Specific nitrate uptake rates (SNURs) under two test conditions were measured to evaluate effects of oxygen inhibition on denitrification. A test condition was that activated sludge was completely prevented from contacting of oxygen (SNURclosed), the other was that activated sludge was contacted to free air (SNURopen). Municipal wastewater and acetate were used as electron donors. SNURclosed was 2.42 mg NO3-N/g VSS-hr and SNURopen was 1.09 mg NO3-
N/g VSS-hr when municipal wastewater was used as electron donor. Meanwhile, when acetate was used as electron donor, SNURclosed was 24.65 mg NO3-N/g VSS-hr and SNURopen was 18.00 mg NO3-N/g VSS-hr. The operating costs for electron donors were calculated based on the unit price of acetate to remove nitrate. When municipal wastewater was used as electron donor the ratio of costopen to costclosed was 0.45. Cost evaluation showed the adverse impacts on
denitrification and explained why an anoxic reactor should be sequestered from oxygen.
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