Nitrate removal from groundwater using solid-phase denitrification process without inoculating with external microorganisms

Denitrification of groundwater was studied using a laboratory-scale reactor packed with biodegradable snack ware served as both carbon source and biofilm support for microorganisms. The complete removal of 50 mg/L of nitrate-nitrogen was achieved in a 23-day-old reactor with 2.1 h of hydraulic retention time without inoculating with any external microorganisms, which indicates that indigenous microorganisms in groundwater proliferate readily and result in stable biofilm formation onto biodegradable snack ware. Accumulation of nitrite and nitrate residue was detected when hydraulic retention time was lower than 2.1 h. The breakthrough of nitrate-nitrogen up to over 10 mg/L in the effluent water was observed with nitrate removal efficiency reducing to about 75 % when hydraulic retention time was lowered to 1.4 h. The highest rate of denitrification was observed with 1.5 h of hydraulic retention time. Dissolved organic carbon concentration in the effluent water ranged between 10 and 20 mg/L during the stable operation of the reactor, and nitrite-nitrogen concentration was never higher than 0.09 mg/L. Considering its relatively low price and high denitrification rate, biodegradable snack ware can become a good alternative for denitrification process.     

Influence of water quality change in Fu River on Wetland Baiyangdian

Fu River is the only river that has perennial flow into Wetland Baiyangdian and is mainly composed of living sewage and industrial wastewater from Baoding city. Pollutant concentrations were monitored at three sections in the upstream, midstream, and downstream of Fu River and water quality in Wetland Baiyangdian was monitored at seven monitoring sites from 2001 to 2005. Results show that pollutant concentrations in Fu River and pollution load entering Wetland Baiyangdian generally increased during 2001–2005. On average, the concentrations of COD_Mn and BOD₅ increased by 46.5% and 50% from 2001 to 2005 in Fu River and COD_Mn increased by 17% in Wetland Baiyangdian. The total amount of COD_Mn and BOD₅ entering Wetland Baiyangdian increased from 1630 and 997 t/a to 2243 and 1583 t/a from 2001 to 2005, respectively. Total amount of water within the wetland and non-point source pollution input from surrounding areas also influenced the water quality in the wetland.     

Phosphorus removal efficiency from wastewater under different loading conditions using sand biofilters augmented with biochar

Treated wastewater is a valuable resource, particularly in countries facing water shortage such as Jordan. Nevertheless, excess nutrients, especially phosphorus, may have detrimental impacts on receiving waterbodies. Treated wastewater in Jordan often exceeds the recommended levels set by the Jordanian Standards for wastewater reuse and discharge. Therefore, it is important to reduce phosphorus loads to acceptable levels before discharge. Biofiltration is a low-cost technology that has shown good potential for wastewater treatment. The performance of biofilters largely depends on the media used. In this study, local sand and sand augmented with biochar prepared from the olive oil processing waste (SBC) were used as filter media for phosphorus removal from clarified secondary treated wastewater. The two media types were tested under different hydraulic and phosphorus loading conditions to simulate shock, flooding, and inundation conditions. The results showed that sand media was more effective in removing phosphorus (90.8 ± 2.6%) than sand amended with biochar (83.3 ± 3.2%). Both media showed resilience under extreme loading conditions. Although phosphorus removal efficiency was negatively affected following the extreme loading events, the observed effects were temporary. The simulated inundation event further showed that the media was able to retain the adsorbed phosphorus. Furthermore, the phosphorus concentration in the effluent remained within the prescribed discharge guidelines at all times.     

Effect of fines content and void ratio on the saturated hydraulic conductivity and undrained shear strength of sand–silt mixtures

The hydraulic conductivity represents an important indicator parameter in the generation and redistribution of excess pore pressure of sand–silt mixture soil deposits during earthquakes. This paper aims to determine the relationship between the undrained shear strength (liquefaction resistance) and the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the sand–silt mixtures and how much they are affected by the percentage of low plastic fines (finer than 0.074 mm) and void ratio of the soil. The results of flexible wall permeameter and undrained monotonic triaxial tests carried out on samples reconstituted from Chlef river sand with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 % non-plastic silt at an effective confining pressure of 100 kPa and two initial relative densities (D _r = 20, 91 %) are presented and discussed. It was found that the undrained shear strength (liquefaction resistance) can be correlated to the fines content, intergranular void ratio and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The results obtained from this study reveal that the saturated hydraulic conductivity (k _sat) of the sand mixed with 50 % low plastic fines can be, in average, four orders of magnitude smaller than that of the clean sand. The results show also that the global void ratio could not be used as a pertinent parameter to explain the undrained shear strength and saturated hydraulic conductivity response of the sand–silt mixtures.     

