Advances in Sidestream Ammonia

Removal Strategies
Lucy Pugh, P.E., BCEE
AECOM Wastewater Practice Leader

2015 MWEA Biosolids Conference

March 3, 2015

Overview

Sidestream characteristics

Fundamentals of biological nitrogen removal

Innovative sidestream treatment options
Nitrification / denitrification
Nitritation/ denitritation
Deammonification

Sidestream Characteristics
Primary Clarifiers

Activated Sludge

Secondary Clarifiers

Effluent

Reduce
Effluent TN
by 20%

WAS

RAS
Thickening

Digestion /
CHP
Sidestream

1% plant influent flow

High in nitrogen and phosphorus Sidestream
15 to 25% plant influent total nitrogenNitrogen
load
Treatment
Ammonia-N = 800 to 2,500 mg/L
Total phosphorus = 200 to 800 mg/L
Temperature = 30 to 38C
Alkalinity insufficient for complete nitrification
Insufficient carbon for denitrification

Phosphorus
Recovery

Dewatering
Beneficial
Reuse of
Biosolids

Advantages of Separate Sidestream Treatment

Improved Reliability
Removes 20 to 40% of nitrogen load even
during main plant process upsets
Protects the main plant from process
upsets due to variability in sidestream
characteristics
Can provide source of nitrifiers for seeding
of main activated sludge process

Cost Effective
Optimize treatment based on the unique
sidestream characteristics
Facilities have a small footprint

Sustainable
Nutrient recovery
Reduced energy and chemical use

Novel Sustainable Sidestream Management

Nitrogen
Removal
Focus

Sidestream Management Options

Biological

Nitrification / Denitrification
and Bio-augmentation

Nitritation / Denitritation

Deammonification

Physical-Chemical
Ammonia Stripping
Steam
Hot Air
Vacuum Distillation
Ion-Exchange
ARP
Struvite Precipitation
MAP Process

Reduced energy and chemical demands more sustainable

Perceived increase in operational complexity

Nutrient
Recovery
Focus

Fundamentals of Biological Nitrogen

Removal

Biological Nitrogen Removal Terms

Nitrification biological oxidation of ammonia under aerobic
conditions
Nitritation oxidation of ammonia to nitrite
Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOBs) Nitrosomonas
Nitratation oxidation of nitrite to nitrate
Nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOBs) Nitrobacter

Denitrification biological reduction of nitrate and nitrite by

heterotrophic bacteria in absence of dissolved oxygen
Deammonification biological oxidation of ammonia under
anaerobic conditions (Anammox)

Fundamentals of Nitrification - Denitrification

Heterotrophic Denitrification

Autotrophic Nitrification

1 mole Nitrate
(NO3- )

Aerobic Environment

Anoxic Environment
40% Carbon

25% O2

1 mole Nitrite
(NO2- )

1 mole Nitrite
(NO2- )

60% Carbon

75% O2
100% Alkalinity

1 mole Ammonia
(NH3/ NH4 +)

mole Nitrogen Gas

(N2 )
+
Oxygen demand 4.57 g / g NH 4-N oxidized
Alkalinity demand 7.14 g / g NH+4-N oxidized
Carbon demand 4.77 g COD / g NO-3-N reduced

Growth Rates of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter

Fundamentals of Nitritation - Denitritation

Autotrophic Nitritation
Aerobic Environment

25% O2

Heterotrophic Denitrification

1 mol Nitrate
(NO3- )

Anoxic Environment
40% Carbon

25% reduction in Oxygen

40 % reduction in Carbon demand

40% reduction in Biomass production

1 mole Nitrite
(NO2- )

1 mole Nitrite
(NO2- )

60% Carbon

75% O2
100% Alkalinity

1 mole Ammonia
(NH3/ NH4 +)

mole Nitrogen Gas

(N2 )
Oxygen demand 3.42 g / g NH+4-N oxidized
Carbon demand 2.86 g COD / g NO-3-N reduced

