Experimental sulphide inhibition calibration method in nitrification processes: A case-study

[EN] Sulphide is one of the inhibitors in the nitrification process in WWTP in regions with sulphate rich soils. As little information is currently available on sulphide nitrification inhibition, the aim of this study was to develop a method based on a modification of the Successive Additions Method to calibrate the effect of sulphide on the activity of ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidising bacteria (NOB). The developed method was then applied to activated sludge samples from two WWTPs with different influent sulphide concentrations. In both cases, sulphide had a greater inhibitory effect on NOB than AOB activity. The sulphide inhibition was found to be lower in the activated sludge fed with sulphide-rich wastewater. The AOB and NOB activity measured at different sulphide concentrations could be accurately modelled with the Hill inhibition equation.This research was supported by Universitat Politècnica de València via FPI fellowship for the first author and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation via a pre-doctoral FPI fellowship (BES-2015-073403) for the second author.Noriega-Hevia, G.; Mateo-Llosa, O.; Maciá, A.; Lardín, C.; Pastor, L.; Serralta Sevilla, J.; Bouzas, A. (2020). Experimental sulphide inhibition calibration method in nitrification processes: A case-study. Journal of Environmental Management. 274:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111191S17274Arp, D., Sayavedra-Soto, L., & Hommes, N. (2002). Molecular biology and biochemistry of ammonia oxidation by Nitrosomonas europaea. Archives of Microbiology, 178(4), 250-255. doi:10.1007/s00203-002-0452-0Bejarano-Ortiz, D. I., Huerta-Ochoa, S., Thalasso, F., Cuervo-López, F. de M., & Texier, A.-C. (2015). 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Experimental sulphide inhibition calibration method in nitrification processes: A case-study

Sulphide is one of the inhibitors in the nitrification process in WWTP in regions with sulphate rich soils. As little information is currently available on sulphide nitrification inhibition, the aim of this study was to develop a method based on a modification of the Successive Additions Method to calibrate the effect of sulphide on the activity of ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidising bacteria (NOB). The developed method was then applied to activated sludge samples from two WWTPs with different influent sulphide concentrations. In both cases, sulphide had a greater inhibitory effect on NOB than AOB activity. The sulphide inhibition was found to be lower in the activated sludge fed with sulphide-rich wastewater. The AOB and NOB activity measured at different sulphide concentrations could be accurately modelled with the Hill inhibition equation