Utilization of Organic Acid Solution Prepared for High-Strength Ammonium Treatment Using Alcaligenes faecalis No.4

For efficient treatment of ammonium utilizing Alcaligenes faecalis No.4 (No.4) which is capable of heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification, organic acid solution as a main carbon source for No.4 was prepared by anaerobic degradation of organic matter and sugar. The prepared solution contained total organic carbon (TOC) of 20,049 mg/L and this value was similar to the value of the carbon content of eight organic acids 20,754 mg-C/L, and thus TOC was used as an index to determine the optimal carbon amount to be added to the wastewater. The solution was used to two high-strength ammonium wastewaters, leachate and anaerobic digestion wastewaters, to supplement the carbon, which were deficient in carbon relative to the high ammonium concentration. Complete removal of ammonium of 600-700 mg-NH4 -N/L in the two wastewaters was attained by No.4 based on the ratio of carbon of TOC/ammonium -N 10. During the treatment, the changes in carbon content of eight organic acids were well-correlated with the changes in TOC. The ammonium removal rates of these experiments were approximately 100 times higher than that of conventional ammonium treatment system.