Sidestream Nitritation NOB Repression

Control
Elevated temperature (30-35 deg C)
Low SRT (1-2 days)
Low DO (~0.5 mg/L)

NOB Repression Mechanisms

Free NH4 N inhibition of NOB > AOB

Nitrous acid inhibition of NOB > AOB
AOB max growth rate > NOB max growth rate at high temp
AOB DO affinity > NOB DO affinity (perhaps only at high temp)

Inhibition of Nitrification by NH3 and HNO2

Fundamentals of Deammonification
Partial Nitritation
Aerobic Environment

1 mol Nitrate
(NO3- )

ANAMMOX Deammonification
Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation Autotrophic
Nitrite Reduction
40% Carbon Strous et. al. 1999)
(New Planctomycete,

> 60% reduction in Oxygen

NH4+ + 1.32 NO2- + 0.066 HCO3- + 0.13 H+
Eliminate demand for supplemental carbon
0.26 NO3- + 1.02N2 + 0.066 CH2O0.5N0.15 + 2.03 H2O
25% O2
50% of the alkalinity demand

0.57 mole NO2-

Partial Nitritation 40% O2

50% Alkalinity

1 mole Ammonia
(NH3/ NH4 +)

0.44 mole N2+ 0.11 NO3Oxygen demand 1.9 g / g NH+4-N oxidized

Overall Benefit of Deammonification Processes

Elimination of supplemental carbon source (such as methanol)
Significant reduction in energy demand possible
Reduction in alkalinity demand possible
Typical Energy Demand Ranges
7

6
kW-hr / kg N removed

5
4

3
2
1

0
Nitrification /
Denitrification

Nitritation /
Denitritation

Deammonification
(a.k.a. ANAMMOX)

Nitrification / Denitrification

Nitrification/denitrification - continuous
Sidestream treated in small
separate tank (~ 4 day HRT)
Divert portion of mainstream
RAS to sidestream tank
Seeds nitrifiers, adds alkalinity
and controls temperature
Introduces nitrite oxidizing
bacteria
Can add methanol for
denitrification and methanol
degrader seeding
Achieve bioaugmentation by
returning sidestream mixed
liquor to main process

Influent

Primary

Activated
Sludge

Final
Clarifiers

Effluent

RAS
Nitrifier
& denitrifier
Nitrifier
Rich
Rich
MLSS
NOx
laden
MLSS
Continuous
Flow

Methanol

Dewatering
Centrate

Aeration
Alkalinity
Anaerobic
Digestion

Nitrification/denitrification - batch
Influent

SBR built in clarifier

Control on SRT
WAS/effluent back to main
activated sludge process
Effluent NOx to head of plant for
odor control

High MLSS approximately 7,000

mg/L
Mass loading rate 15 lb N per
1,000 cubic feet

Primary

Activated
Sludge

Final
Clarifiers

Effluent

RAS

Clarified Effluent
rich in oxidized
nitrogen

Clarified Effluent or
Nitrifier Rich MLSS
Dewatering
Centrate
SBR

Anaerobic
Digestion
Nitrifier
Rich WAS
Sludge

Sidestream SBR Process

Influent NH3-N = 2,500 mg/L

Effluent NH3-N < 10 mg/L

Without Sidestream Treatment

Winter TN Removal Varied from 43% - 80%
Avg. 60%

Stinson et al., Evaluation and Optimization of a Side Stream Centrate

Treatment System Integrated with a Secondary Step-Feed Process, WEF / IWA
Specialty Nutrient Conference, Baltimore 2007

With Sidestream Treatment

Winter TN Removal Varied from 60% - 90%
Avg. 75%

Stinson et al., Evaluation and Optimization of a Side Stream Centrate

Treatment System Integrated with a Secondary Step-Feed Process, WEF / IWA
Specialty Nutrient Conference, Baltimore 2007