Nanoscale zero-valent iron flakes for groundwater treatment

Even today the remediation of organic contaminant source zones poses significant technical and economic challenges. Nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) injections have proved to be a promising approach especially for source zone treatment. We present the development and the characterization of a new kind of NZVI with several advantages on the basis of laboratory experiments, model simulations and a field test. The developed NZVI particles are manufactured by milling, consist of 85 % Fe(0) and exhibit a flake-like shape with a thickness of <100 nm. The mass normalized perchloroethylene (PCE) dechlorination rate constant was 4.1 × 10^?3 L/g h compared to 4.0 × 10^?4 L/g h for a commercially available reference product. A transport distance of at least 190 cm in quartz sand with a grain size of 0.2–0.8 mm and Fe(0) concentrations between 6 and 160 g/kg (sand) were achieved without significant indications of clogging. The particles showed only a low acute toxicity and had no longterm inhibitory effects on dechlorinating microorganisms. During a field test 280 kg of the iron flakes was injected to a depth of 10–12 m into quaternary sand layers with hydraulic conductivities ranging between 10^?4 and 10^?5 m/s. Fe(0) concentrations of 1 g/kg (sand) or more [up to 100 g/kg (sand)] were achieved in 80 % of the targeted area. The iron flakes have so far remained reactive for more than 1 year and caused a PCE concentration decrease from 20.000–30.000 to 100–200 µg/L. Integration of particle transport processes into the OpenGeoSys model code proved suitable for site-specific 3D prediction and optimization of iron flake injections.     

Optimization of parameters using response surface methodology and genetic algorithm for biological denitrification of wastewater

In the present study the removal of nitrates from wastewater using Pseudomonas stutzeri microorganism in a Gas–Liquid–Solid bioreactor at the concentration of 200 ppm was studied for a period of 12 h. The response surface methodology with the help of central composite design and genetic algorithm were employed to optimize the process parameters such as airflow rate, biofilm carrier, carbon source, temperature and pH which are responsible for the removal of nitrates. The optimized values of parameters found from RSM are airflow rate 2.41 lpm, biofilm carrier 15.15 g/L, carbon source 85.0 mg/L, temperature 29.74 °C, pH 7.47 and nitrate removal 193.16. The optimized parameters obtained from genetic algorithm are airflow rate 2.42 lpm, biofilm carrier 15.25 g/L, carbon source 84.98 mg/L, temperature 29.61 °C, pH 7.51 and nitrate removal is 194.14. The value of R² > 0.9831 obtained for the present mathematical model indicates the high correlation between observed and predicted values. The optimal values for nitrate removal at 200 ppm are suggested according to genetic algorithm and at these optimized parameters more than 96 % of nitrate removal was estimated, which meets the standards for drinking water.     

A transparent aqueous-saturated sand surrogate for use in physical modeling

This paper presents the geotechnical properties of a new family of synthetic transparent soils made of fused quartz, saturated with a matched refractive index water-based sucrose solution, suitable for modeling the behavior of sand in small-scale model tests. The dry density ranged between 1,134 and 1,358 kg/m³. The peak angle of friction was found to range from 46° to 57°. The average hydraulic conductivity was 1.7 × 10^?5 cm/s. The compressibility index (C _c) ranged from 0.34 to 0.57. The main advantage of fused quartz over available sand surrogates made of silica gel is that its solid structure better models the behavior of natural sand. The matching pore fluids are inert and non-toxic, which facilitates their use in educational settings. The availability of a safe and easy-to-use transparent sand permits measurement of three-dimensional deformation patterns and flow characteristics in controlled research experiments. The introduction of an aqueous solution permits the use of two immiscible pore fluids, one made of mineral oil and the other made of a sucrose solution, for modeling multiphase flow problems, as well as coupled flow-deformation problems.     

Treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater in upflow anaerobic filter under low upflow velocity

The wastewater discharged by poultry slaughterhouse industries are characterized mainly by high biochemical oxygen demand, high suspended solids and complex mixture of fats, proteins and fibers requiring systematic treatment prior to disposal. In this study, the performance of an upflow anaerobic filter reactor for treating Indian poultry slaughterhouse wastewater under low upflow velocity of 1.38 m/day at mesophilic temperature (29-35 °C) was investigated. The reactor was inoculated with anaerobic non-granular sludge from an anaerobic reactor treating the poultry slaughterhouse wastewater. The reactor took 147 days for complete start-up with removal efficiencies of total chemical oxygen demand and soluble chemical oxygen demand of 70 and 79 % respectively. The maximum total chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency of 78 % was achieved at an organic loading rate of 10.05 kg/m³/day and at an hydraulic retention time of 12 h. The average methane content varied between 46 and 56 % and methane yield at maximum removal efficiency was 0.24 m³ CH₄/kg COD_removed·day. Sludge granules of 1–2 mm were observed in between the packing media. Scanning electron microscope analysis revealed that sludge granules are composed of clumps of Methanosarcina clustered with less intertwined Methanosaeta fibre of granules. The lower velocity used in this study has achieved better performance of the reactor by creating active microbial formation with stable pH upto an organic loading rate of 14.3 kg/m³/day. This has proved that the poultry slaughterhouse wastewater can be treated using anaerobic filter reactor under low upflow velocity.     

An intelligent neural network model for evaluating performance of immobilized cell biofilter treating hydrogen sulphide vapors

Biofiltration has shown to be a promising technique for handling malodours arising from process industries. The present investigation pertains to the removal of hydrogen sulphide in a lab scale biofilter packed with biomedia, encapsulated by sodium alginate and poly vinyl alcohol. The experimental data obtained under both steady state and shock loaded conditions were modelled using the basic principles of artificial neural networks. Artificial neural networks are powerful data driven modelling tools which has the potential to approximate and interpret complex input/output relationships based on the given sets of data matrix. A predictive computerised approach has been proposed to predict the performance parameters namely, removal efficiency and elimination capacity using inlet concentration, loading rate, flow rate and pressure drop as the input parameters to the artificial neural network model. Earlier, experiments from continuous operation in the biofilter showed removal efficiencies from 50 to 100 % at inlet loading rates varying up to 13 g H₂S/m³h. The internal network parameter of the artificial neural network model during simulation was selected using the 2^k factorial design and the best network topology for the model was thus estimated. The results showed that a multilayer network (4-4-2) with a back propagation algorithm was able to predict biofilter performance effectively with R² values of 0.9157 and 0.9965 for removal efficiency and elimination capacity in the test data. The proposed artificial neural network model for biofilter operation could be used as a potential alternative for knowledge based models through proper training and testing of the state variables.     

The impact of sewage-contaminated river water on groundwater ammonium and arsenic concentrations at a riverbank filtration site in central Delhi,India

The groundwater abstracted at a well field near the Yamuna River in Central Delhi, India, has elevated ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) concentrations up to 35 mg/L and arsenic (As) concentrations up to 0.146 mg/L, constituting a problem with the provision of safe drinking and irrigation water. Infiltrating sewage-contaminated river water is the primary source of the NH₄ ⁺ contamination in the aquifer, leading to reducing conditions which probably trigger the release of geogenic As. These conclusions are based on the evaluation of six 8–27-m deep drillings, and 13 surface-water and 69 groundwater samples collected during seven field campaigns (2012–2013). Results indicate that losing stream conditions prevail and the river water infiltrates into the shallow floodplain aquifer (up to 16 m thickness), which consists of a 1–2-m thick layer of calcareous nodules (locally known as kankar) overlain by medium sand. Because of its higher hydraulic conductivity (3.7 × 10^?3 m/s, as opposed to 3.5 × 10^?4 m/s in the sand), the kankar layer serves as the main pathway for the infiltrating water. However, the NH₄ ⁺ plume front advances more rapidly in the sand layer because of its significantly lower cation exchange capacity. Elevated As concentrations were only observed within the NH₄ ⁺ plume indicating a causal connection with the infiltrating reducing river water.     

