US EPA

2030123 

Journal Article 

Effects of hydraulic retention time on nitrification activities and population dynamics of a conventional activated sludge system 

Li, H; Zhang, Yu; Yang, Min; Kamagata, Y 

2013 

7 

1 

43-48 

10.1007/s11783-012-0397-8 

WOS:000314290400005 

The effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the nitrification activities and population dynamics of a conventional activated sludge system fed with synthetic inorganic wastewater were investigated over a period of 260 days. When the HRT was gradually decreased from 30 to 5 h, the specific ammonium-oxidizing rates (SAOR) varied between 0.32 and 0.45 kg NH (4) (+) -N (kg mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS)center dot d)(-1), and the specific nitrate-forming rates (SNFR) increased from 0.11 to 0.50 kg NO (3) (-) -N (kg MLSS center dot d)(-1), showing that the decrease in HRT led to a significant increase in the nitrite oxidation activity. According to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis results, the proportion of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOBs) among the total bacteria decreased from 33% to 15% with the decrease in HRT, whereas the fraction of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOBs), particularly the fast-growing Nitrobacter sp., increased significantly (from 4% to 15% for NOBs and from 1.5% to 10.6% for Nitrobacter sp.) with the decrease in HRT, which was in accordance with the changes in SNFR. A short HRT favored the relative growth of NOBs, particularly the fast-growing Nitrobacter sp., in the conventional activated sludge system. 

ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; hydraulic retention time; nitrification activity; nitrite-oxidizing bacteria; population dynamics