Biological Denitrification of Water
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 115, Issue 5
Abstract
Voluminous research has been published regarding the denitrification of drinking water. Most of this work has been done in Europe. Unfortunately, much of the European literature has not been translated into English, and as a consequence there may be a gap in the understanding of the international state of the art with regard to drinking‐water denitrification. Numerous substrates have been evaluated including methanol, ethanol, acetic acid, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and various sulfur compounds. Various unit processes have been utilized including biofilters, fluidized‐bed and packed‐bed reactors, packed towers containing cells immobilized in polymer gels, and completely mixed reactors with cells attached to bouyant porous carriers. There are several commercial facilities currently providing drinking water to European communities. Most include post‐treatment with flocculation, filtration, and disinfection. A common concern in denitrification operations is the minimization of nitrite accumulation. This requires careful process control, and more research regarding the nitrite problem is needed. The European literature is a valuable source of information regarding the denitrification of drinking water.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Barrenstein, A., Kramer, U., and Obermarm, P. (1986). “Underground treatment of nitrate rich groundwater by infiltration with treated wastewater or methane‐rich natural gas.” DVGW‐Schriftenreihe, Wasser, Frankfort, West Germany, 106, 99–116.
2.
Batchelor, B., and Lawrence, A. W. (1978). “A kinetic model for autotrophic denitrification using elemental sulfur.” Water Res., 12(12), 1075–1084.
3.
Batchelor, B., and Lawrence, A. W. (1978). “Autotrophic denitrification using elemental sulfur.” J. Water Pollution Control Federation, 50(8), 1986–2001.
4.
Batchelor, B., and Lawrence, A. W. (1978). “Stoichiometry of autotrophic denitrification using elemental sulfur,” in Chemical Wastewater Technology, A. J. Rubin, ed., Ann Arbor Sci., Ann Arbor, Mich., 421–440.
5.
“Biological removal of nitrates from groundwater with hydrogen.” (1987). WLB, Wasser, Luff und Betrieb, Mainz, West Germany, 31(3), 21–22.
6.
Blecon, G., et al. (1983). “Autotrophic biological denitrification by Thiobacillus denitrificans on sulfur‐marl.” Revue Franqaise des Sciences de l'Eau, Paris, France, 2(3), 267–279.
7.
Boeckle, R., Rohmann, U., and Sontheimer, H. (1984). “Denitrification in biological activated carbon filters.” DVGW‐Schriftenreihe, Wasser, Frankfurt, West Germany, 105, 153–178.
8.
Bullermann, M., and Keidel, T. (1986). “Biological denitrification of groundwater and surface water.” Schriftenreihe‐Institut fuer Wasserversorgung, Darmstadt, West Germany, 25, 95–107.
9.
Claus, G., and Kutzner, H. J. (1985a). “Autotrophic denitrification Thiobacillus denitricans.” Appl. Microbiology and Biotechnology, 22, 289–296.
10.
Claus, G., and Kutzner, H. J. (1985b). “Physiology and kinetics of autotrophic denitrification by Thiobacillus denitrificans.” Appl. Microbiology and Biotechnology, 22, 283–288.
11.
Croll, B. T., et al. (1985). “Biological fluidized bed denitrification for potable water.” Advances in Water Engrg., Proc. of the Int. Symp., T. H. Y. Tebbut, ed., Elsevier Appl. Sci., London, 180–187.
12.
Davies, T. R. (1973). “Isolation of bacteria capable of utilizing methane as a hydrogen donor in the process of denitrification.” Water Res., 7, 575–579.
13.
Edmunds, W. M., and Walton, N. R. G. (1983). “The Lincolnshire limestone‐hydrogeochemical evolution over a ten‐year period.” J. Hydrology, 61, 201–211.
14.
Frank, C., and Dott, W. (1985). “Nitrate removal from drinking water by biological denitrification.” Vom Wasser, 65, 287–95.
15.
Frick, B. R., and Richard, Y. (1985). “Experience with biological denitrification in a full scale drinking water treatment plant.” Vom Wasser, 64, 145–154.
16.
Fuchs, U. (1985). “Device and method for biological denitrification of water.” Patent application 3340549, Nov. 9, 1983, West Germany.
17.
