• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1174-1179
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• 2005

Up-flow sludge blanket(USB) reactors were used to investigate the effects of N/C(${NO_3}^--N/COD$) ratio on simultaneous denitrification and methanogenesis processes. Without nitrate feeding, 84% of the influent COD was converted into methane. With the increase of N/C ratio, nitrogen gas increased while methane production decreased and stopped finally at the N/C ratio over 0.20. Influent nitrate was completely denitrified into nitrogen gas while nitrate removal efficiency dropped below 40% at N/C ratio of 0.40 because of deficiency in organic carbon. Fraction of COD utilized by denitrification increased at higher N/C ratios. Methanogenesis started to be effected at N/C ratio of 0.05, which could explain the competition for organic carbon between these microorganisms such as denitrifiers and methanogens, rather than inhibitory effect of nitrate and its intermediates. Critical N/C ratio for simultaneous denitrification and methanogenesis was found to be 0.20. Influent COD was removed over 92% by denitrification, methanogenesis and other biochemical reactions including cell growth at these N/C ratios.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.739-745
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• 2005

Simultaneous denitrification and methanogenesis at various influent COD/Nitrate-N(below C/N) ratio was investigated with two different anaerobic sludges of which one was inoculated with glucose only and the other was inoculated with glucose and nitrate. Three different C/N ratios of 30, 20, and 10 were applied with each anaerobic sludge in serum bottles agitated in a rotary shaker to monitor the time related changes of amount of gas production and gas composition. Glucose was used as a single carbon source, which was adjusted to 1,000 mg/L as COD and potassium nitrate was used as a nitrogen source to adjust the each C/N ratio. COD removal by methanogenesis was dominant at higher C/N ratios, while COD removal by denitrification was dominant at lower C/N ratios. With the sludges cultured at C/N ratios below 10, SMA and SDNR rising different carbon substrates were investigated. The most efficient carbon substrate was acetate and the highest SMA and SDNR were 0.76 g COD/g VSS day with pure anaerobic sludge and 1.38 g ${NO_3}^--N/g$ VSS day with sludge cultured at C/N ratio of 5, respectively.