Operational Benefits - NYCDEP 26th Ward WPCP

HRT < 4.5 Hrs; SRT < 5 -8 days

Nitrifier incubator enhanced
operational reliability

Enhanced winter performance

Mitigated storm washout impacts
Mitigated centrate inhibition impacts

Mitigated aeration limitations

Off-Loaded 30% TKN Load
26th Ward WPCP 85 mgd
Oxidized 70-95% Centrate TKN
Denitrified in main plant anoxic zone using wastewater COD
>70% TN removal plant-wide
Effluent TN 5-8 mg/l

Nitritation / Denitritation

Nitritation / Denitritation Process Control

Temperature (30-38C) favors growth kinetics of AOBs
SRT = HRT Sludge Age;
>Minimum for ammonia oxidizers, but < minimum for nitrite oxidizers
Selects for ammonia oxidizers (AOBs) and de-selects for nitrite oxidizers (NOBs)
Courtesy: Grontmij

pH in 6.6 to 7.2 range

Optimal range for AOBs
Methanol for denitrification and
alkalinity recovery

DO in the 0.3 to 2 mg/L range

Min AOB SRT

Nitrite Route

35C

Chemostat Tank Configurations - SHARON Process

Completely mixed tank with cyclical aeration pH controlled

Plug flow with internal recycle

Accommodates modifications for ANAMMOX process in the future
Methanol
Pump
station

Pump
station

Nitritation

ANAMMOX

10Q

Concentric circles feed the anoxic zone to utilize COD in sidestream first
Pump
station

Methanol

Phosphoric acid

Aerobic
Anoxic
Heat exchangers
Cooling water
(treated effluent)

Effluent

SHARON Process (Chemostat)

Courtesy: Grontmij

Small Footprint
2.5 day SRT = HRT
Oxic SRT = 1 - 1.5 days
Anoxic SRT = 0.5 - 0.75 days

No clarifiers
No pretreatment
90% NH3-N removal
Cost Reductions
25% Oxygen demand
40% COD demand
30% sludge
20% CO2 emission

SHARON Experience

7 operational >10 years experience

4 planned
NYC DEP Wards Island
First in USA & largest in world
30 - 40% TKN-load

WWTP

Capacity
(pe)

SHARON
kgN/day

Operational

Utrecht

400.000

900

1997

Rotterdam-Dokhaven

470.000

850

1999

Zwolle

200.000

410

2003

Beverwijk

320.000

1,200

2003

Groningen-Garmerwolde

300.000

2,400

2005

The Hague - Houtrust

430.000

1,300

2005

2,000,000

5,770

2009

275.000

1,500

2009

1,600

2009

600.000

1,900

2010

3,500

2010

New York-Wards Island

Whitlingham, UK
MVPC Shell Green, UK
Geneva Are 2
Paris Seine Grsillons

Deammonification

Challenges of Sidestream Deammonification

Low Growth Rate
approximate 10 day doubling time at 30C
<10 day has been reported (Park et. al - 5.3 - 8.9 days)
SRT (>30 days)

Sensitive to
Nitrite
Toxic - irreversible loss of activity based on
concentration and exposure time
NH4+ : NO2- ratio 1 : 1.32
DO - reversible inhibition
Free ammonia (<10 -15 mg/l)
Temperature >30C preferred
pH (neutral range)

Deammonification Experience
Over 50 plants in operation, construction, or
commissioning
Experience dates to 2002
Most plants are in Europe
5 in United States
James River, Viginia (ANITATMMox)
South Durham, North Carolina (ANITATMMox)
York River, Virginia (DEMON)
Blue Plains, Washington DC (DEMON)
Alexandria, Virginia (DEMON)

Keys to success
Ability to manage competing demands:
SRT
Aerobic SRT long enough to support AOB growth but short enough to wash
out NOBs (2<SRT<3) and
Anaerobic SRT long enough to support ANAMMOX growth (>30)

DO
High enough to support partial nitritation
But low enough to suppress NOB growth (Ks AOB< Ks NOB)
And also low enough so that it does not inhibit ANAMMOX (reversible)
Nitrite concentration
Sufficient nitrite to support ANAMMOX growth (electron acceptor)
But low enough to avoid ANAMMOX inhibition (irreversible)
Ammonium concentration
Sufficient ammonium to serve as energy source for ANAMMOX
But avoid free ammonia inhibition of AOBs (<15 mg/l)

