A versatile control strategy based on organic carbon flow analysis for effective treatment of incineration leachate using an anammox-based process

Anammox-based process provides an alternative for the sustainable treatment of incineration leachate that has high-load ammonium and high residual heat, but the high concentrations of organics in such leachates brought challenges for the process control. For the first time, a two-stage partial nitrification (PN)-anammox process coupled with a pre-enhanced anaerobic digestion (AD) was established to achieve efficient nitrogen removal from incineration leachate. Satisfactory nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies were achieved-with the average values of 90% and 78%, respectively-despite fluctuating influent properties [1100-2000 mg-total nitrogen (TN)/L and 3800-15800 mg-COD/L]. A versatile control strategy was developed to create an optimum autotrophic environment for nitrifier and anammox bacteria: i) enhanced AD set before the PN-anammox process captured nearly 50% of the influent COD; ii) in the PN unit, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were well adapted to COD concentrations of 1420-2400 mg/L, and dissolved oxygen (0.2-0.4 mg/L) controlling combined with a high free nitrous acid concentration (> 0.08 mg/L) ensured a nitrite accumulation rate of > 95%; and iii) in the anammox unit, a suitable influent NO2--N/NH4+-N ratio (the average value of 1.27) was achieved by mixing AD effluent with PN effluent (1:1.78, v/v), contributing to a high TN removal of 78 +/- 2.4%. Nevertheless, 980-1560 mg/L of COD remained in the influent of the anammox unit; biorefractory humic acids in this (245.6 +/- 3 mg/L) might be the main component that caused the observed 66 +/- 2% decrease in anammox activity. The proliferation of denitrifying bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria induced by the organic compounds may have led to the observed decline in the abundance of the anammox bacterium Candidatus Kuenenia. The proposed strategy guaranteed the robust operation of the PN-anammox process and provides a promising approach for the sustainable treatment of incineration leachate.

Automated summary

A two-stage PN-Anammox process was established to efficiently remove nitrogen from incineration leachate, with satisfactory removal efficiencies of nitrogen and COD achieved despite fluctuating influent properties. A versatile control strategy was developed to create an optimum autotrophic environment for nitrifier and anammox bacteria. This strategy provides a promising approach for the sustainable treatment of incineration leachate.