Optimizing aeration rates for minimizing membrane fouling and its effect on sludge characteristics in a moving bed membrane bioreactor

Impacts of micron-sized aeration bubble on sludge properties and hydraulic dynamics in relation to membrane fouling alleviation

This investigation elucidates the influence of micron-scale aeration bubbles on the improvement of anti-fouling characteristics within submerged membrane bioreactors (sMBRs). A systematic examination of sludge properties, hydraulic dynamics, and fouling tendencies revealed that the application of microbubble aeration, specifically at dimensions of 100 μm, 80 μm, and 30 μm, significantly reduced sludge electrostatic repulsion and augmented particle size distribution, as opposed to the utilization of coarse bubble aeration of 1 mm. Notably, the employment of 100 μm bubbles achieved a significant reduction in the proportion of smaller particles (<10 μm) and sludge viscosity, thereby facilitating a more homogenous and vigorous turbulence at the membrane interface. These optimized conditions were instrumental in the substantial reduction of membrane fouling, which was corroborated by the diminished rate of fouling, reduced resistance accumulation, and lesser foulant deposition. The investigation identified sludge particle size, turbulent kinetic energy, and shear stress as the predominant factors influencing the development of membrane fouling. The findings underscore the pronounced advantages of employing 100 μm-sized bubbles in aeration strategies, providing enhanced understanding for the optimization of aeration parameters to improve sMBR efficiency and maintenance.

Unravelling capability of two-stage thermophilic anaerobic membrane bioreactors for high organic loading wastewater: Effect of support media addition and irreversible fouling

This study investigated the effects of adding polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) beads on the performance of methanogenic reactors and the fouling behavior of a two-stage thermophilic anaerobic membrane bioreactor (ThAnMBR) for treating wastewater at a feed chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 10 g/L. The PVA-added methanogenic reactor exhibited stable operation performance and offered a relatively low volatile fatty acid concentration effluent with a higher COD removal than the system without PVA addition. The predominant microbial communities in both methanogenic reactors were similar and were assigned to the genus Methanosaeta, followed by Clostridia, which was the predominant genus in the hydrolytic reactor. Ultrafiltration in the PVA-added system offered higher effluent quality and lower fouling resistance. The system was able to operate with hydraulically removable fouling, without any chemical cleaning requirements; however, an elevated flux caused the system to suffer from hydraulically irreversible fouling. PVA beads exhibit their structural stability over long-term operation.

Role of microparticles in membrane fouling from acidogenesis to methanogenesis phases in an anaerobic baffled reactor

Microparticles (0.45-10 μm) have been recognized as key foulants in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs). However, their characteristics and fouling behaviors are often understood in single-stage and completely mixed reactors, failing to elucidate the occurrence of microparticles in the multi-stage anaerobic bioprocess. Here, a lab-scale anaerobic baffled reactor with four compartments (C1-C4) was employed to explore the composition and fouling potential of microparticles in different compartments. Photometric analysis showed that the microparticles had an increasing percentage in the total organics of the top supernatant but a decreasing concentration from C1 to C4. Long-term filtration and dead-end filtration tests revealed that the top supernatant in C1 had much higher fouling potential than those in C2-C4. The supernatant microparticles significantly accumulated in the cake layers for each compartment (68-95% of the total organics), particularly the fraction of 1-5 μm, and the fouling rate was positively correlated with the biomass accumulation rate. Based on reactor performance and 16S rRNA gene sequences, a significant bio-phase separation occurred between C1 (acidogenesis) and C2-C4 (methanogenesis). And hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria in the family Veillonellaceae, Streptococcaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae were dominant in the supernatant microparticles, particularly in C1, which had a positive correlation with the fouling rate and biomass accumulation rate. These above results all revealed that the microparticles in the acidogenesis phase had higher fouling potential. In summary, our results suggest that the tactic of pre-hydrolysis and acidification with feedstocks and constructing AnMBRs by coupling with multi-phase anaerobic bioprocesses and membrane units could be beneficial to fouling control.

