• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.75-81
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• 2014

Methanotrophic denitrification under a non-aerated condition (without external supply of oxygen or air) was investigated in a bioreactor coupled with a membrane diffuser. Batch experiment demonstrated that both methane consumption and nitrogen production rates were not high in the absence of oxygen, but most of the nitrate was reduced into $N_2$ with 88% recovery efficiency. The methane utilized for nitrate reduction was determined at 1.63 mmol $CH_4$/mmol $NO_3{^-}$-N, which was 2.6 times higher than the theoretical value. In spite of no oxygen supply, methanotrophic denitrification was well performed in the bioreactor, due to enhanced mass transfer of the methane by the membrane diffuser and utilization of oxygen remaining in the influent. The denitrification efficiency and specific denitrification rate were 47% and 1.69 mg $NO_3{^-}-N/g\;VSS{\cdot}hr$, respectively, which were slightly lower than for methanotrophic denitrification under an aerobic condition. The average concentration of total organic carbon in the effluent was as low as 2.45 mg/L, which indicates that it can be applicable as a post-denitrification method for the reclamation of secondary wastewater effluent. The dominant fatty acid methyl ester of mixed culture in the bioreactor was $C_{16:1{\omega}7c}$ and $C_{18:1{\omega}7c}$, which was predominantly found in type I and II methanotrophs, respectively. This study presents the potential of methanotrophic denitrification without externally excess oxygen supply as a post-denitrification option for various water treatment or reclamation.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.171-184
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• 2017

This study presents the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the characteristics of emission of three major greenhouse gases (GHGs) including $CH_4$, $CO_2$ and $N_2O$ during operation of a sequencing batch reactor for aerobic oxidation of methane with denitrification (AeOM-D SBR). Dissolved $N_2O$ concentration increased, leveled-off and slightly decreased as the HRT increased from 0.25 to 1d. Concentration of the dissolved $N_2O$ was higher at the shorter HRT, which was highly associated with the lowered C/N ratio. A longer HRT resulted in a higher C/N ratio with a sufficient carbon source produced by methanotrophs via methane oxidation, which provided a favorable condition for reducing $N_2O$ formation. With a less formation of the dissolved $N_2O$, $N_2O$ emission rate was lower at a longer HRT condition due to the lower C/N ratio. Opposite to the $N_2O$ emission, emission rates of $CH_4$ and $CO_2$ were higher at a longer HRT. Longer HRT resulted in the greater total GHGs emission as $CO_2$ equivalent which was doubled when the HRT increased from 0.5d to 1.0 d. Contribution of $CH_4$ onto the total GHGs emission was most dominant accounting for 98 - 99% compared to that of $N_2O$ (< 2%).