Improved nitrogen removal in dual-contaminated surface water by photocatalysis

doi:10.1007/s11783-012-0401-3

Front Envir Sci Eng

2012, Vol. 6

Issue (3) : 428-436 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-012-0401-3

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Improved nitrogen removal in dual-contaminated surface water by photocatalysis

Yongming ZHANG¹(

), Rong YAN¹, Zhen ZOU¹, Jiewei WANG¹, Bruce E. RITTMANN²

1. Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Life and Environmental Science, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China; 2. Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ85287-5801, USA

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Abstract

River waters in China have dual contamination by nutrients and recalcitrant organic compounds. In principle, the organic compounds could be used to drive denitrification of nitrate, thus arresting eutrophication potential, if the recalcitrant organics could be made bioavailable. This study investigated the potential to make the recalcitrant organics bioavailable through photocatalysis. Batch denitrification tests in a biofilm reactor demonstrated that dual-contaminated river water was short of available electron donor, which resulted in low total nitrogen (TN) removal by denitrification. However, the denitrification rate was increased significantly by adding glucose or by making the organic matters of the river water more bioavailable through photocatalysis. Photocatalysis for 15 min increased the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of the river water from 53 to 84 mg·L^-1 and led to a 4-fold increase in TN removal. The increase in TN removal gave the same effect as adding 92 mg·L^-1 of glucose. During the photocatalysis experiments, the COD increased because photocatalysis transformed organic molecules from those that are resistant to dichromate oxidation in the COD test to those that can be oxidized by dichromate. This phenomenon was verified by testing photocatalysis of pyridine added to the river water. These findings point to the potential for N removal via denitrification after photocatalysis, and they also suggest that the rivers in China may be far more polluted than indicated by COD assays.

Keywords dual contamination eutrophication photocatalysis remediation surface water

Corresponding Author(s): ZHANG Yongming,Email:zhym@shnu.edu.cn

Issue Date: 01 June 2012

Cite this article:

Yongming ZHANG,Rong YAN,Zhen ZOU, et al. Improved nitrogen removal in dual-contaminated surface water by photocatalysis[J]. Front Envir Sci Eng, 2012, 6(3): 428-436.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-012-0401-3
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2012/V6/I3/428

Fig.1 Denitrifying biofilm reactor with a 150-mL working volume

Tab.1 Water-quality parameters of the Caohejing River, June – December 2009. values indicate violations of the Class V standard []

Fig.2 Relationship between glucose-COD added and TN removal

Fig.3 Ratio of ?COD and ?TN increased with increasing DO

Tab.2 Effect of UV illumination on COD and ratio of the peak COD to the starting COD

Fig.4 COD concentrations in river water increased during photocatalysis for three representative experiments. Values of the starting and peak COD concentrations for all experiments are given in Table 2

Fig.5 COD, ammonium, and TN concentrations during photocatalysis of pyridine

Fig.6 TN removal during denitrification for river water subjected to different photocatalysis time: (a) relationship between the initial COD concentration after photocatalysis and TN removal during denitrification; (b) correlation between increasing of the initial COD during photocatalysis and TN removal during denitrification

Fig.7 Comparison of river water without and with photocatalysis: (a) COD before and after photocatalysis; (b) TN removal without and without photocatalysis

Fig.8 COD (a) and TN (b) concentrations during 24-h denitrification experiments using the actual river water without photocatalysis (A), with photocatalysis (P), and with added glucose (G)

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