Consumption of ammonia-nitrogen by aob in immobilized batch culture

Abstract

This study investigated the performance of bio-filters immobilized nitrifying bacteria, 
ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). In particular, it was
to assess the consumption of ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃-N) by the AOB. The experiment was
conducted in a one litre reactor.The reactor consisted of bio-filters with NH₃-N as the
substrate for the nitrifying bacteria. Low concentration of NH₃-N (between 5 and 25 mg/L)
and high concentrations (between 35 and 100 mg/L) were used in this batch culture
experiment.Simultaneously, the production of nitrate-nitrogen was also evaluated by the
consumption of nitrite-nitrogen by the NOB.The results showed that the nitrifying bacteria in
the bio-filters were able to reduce the NH₃-N rapidly between 5 and 15 mg/L of NH
also found that the highest removal rate of NH₃-N was in 100 mg/L.

Keywords: ammonia-nitrogen; immobilized; biobio-filter; batch culture.