Modeling and simulation of hybrid anaerobic/aerobic wastewater treatment system

Modeling and simulation using GPS-X software for a packed bed up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket followed by a biological aerated filter were studied. Both treatment units were packed with a non-woven polyester fabric as a bio-bed. The system was operated at a hydraulic and organic loading rate of 9.65 m³/m²/d and 2.64 kg BOD₅/m³/day. Verification of the experimental results and calibration of the model were carried out prior simulation and modeling. Variables under consideration were HLR, OLR, and surface area of the packing material. HLR and OLR are increased incrementally until the break through point has been achieved. The results obtained from modeling indicated that the treatment system has great potential to be used as an ideal and efficient option for high hydraulic and organic loading rates up to 19.29 m³/m²/d and 4.48 kg BOD₅/m³/day. The model indicated that increasing the input HLR and OLR loads to the treatment system up to 50 % of the original values achieved removal efficiencies 98 % for TSS, 88 % for BOD₅, and 85 % for COD. Moreover, increasing the HLR to four times the original value (38.59 m³/m²/d) reduced the efficiency of the treatment system to 50 % for COD and BOD₅. However, the removal rates of TSS, TKN, and TP were not affected. Also, the modeling results indicated that increasing the surface area of the packing material increased the overall efficiency of the treatment system.     

Simultaneous sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim removal and biofilm growth characteristics in attached growth bioreactor

Antibiotic contamination of aqueous environment due to pharmaceutical sewage may lead to development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria strain. In this research, elimination of antibiotics from synthetic wastewater was investigated. For this purpose, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim were treated by a pilot scale of net-like rotating biological contactor with three compartments, 48 plastic discs with total volume of 78.75 L. This system was continuously operated for about one year at various organic loading rates with different antibiotic dosages. The obtained results indicated that by increasing hydraulic retention time, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was gradually increased. The optimal hydraulic retention time for desired rate of COD removal was 36 h. In addition, the effect of hydraulic retention time, organic load rate and sulfamethoxazole concentration in the removal of sulfamethoxazole and organic matter was assessed. Moreover, the results demonstrated that with increasing in organic load rate, sulfamethoxazole elimination was enhanced. In the next step, simultaneous removal of both antibiotics for constant inlet COD concentration of 8000 mg/L at optimum hydraulic retention time was analysed. The results showed that trimethoprim removal efficiency was approximately 100%, even at high concentration of trimethoprim (50 mg/L). For observation of dominant microorganism, samples of the developed biofilm on rotating biological contactor discs were scanned by scanning electron microscopy. In the first compartment where biomass was exposed to highest concentration of antibiotics, fungus strains were the dominant organism. In the second and third compartment antibiotic-resistant bacteria were the dominant attached living organisms.     

Comparison of the biological NH3 removal characteristics of a three stage biofilter with a one stage biofilter

A three stage and a one-stage bench-scale biofilter with effective heights of 129 cm filled with same type of packing material were operated at different influent concentrations of ammonia in order to investigate their performance in treating waste gas streams. The columns contained a mixture of municipal compost inoculated with thickened municipal activated sludge as a base material and shredded hard plastic as a bulking agent in a 3:2 v/v ratio; the porosity, density and pH were 52 %, 0.65 and 7.2 respectively. Microbial acclimation to ammonia was achieved by exposing the three stage biofilter to an average inlet loading rate of 2.15g-NH₃/m³h and the one-stage to an average inlet loading rate of 1.32 g NH₃/m³h and an empty bed residence time of 60 s, for 10 days and 17 days respectively. Under steady-state condition, maximum elimination capacity (EC) was 9.85 g-NH₃/m³h at a loading rate of 9.86 g-NH₃/m³h for three-stage biofilter and 8.08 g NH₃/m³h at a loading rate of 8.13 g-NH₃/m³h for one-stage biofilter. The average pressure drop across biofilters bed was determined 33.76 Pa/m¹ in three-stage biofilter and 180.7 Pa/m¹ in one-stage biofilter. The three stage biofilter showed superior performance and gained more elimination capacity, shorter acclimation time, longer operation in steady-state condition and less pressure drop than one-stage biofilter.     

