The oxygen uptake rate (OUR) due to nitrification processes was greatly enhanced with increasing volumetric loading rates. Using nitrifying bacteria immobilized on Siran material it was demonstrated that the ammonium degradation rate was directly proportional to the initial ammonium concentration.