Gaehrs, H. J., Rutten, P., and Schnoor, G. (1986). “Drinking water preparation with hydrogen.” Gas Aktusell, Frankfurt, West Germany, 32, 11–16.
18.
Ginocchio, J. (1983). “Process and apparatus for the biological denitrification of groundwater.” European Patent Appl., EP 86863 Al, Aug. 31, 1983.
19.
Ginocchio, J. (1984). “Nitrate levels in drinking water are becoming too high.” Water Services, Switzerland, 88, 143–147.
20.
Gros, H., and Kyburz, M. (1982). “Method and apparatus for the denitrification of water.” European patent application, EP 65035 Al, Nov. 24, 1982.
21.
Gros, H., and Ginocchio, J. (1982). “Biological nitrification and denitrification on submerged mixing elements.” Gas Wasser, Abwasser, Zurich, Switzerland, 62, 312–321.
22.
Gros, H., Schnoor, G., and Rutten, P. (1986). “Nitrate removal from groundwater by autotrophic microorganisms.” Water Supply, 4, 11–21.
23.
Gros, H., and Treutler, K. (1986). “Biological denitrification process with hydrogenoxidizing bacteria for drinking water treatment.” Aqua, London, England, 5, 288–290.
24.
Hellekes, R. (1986). “Nitrate removal in drinking water treatment by using autotrophic microorganisms with hydrogen addition.” DVGW‐Schriftenreihe, Wasser, Frankfurt, West Germany, 106, 145–156.
25.
Howard, K. W. F. (1985). “Denitrification in a major limestone aquifer.” J. of Hydrology, 76, 265–280.
26.
John, P., and Whatley, F. R. (1977). “The bioenergetics of Paracoccus denitrificans.” Biochemica et Biophysica Acta, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 463, 129–153.
27.
Krantzenstein, K. (1982). “Apparatus and methods for denitrifying water.” Patent application 3121395, Dec. 16, 1982, West Germany.
28.
Kurt, M., Dunn, I. J., and Bourne, J. R. (1987). “Biological denitrification of drinking water using autotrophic organisms with hydrogen in a fluidized‐bed biofilm reactor.” Biotechnology Bioengineering, 29, 493–501.
29.
Lam, Y., and Nicholas, D. J. D. (1969). “Aerobic and anaerobic respiration in Micrococcus denitrificans.” Biochemica et Biophysica Acta, Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 172, 450–461.
30.
La Motta Diaz, E., and Andrade Salgado, A. (1985). “Autotrophic denitrification using sulfides.” Politecnica, Quito, Ecuador, 10, 65–76.
31.
LeCloirec, P., et al. (1985). “Mathematical model of denitrification on sulfur‐calcium carbonate filters.” Chem. Eng. Jour., Lausanne, Switzerland, 3, B9–B18.
32.
Lewandowski, Z., Bakke, R., and Characklis, W. G. (1987). “Nitrification and autotrophic denitrification in calcium alginate beads.” Water Sci. Tech., 19, 175–182.
33.
Martin, G. (1982). “Biological denitrification of water.” Patent application 79/10154, France.
34.
Nilsson, I., and Ohlson, S. (1982). “Columnar denitrification of water by immobilized Psuedomonas denitrificans cells.” European J. Appl. Microbiology Biotechnology, 14, 86–90.
35.
Nilsson, I., and Ohlson, S. (1982). “Immobilized cells in microbial nitrate reduction.” Appl. Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 7, 39–41.
36.
Overath, H., Hussmann, A., and Haberer, K. (1986). “Biological nitrate removal by Thiobaciccus denitrificans using elemental sulfur fixed on activated carbon electron donor.” Vom Wasser, Weinheim, West Germany, 66, 59–83.
37.
Overath, H., and Haberer, K. (1984). “Biological denitrification with autotrophic microorganisms of the type Thiobacillus denitrificans using elemental sulfur fixed on support materials.” Vom Wasser, Weinheim, West Germany, 63, 249–51.
38.
Overath, H., and Haberer, K. (1985). “Biological separation of nitrate and/or nitrite from water.” Patent Application 3414556, West Germany.
39.
Park, Y., and Hegeman, G. (1984). “The oxidation of carbon monoxide by bacteria.” Microbial Chemoautotrophy, W. R. Strohl and O. H. Tuovinen, eds., Ohio State Univ. Press, Columbus, Ohio.