Effect of Water and Leachate on Hydraulic Behavior of Compacted Bentonite,Calcareous Sand and Tuff Mixtures for Use as Landfill Liners

Compacted soil–bentonite liners, consisting of a sandy soil mixed with bentonite as backfill, are used extensively as engineered barriers for contaminant containment. This paper studies the valorization of local materials containing calcareous sand, tuff obtained from Laghouat region (in the South Algeria), to associate with bentonite in order to improve their hydraulic characteristics for use as landfill liner material. Firstly, a geotechnical characterization of mixtures chooses from a fixed percentage to 10% bentonite and different percentages of calcareous sand and tuff so that they are complementary to 90% by not 10%. Thereafter, the determination of saturated hydraulic conductivity at falling-head permeability (K_v) and oedometer (K_id, indirect Measure) tests of all compacted mixtures at Optimum Normal Proctor have been carried out using both permeates by tap water and a landfill leachate in order to simulate long-term conditions. The results showed that the saturated hydraulic conductivity of tap water is relatively lower than the one saturated by leachate in the falling-head test, unlike the oedometer test. The B₁₀CS₂₀T₇₀ mixture has satisfied the hydraulic conductivity criterion of bottom barriers (i.e. water permeated: k_v20° = 1.97 × 10^?9 and k_id from 7 × 10^?9 to 1.83 × 10^?10 < 10^?9m/s; leachate permeated: k_v20° = 2.91 × 10^?9 and k_id from 7 × 10^?9 at 1.44 × 10^?10 < 10^?9 m/s). Finally, a comparison between direct measurements of the saturated hydraulic conductivity by triaxial (K_d) test and oedometer test (K_id) in the range of effective stress applied 100–800 kPa led to propose equations of correlations between these two methods. In conclusion, adopted formulation B₁₀CS₂₀T₇₀ perfectly meets the regulatory requirements in force and constitutes an economic product based on available local materials for engineers barriers.     

Evaluation of moving-bed biofilm sequencing batch reactor (MBSBR) in operating A<Superscript>2</Superscript>O process with emphasis on biological removal of nutrients existing in wastewater

In this study, the performance of moving-bed biofilm sequencing batch reactor in operating the anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A²O) process for treatment of wastewaters containing nitrogen and phosphorous was evaluated. For this purpose, a pilot system with two bench-scale sequencing batch reactors with a total volume of 30 L and functional volume of 10 L was used. The installation was elaborated using plexiglass, in which 60% of the functional volume consisted of PVC suspended carriers (Kaldnes K3) with a specific surface area of 560 m²/m³. The independent variables used in this study were hydraulic retention time (HRT) (1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 3.5 h) and the initial organic load (300, 500, 800, 1000 mg O₂/L). The results showed impressive performance in the case of an initial organic load of 300 mg O₂/L and HRT of 3 h with maximum removal of COD and TN, respectively, by 95.1 and 89.8%. In the case of an initial organic load of 1000 mg O₂/L and HRT of 3.5 h, the maximum total phosphorus removal was 72.3%. Therefore, according to the analysis of data obtained by different HRTs, it was revealed that the system of A²O has greater efficiency in removing organic matter from wastewater in the shortest possible time.     

Biological and chemical analyses of a laboratory-scale biofilter for oxygenate bioremediation in simulated groundwater

Microbial remediation of methyl tert-butyl ether-contaminated aquifers has been widely studied since their cost/efficiency ratios are lower than other remediating techniques. Based on previous studies, simultaneous assessment of two inocula (Acinetobacter calcoaceticus M10 and a co-culture between strain M10 and Rhodococcus ruber E10) was performed for methyl tert-butyl ether bioremediation in a designed pilot-scale biofilter. A non-inoculated biofilter was included for comparison. Temporary bioremediation of methyl tert-butyl ether (up to 80 % removal) from the biofilter inoculated with the consortium was observed within 44 days. In addition, the taxonomic profile (temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis from RNA extracts) from the latter biofilter contained more active strains than in the other two systems. The presence of strains M10 and E10 in temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis analysis from RNA extracts and high presence of strain E10 in temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of DNA extracts, along with alkB amplification of both strains in the biofilter, suggest that the co-culture inoculum was responsible for the methyl tert-butyl ether removal.     

