Keeping a Completely Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal over Nitrite System Effective in Treating Low Ammonium Wastewater by Adopting an Alternative Low and High Ammonium Influent Regime

An alternative low and high ammonium influent regime was proposed and adopted to keep a completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) effective when treating low ammonium wastewater. Results show that, by cyclic operating at an alternative low and high ammonium concentration for 10 days and 28 days, the CANON system could effectively treat low ammonium wastewater. Excessive proliferation of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) under low ammonium environment was still the challenge for the stable CANON operation; but with 28 days of a high ammonium treatment combined with a sludge retention time control, the NOB overproliferated in the low ammonium operational period could be under control. Specifically, when the nitrite oxidation rate reached 8 g N/m3/h, the CANON system should enter the high ammonium influent operating mode. 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing results show that the appropriate sludge discharging provided an environment favoring Candidatus Jettenia