Operational Experience

DEMON Suspended Growth SBR

Cleargreen Suspended Growth SBR

Terra-N Hybrid Suspended and Attached

DEMON, Cleargreen, Terra-N

AnitaMOX Attached Growth MBBR

ANAMMOX Upflow Granular

ANITATM MOx MBBR

ANAMMOX Upflow
Granular Process

Demon Operational Philosophy

Each DEMON cycle involves 3 time-controlled phases:
1. Fill / React cyclical aeration and mixing
2. Settling phase
3. Decant / Discharge phase

Demon Operational Philosophy

Reaction

Settling Decant

Overview of Several DEMON Plants

Typical volumetric design criteria = 0.7 kg / m3 / day

Typically ~90% NH3-N and ~85% TN removal

Effluent NO3-N ~10% of NH3-N removed; less if bCOD
available

Facility

Load
(kg N / d)

Tank Vol.
(m3)

Design Loading
Rate
(kg N / m3 / d)

Apeldoorn

1900

2900

0.66

Thun

400

600

0.67

Glarnerland

250

360

0.69

Strass

600

500

1.20

Operational Cost Savings

$8.5M / yr (methanol, alkalinity,
sludge processing
9 year payback
Risk mitigation for effluent TN

Sidestream
Treatment
20,200
lbs /day
NH3-N

Mainstream
Treatment
105,000
lbs/day
TKN

SRT Control
Cyclone retains DEMON Granules and Wastes NOBs
Greatest anammox activity
in the cyclone underflow

MLSS

Overflow

Underflow

Robust System
More Reliable Operations and Faster Startup
Initially the startup period for DEMON was slow
Strass started up over a 2 year period
Startup of Glarnerland, Switzerland occurred within 50 days using
Strass seed and a cyclone

Lessons Learned from Discussions with Operators

Thun, Switzerland

Robust and reliable process

Confidence and comfort level with the process
No failures - more resilient than anticipated to elevated
NO2N and DO concentrations
Simple design aeration, mixing, decant, cyclone, 6-8 m SWD
Controlled primarily with on-line pH and DO probes
Bi-weekly to monthly cleaning
Drift in calibration not fatal, just reduces efficiency

Grab samples for NO2-N, NO3-N

Apeldoorn, Netherlands

Control logic has numerous safety nets built in

Prevent over aeration or elevated DO
Prevent NO2-N accumulation

Pre-settling to remove heavy material beneficial

Cyclone tends to select for heavy inert material. Difficult to remove.

Strass Full Scale DEMON Energy Savings

84% TN Removal at design loading rate of 0.7 kg/ m3 / day

1.0 - 1.3 kW-hr / kg N removed

Bernhard Wett, March 2009

DEMON Sequencing Batch Reactor Energy Demand

Strass undertook many energy efficiency activities
With the introduction of DEMON it became a net energy producer

2013

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

81%

84%

95%

108%

105%

109%

124%

Nitritation /
Denitritation

Deammonification

Co-Digestion

Net Energy
Producer

Mainstream
Deammonification

155%?

Comparative Summary of Deammonification Processes

Pros: energy efficient, widely used
Cons: operator attention, NO2-N tolerance

Suspended
SBR
(DEMON)
Volumetric
Loading Rates
Performance
TN Removal
Energy Demand
Start-up

Sensitivity /
Flexibility

kg N
/m3/day

0.7 1.2

~90% NH3-N
~85% TN

kW hrs/
kg N
removed

1.0 1.3
1-2 months with
Cyclone and
30% Seeding

pH and DO
Control
NO2 < 5 mg/l
Pre-settling

Attached
MBBR
(ANITATM Mox)

Granular
Single-Stage
(AMAMMOX)