Effect of aeration on steady-state conditions in non- and partially aerated low-loaded biofilter

Excessive growth of biomass and retention of solids associated with air bubbles lead to bed clogging, which affects the biofilters?? performance. Two experiments were carried out in a submerged biofilter at the flow velocity of 0.5?m?h^?1, for an organic loading rate of 51?g C m^?3?h^?1 and a nitrogen loading rate of 13?g NH₄-N?m^?3?h^?1, one with the biofilter not aerated, the other with the biofilter partially aerated. The results showed that the higher head losses occurred in the upper section of the biofilter, where there was a greater biomass development and a higher removal of organic carbon, ammonia and solids, with the maximum allowed head loss being reached in 16 and 8?days. In any case, the steady-state conditions were achieved after 2?days and were interrupted on the tenth day of experiment E1 and on the fifth day of experiment E2. This allowed defining different operating cycles that enabled an average organic removal rate of 12.7?g C m^?3?h^?1 (27?%) and an average ammonia removal rate of 1.1?g NH4-N?m^?3?h^?1 (9?%) without aeration, and of 35.8?g C m^?3?h^?1 (76?%) and 6.3?g NH4-N?m^?3?h^?1 (51?%) with aeration. Regardless of the aeration conditions, more than 90?% of TOC and NH4-N removal occurred in the upper section. After the backwashing cycle, the biofilter returned to steady-state conditions in 6?h (without aeration) and 7?h (with aeration).     

Mechanism of efficient nutrient removal and microbial analysis of a combined anaerobic baffled reactor–membrane bioreactor process

A combined ABR–MBR process consisting of an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) combined with an aerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating municipal wastewater was investigated at controlled pH range 6.5–8.5 and at constant temperature 25 ± 1 °C. Total nitrogen (TN), ammonia (NH₄ ⁺–N), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal performances were evaluated by analyzing the mechanism for efficient nutrient removal. The results showed that the average removal rates of COD, NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP reached 93, 99, 79, and 92 %, respectively, corresponding with the COD, NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP effluent of 24 (18–31), 0.4 (0–0.8), 10.6 (8.8–12.9), and 0.31 (0.1–0.5) mg/L under the operational condition of hydraulic retention time (HRT) 7.5 h, recycle ratio 200 %, and dissolved oxygen 3 mg/L. The MBR enhanced NH₄ ⁺–N, TN, and TP removal rates of 13, 10, and 18 %, respectively, and the membrane retention reduced TP 0.17 mg/L. The process was able to maintain a stable performance with high-quality effluent. Analysis of the results by fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, and phosphorus accumulating organisms as percentages of all bacteria in each compartment was stable. The enriched microorganisms in the system appear to be the main drivers of the process efficient for nutrient removal.     

Continuous process study on simultaneous nitrification–denitrification of high ammoniacal nitrogen load wastewater in aerobic–anoxic sequencing bioreactors

The study focused on the feasibility of high NH₄ ⁺–N (400–600 mg/L) and COD load at two different hydraulic retention times (HRTs = 36 and 24 h) in two identical aerobic–anoxic sequencing bioreactors which were constructed in series in a single system using a specifically designed single biomass containing autotrophic nitrifying and heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria. Internal recirculation of synthetic wastewater from one tank to other was not carried out like the conventional aerobic–anoxic processes. Cycles of 15 days under sequences of aerated and non-aerated periods of three hour each were repeated during each continuous flow experiment conducted. Sodium bicarbonate and sodium acetate were selected as the appropriate inorganic and organic carbon sources. The results showed that the HRT may not affect the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification processes. Average nitrification ratio was obtained to be above 20 mg/L NH₄ ⁺–N/h daily. Results of 90 days’ operation also showed high removal efficiencies of ammoniacal nitrogen of about 83% daily. The main advantage of this process includes efficient ammoniacal nitrogen removal without separated aerobic and anoxic tanks, decrease operating costs due to the lesser oxygen concentration requirement in the bioreactors.