40.
Partos, J., and Richard, Y. (1985). “Treatment of nitrate‐contaminated groundwaters.” Water Supply, 3, 75–92.
41.
Payne, W. J. (1976). “Denitrification.” Trends in Biochemical Sci., 1, 220–222.
42.
Philipot, J. M., Chaffange, F., and Pascal, O. (1985). “Denitrification biologique: le point sur un an de fonctionnement de la station d'eragny.” Water Supply, 3, 93–98.
43.
Rauschmaier, R., and Barotke, D. (1985). “Birchwood as a hydrogen donor in the microbial denitrification of water.” Material und Organismen, Berlin, West Germany, 20, 253–264.
44.
Richard, Y., et al. (1980). “Denitrificiation of water for human consumption.” Progress in Water Tech., Oxford, England, 12, 173–191.
45.
Richard, Y., and Partos, J. (1986). “Biological nitrate removal for the production of drinking water. Operating results of two industrial plants.” Techniques et Sciences Methods, Paris, France, 3, 141–147.
46.
Roennefahrt, K. W. (1986). “Nitrate elimination with heterotrophic aquatic microorganisms in fixed bed reactors with buoyant carriers.” Aqua, London, England, 5, 283–285.
47.
Roennefahrt, K. (1982). “Biological nitrate removal in drinking water purification.” Mitteilung der Kommission fuer Wasserforchung, Deutsche Forchungsgemeinschaft, Weinheim, West Germany, 3, 198–215.
48.
Roennefahrt, K. (1985). “Biological denitrification in fixed‐bed reactors.” Vom Wasser, 65, 271–285.
49.
Rudovsky, J., Janda, V., and Wanner, J. (1986). “Biological denitrification of drinking water.” Vodni Hospodarstvi, Prague, Czechoslovakia, 36, 69–75.
50.
Sayre, I. M. (1988). “International standards for drinking water.” American Water Works Association, 80, 53–60.
51.
Sekoulov, I., Braeutigam, H. J. (1987). “Method and apparatus for biological and/or physical removal of undesirable substances from water using a biofilm reactor.” Patent Application 3544383, West Germany.
52.
Selenka, F., Hack, A., and Heuser, H. P. (1986). “Bacteriological processes in the underground treatment of nitrate‐rich groundwater with the addition of treated wastewater or natural gas.” DVGW‐Schriftenreihe, Wasser, Frankfurt, West Germany, 106–117–130.
53.
Soeder, C. J., et al. (1986). “Treatment of nitrate‐containing groundwater by using denitrifying aquatic plant soil filters and subsequent groundwater passage.” DVGWSchriftenreihe, Wasser, Frankfurt, West Germany, 106, 131–140.
54.
Sontheimer, H., et al. (1987). “Biological denitrification of water with minimum posttreatment.” Patent application 3603123. West Germany.
55.
Trudell, M. R., Gillham, R. W., and Cherry, J. A. (1986). “An in‐situ study of the occurrence and rate of denitrification in a shallow unconfined sand aquifer.” J. Hydrology, 83, 251–268.
56.
van der Hoek, J. P., and Klapwijk, A. (1987). “Nitrate removal from groundwater.” Water Res., 21, 989–997.
57.
van der Hoek, J. P., and Klapwijk, A. (1988). “The use of a nitrate selective resin in the combined ion exchange/biological denitrification process for nitrate removal from groundwater.” Water Supply, 6, 57–62.
58.
Vogel, J. C., Talma, A. S., and Heaton, T. H. E. (1981). “Gaseous nitrogen as evidence for denitrification in groundwater.” Jour. Hydrol., 50, 191–200.
59.
Waki, T., et al. (1980). “Transient characteristics of Paracoccus denitrificans with changes between aerobic and anaerobic conditions.” Fermentation Tech., 58, 243–249.
60.
Yull‐Rhee, G., and Futts, G. W. (1978). “Wastewater denitrifiction with one carbon compounds as energy source.” J. Water Pollution Control Federation, 50, 2111–2119.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 115 • Issue 5 • October 1989
Pages: 930 - 943
Copyright
Copyright © 1989 ASCE.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 1989
Published in print: Oct 1989
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.