Operational Experience

DEMON Suspended Growth SBR

Cleargreen Suspended Growth SBR

Terra-N Hybrid Suspended and Attached

DEMON, Cleargreen, Terra-N

AnitaMOX Attached Growth MBBR

ANAMMOX Upflow Granular

ANITATM MOx MBBR

ANAMMOX Upflow
Granular Process

ANITAMox MBBR process

Simultaneous aerobic and anaerobic conditions in biofilm layers
NH3-N, alkalinity and DO in the bulk liquid
AOBs on the outer aerobic layer
ANAMMOX on the inner anaerobic layer

Liquid

N2

Nitritation
AOB

Anammox
Biofilm
Media

MBBR

NH4+

NO2-

O2

Aerobic
Anoxic

Coexistent
conditions in
biofilm

ANITAMox MBBR process

ANAMMOX organisms in attached growth are protected from high
concentrations in the bulk liquid
Less vulnerable to inhibitory compounds
DO: 3 mg/L vs. 0.3 mg/L suspended
NO2-N: 50 mg/L vs. 5 mg/L suspended
Liquid

N2

Nitritation
AOB

Anammox
Biofilm
Media

NH4+

NO2-

O2

Aerobic
Anoxic

Coexistent
conditions in
biofilm

ANITAMox Different Media

K3
500 m2/m3

K5
800 m2/m3

BiofilmChip M
1200 m2/m3

Media Retention Grid

MBBR = Media + Grid +Aeration

Mitigate risk of losing Anammox biomass

ANITATM Mox MBBR Deammonification

Soljunda WWTP, Malmo, Sweden

Pilot BioFarm

Tested carrier media, mixing, aeration

Patented aeration control to prevent NO3-N

production <10% without supplemental
mixing
Continuous aeration 0.6 1.6 mg/L DO

Demonstrated energy demand of

1.45 1.75 kWh / kg NH3-N removed
(Christesson et al., 2011)

ANITATM Mox Performance Soljunda BioFarm

~90% NH3-N removal; ~85% TN removal
Patented DO control strategy reduce NO3
production <11%
1.4 1.7 kWh/kgN-NH4 removed
Removal rates of up to 1.2 Kg TN / m3 / day
Loading rates up to 1.4 Kg N / m3 / day

(Christesson et al., 2011)

BiofilmChip
Best Performer

Ongoing Technology Development

MBBR

IFAS 3X the loading rate of MBBR

Flocs (1-3 g/L)

N2

Nitritation
AOB

NH4+

Liquid

NO2-

Nitritation

O2 = 0.5-1.5
mg/L

Liquid

N2

NH4

AOB

NO2

O2 < 0.5

mg/L

Anammox

Anammox

Biofilm
Media

Aerobic
Anoxic

AOB in biofilm = NO2- limitation

Biofilm
Media

Anoxic

AOB in flocs = less NO2- limitation

%NH4 and %TN removal

NH4 load & removal (kgN/m3.d)

IFAS ANITAMox Full-Scale Demo.

3,4
3,2
3
2,8
2,6
2,4
2,2
2
1,8
1,6
1,4
1,2
1
0,8
0,6
0,4
0,2
0
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

NH4-load
NH4-removal

(a)
MBBR

IFAS

Transition

%TN-removal
%NH4-removal
%NO3-prod : NH4-rem

(b)

930

950

970

990
1010
Days

1030

1050

1070

Higher NH4 removal after switching to IFAS (x3 )

Good sludge quality so far (SVI <100)
Lower energy consumption 1.2 kWh/kg NH4-N removed

Comparative Summary of Deammonification Processes

Pros: NO2-N tolerance; low operator demand
Cons: Not most energy efficient; less widely demonstrated

Volumetric
Loading Rates
Performance
TN Removal
Energy Demand
Start-up

Sensitivity /
Flexibility

Suspended
SBR
(DEMON)

Attached
MBBR
(ANITATM Mox)

kg N
/m3/day

0.7 1.2

0.7 1.2
IFAS > 3.2 ?

