Nitrification Efficiency Analysis in Single and Series Reactors Using Biofringe Media

Abstract

Underground water is used as one of the major source in Kathmandu valley. Groundwater quality is found to be degraded from various anthropogenic and natural sources. Nitrogen contamination of ground water has become one of the major issues. The average constituent of ammonium-nitrogen is found to be greater than the value recommended by WHO guidelines and NWDQS in the Kathmandu Valley. Nitrification process is the effective and efficient process to remove ammonium nitrogen content compound. This research was conducted to study the efficiency of ammonia oxidation in the single and series reactors using bio fringe media. Nitrification was performed at the varying hydraulic retention time. From this study, shows that the overall removal efficiency of ammonium nitrogen is more in series reactor than single reactor in the same site condition. The removal was achieved to be higher in case of high ammonia concentration of influent water. The maximum average ammonia nitrogen oxidation efficiency was achieved up to 98.93% in series reactor whereas 92.30% in the single reactor for HRT 9.12 hrs and the minimum efficiency was achieved at HRT of 1.82 hrs which was 20.66% and 25.87% for single and series reactor respectively. At higher HRT, the bacterial efficiency was found satisfactory using biofringe media in series reactor as compared to single reactor.