Author(s)

ZouTing Sun

Affiliation(s)

Bohai college, Agricultural University Of Hebei, Cangzhou 061000, Heibei, China.

Corresponding Author

ZouTing Sun

ABSTRACT

In recent years, with the acceleration of urbanization,surface water eutrophication caused by excessive nitrogen and phosphorus content in sewage has become increasingly serious,and highly efficient nitrogen and phosphorus removal technology has become a key demand for urban wastewater treatment. In this paper, we systematically sorted out the traditional and emerging technologies of biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal, and compared and analyzed their advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, the basic principles of biological nitrogen removal and phosphorus removal are introduced respectively, and the A2/O process with nitrification-denitrification as the core is elaborated in detail. Secondly, for the emerging technologies, low energy consumption processes such as BCFs, SHARON-ANAMMOX combined process and Dephanox process were introduced. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of traditional and novel processes are compared by observing the activity of microflora and other indicators. The results show that the traditional technology is mature and stable but less economical, while the new technology has significant potential for energy saving and consumption reduction, but needs to further solve the stability problem of engineering application. The multi-dimensional comparison framework and process optimization path proposed in this paper can provide theoretical references for the technological upgrading and process selection of urban wastewater treatment plants, and has positive significance in promoting the technological innovation and sustainable development of water environment treatment.

KEYWORDS

Municipal wastewater; Biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal; New technology; New process

CITE THIS PAPER

ZouTing Sun. New development of biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal processes for municipal wastewater. Frontiers in Environmental Research. 2025, 3(1): 42-47. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/fer3017.

REFERENCES

[1] Jordi P, Ferran R, Albert B, et al. Enhancement of biological nutrient removal process with advanced process control tools in full-scale wastewater treatment plant. Water Research, 2021, 200:117212-117212.

[2] Kamonwan K, Heewon J, Rahul K, et al. Bioelectrochemical system for nitrogen removal: Fundamentals, current status, trends, and challenges. Chemosphere, 2023, 339:139776-139776.

[3] Gan R, Zhang K. Enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal by iron-manganese mediated autotrophic denitrification in electrochemical system and the underlying mechanisms. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2024, 190(PA):545-559.

[4] Jianmin L, Wei Z, Hong L, et al. Achieving deep autotrophic nitrogen removal in aerated biofilter driven by sponge iron: Performance and mechanism. Environmental Research, 2022, 213:113653-113653.

[5] Tanwar P, Nandy T, Khan R, et al. Intermittent cyclic process for enhanced biological nutrient removal treating combined chemical laboratory wastewater. Bioresource Technology, 2006, 98(13):2473-2478.

[6] Wang Y, Tang T, Wu J, et al. Succession of nitrogen and phosphorus removal functions of sludge and biofilm in low-temperature sewage treatment. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 2024, 58:104836.

[7] Peng W, Xingxing Z, Yuguang W, et al. Development of a novel denitrifying phosphorus removal and partial denitrification anammox (DPR + PDA) process for advanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from domestic and nitrate wastewaters. Bioresource Technology, 2021, 327:124795-124795.

[8] Xiu-Zhen G, De-Shuang Y, Meng-Fei Y, et al. Denitrification and Phosphorus Removal from Low C/N Urban Sewage Based on a Post-Partial Denitrification AOA-SBR Process. Huanjing Kexue, 2019, 40(1):360-368.

[9] Ronghua X, Fuqiang F, Qining L, et al. Overlooked Ecological Roles of Influent Wastewater Microflora in Improving Biological Phosphorus Removal in an Anoxic/Aerobic MBR Process. Environmental Science & Technology, 2021, 55(9).

[10] Drawbridge M, Huo Y, Fanning E, et al. Growth, productivity and nutrient removal rates of sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) in a land-based IMTA system with white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis) in Southern California. Aquaculture, 2024, 587:740836.

[11] Wei Q, Lv D, Huang H M, et al. Research on Treatment of Domestic Sewage with Aerobic Denitrifying Bacteria Immobilized by Carbon Fiber. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 2014, 3547(675-677):627-632.

[12] Weiqing J, Yunguang M, Zebing N, et al. Improving nitrogen and phosphorus removal and sludge reduction in new integrated sewage treatment facility by adjusting biomass concentration. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 2022, 50.

[13] Chuansheng Y, Yongzhen P, Jiantao J, et al. Advanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater via simultaneous enhanced biological phosphorus removal and semi-nitritation (EBPR-SN) combined with anammox. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 2020, 43(11):1-14.

[14] Du S, Yu D, Zhao J, et al. Achieving deep-level nutrient removal via combined denitrifying phosphorus removal and simultaneous partial nitrification-endogenous denitrification process in a single-sludge sequencing batch reactor. Bioresource Technology, 2019, 289:121690.

[15] Peng C, Junkang W, Xiwu L, et al. Denitrifying phosphorus removal and microbial community characteristics of two-sludge DEPHANOX system: Effects of COD/TP ratio. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2021:108059.

[16] Zhuwu J, Zhongjian Z, Mengfan W, et al. Full-scale operation of an integrated aerated biofilter–denitrification shallow biofilter system for simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal from low-carbon domestic sewage: Influencing parameters, microbial community and mechanism. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023, 471.

[17] Xiao H, Kai Y, Jianghua Y, et al. Nitrogen removal performance and microbial characteristics during simultaneous chemical phosphorus removal process using Fe3. Bioresource Technology, 2022, 363:127972-127972.