~90% NH3-N
~85% TN

~90% NH3-N
~80% TN

kW hrs/
kg N
removed

1.0 1.3

1.2 1.75

1-2 months with

Cyclone and
30% Seeding

~4-5 months with

2% - 10% seeding

pH and DO
Control
NO2 < 5 mg/l
Pre-settling

DO control
Tolerates elevated
DO and NO2 well

Granular
Single-Stage
(AMAMMOX)

Operational Experience

DEMON Suspended Growth SBR

Cleargreen Suspended Growth SBR

Terra-N Hybrid Suspended and Attached

DEMON, Cleargreen, Terra-N

AnitaMOX Attached Growth MBBR

ANAMMOX Upflow Granular

ANITATM MOx MBBR

ANAMMOX Upflow
Granular Process

Principle One Step ANAMMOX

FISH picture:
Mari Winkler

Principle One Step ANAMMOX

O2

NH4+

NO2N2

NH4+

NH4+

2 NH3 + 1.7 O2 1.14 NO2- + 0.86 NH3 0.88 N2 + 0.24 NO3-

NO3-

Benefits of AOB-AMX granules?

Rapid settling velocities 5 10 m/h

Less sensitive to NO2-N inhibition

Better separation from influent TSS
Compact reactors

Upflow Granulation Process: ANAMMOX

Most notable WWTPs:
Rotterdam (NL), Niederglatt (CH)

Numerous industrial facilities

NH4+

Rotterdam ANAMMOX startup 2002

NO2-

Initially designed as a two-step

process
SHARON - 1800 m3
ANAMMOX 72 m3 (compact!)

>2 yrs before ANAMMOX activity

was detected
>3.5yrs to reach full capacity
Removal rate 7.1 - 9.5 kg/m3/day
Refers to second stage

TN removal ~90%
Effluent NO2-N < 10 mg/l

Van der Star, W. R. L. et al., 2007, Startup of Reactors for Anoxic

Ammonium Oxidation:. Water Research, (41), 4149-4163.

Upflow Granulation Process: ANAMMOX

Next generation design: single stage

ammonia load (kg/m.d)

ammonia removed (kg/m.d)

1.8
Both nitritation and deammonification
1.6
1.4
Controlled by:
1.2
O2 - continuous aeration DO 5 mg/l
1
NO2 -N
0.8
Upflow velocity (shear)
0.6
Granular biomass beneficial
0.4
Low sensitivity to inhibition e.g. NO2 > 30 mg/L 0.2
0

Rendac performance

27-Mar

Startup 1 month with seeding

Removal rates 1.4 1.6 kg N/m3/d
85% TN removal
~1mm Dia. Granules

16-Apr

6-May

26-May

15-Jun

Comparative Summary of Deammonification Processes

Volumetric
Loading Rates

Performance
TN Removal
Energy Demand
Start-up

Sensitivity /
Flexibility

Suspended
SBR
(DEMON)

Attached
MBBR
(ANITATM Mox)

Granular
Single-Stage
(AMAMMOX)

kg N
/m3/day

0.7 1.2

0.7 1.2
IFAS > 3.2 ?

1.4 2.0

~90% NH3-N
~85% TN

~90% NH3-N
~85% TN

~90% NH3-N
~85% TN

kW hrs/
kg N
removed

1.0 1.3

1.2 1.75

1.0 1.3

1-2 months with

cyclone and 15%
seeding

~4-5 months with

2% - 10% seeding

1 month
with seeding

pH and DO
Control
NO2 < 5 mg/l
Pre-settling

DO control
Tolerates elevated
DO and NO2 well

DO control
Tolerates
elevated NO2

59

Summary Sidestream Deammonification

30 operational facilities / 25 in construction / commissioning
Proven process
Sustainable, small footprint and cost effective

60% less oxygen

90% less carbon
50% less alkalinity
40% less biomass

60

Acknowledgements

Beverley Stinson, P.E., Ph.D., AECOM

Greg Bowden, P.E., Ph.D., AECOM

61

Questions

Email:

lucy.pugh@aecom.com

Phone: (616) 940-4321