The Changing and Distribution Laws of Oxygen Transfer Efficiency in the Full-Scale IFAS Process

The integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) process has been widely used in the upgrading of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The oxygen transfer efficiency (αOTE) is of great significance to the design and operation of the IFAS process. The carrier filling ratio (CFR) and aeration type are two critical factors affecting αOTE and standard oxygen transfer efficiency (αSOTE). However, the distribution and changing laws of αOTE and αSOTE in the full-scale IFAS process areunclear. To optimize the operation of a WWTP and to improve the αOTE of the aeration systems, several off-gas tests were conducted under different aeration types and different CFRs. The results show that for the aerobic tank investigated (the ratio of length and width was 8:1), the αOTE and the αSOTE of the middle of the aeration systems were higher than those of the other two sides. However, the reason for the low αOTE at the beginning and the end of the tank may be different. Coarse-bubble aeration systems had a lower αOTE and almost the same oxygenation capacity (αSOTE) as the fine-bubble aeration systems under constant CFR (43%). The average αSOTE (18.7–28.9%) of the hybrid aeration systems increased with increasing CFR (7.7–57.7%), and different locations exhibited different degrees of change. The results reveal the distribution and changing law of the αOTE of aeration systems in the IFAS process, and attention should be paid to the improvement of the OTE of the plug-flow IFAS process.

Impact of static biocarriers on the microbial community, nitrogen removal and membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactor at different COD:N ratios

The polyvinyl formal (PVFM) biocarrier addition in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) was evaluated at high and low carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 20.0 and 6.7. Results indicated that static biocarrier addition could enrich nitrification and denitrification bacteria, dominating by Tauera, Amaricoccus and Nitrosospira at the genus level and slightly improved the total nitrogen removal even at a low C/N ratio. The bulk sludge characteristics (such as bigger particle size, lower SMP, lower SMP P/C) were also significantly changed in the hybrid MBR (HMBR), leading to a more sustainable membrane operation. The biocarrier addition also reduced the relative abundance of Sphingobacterials_unclassified, Ohtaekwangia and Rhodocyclaceae_unclassified at the genus level, indicating less membrane fouling in the HMBR. Consequently, HMBR with static PVFM addition could partially overcome the drawback of low C/N ratio for total nitrogen removal and membrane fouling control, providing a more resilient MBR to the undesirable environment such as low C/N ratio.

Feasibility of isolated novel facultative quorum quenching consortiums for fouling control in an AnMBR

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology is being recognized as an appealing strategy for wastewater treatment, however, severity of membrane fouling inhibits its widespread implementations. This study engineered novel facultative quorum quenching consortiums (FQQs) coping with membrane fouling in AnMBRs with preliminary analysis for their quorum quenching (QQ) performances. Herein, Acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs)-based quorum sensing (QS) in a lab-scale AnMBR initially revealed that N-Hexanoyl-dl-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL), N-Octanoyl-dl-homoserine lactone (C8-HSL) and N-Decanoyl-dl-homoserine lactone (C10-HSL) were the dominant AHLs in AnMBRs in this study. Three FQQs, namely, FQQ-C6, FQQ-C8 and FQQ-C10, were harvested after anaerobic screening of aerobic QQ consortiums (AeQQs) which were isolated by enrichment culture, aiming to degrade C6-HSL, C8-HSL and C10-HSL, respectively. Growth of FQQ-C6 and FQQ-C10 using AHLs as carbon source under anaerobic condition was significantly faster than those using acetate, congruously suggesting that their QQ performance will not be compromised in AnMBRs. All FQQs degraded a wide range of AHLs pinpointing their extensive QQ ability. FQQ-C6, FQQ-C8 and FQQ-C10 remarkably alleviated extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production in a lab-scale AnMBR by 72.46%, 35.89% and 65.88%, respectively, and FQQ-C6 retarded membrane fouling of the AnMBR by 2 times. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that there was a major shift in dominant species from AeQQs to FQQs where Comamonas sp., Klebsiella sp., Stenotrophomonas sp. and Ochrobactrum sp. survived after anaerobic screening and were the majority in FQQs. High growth rate utilizing AHLs under anaerobic condition and enormous EPS retardation efficiency in FQQ-C6 and FQQ-C10 could be attributed to Comamonas sp.. These findings demonstrated that FQQs could be leveraged for QQ under anaerobic systems. We believe that this was the first work proposing a bacterial pool of facultative QQ candidates holding biotechnological promises for membrane fouling control in AnMBRs.

Chemical Enhancement for Retrofitting Moving Bed Biofilm and Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge Systems into Membrane Bioreactors

Positive effects of retrofitting MBBR and IFAS systems into MBRs can be exploited by introducing chemical enhancement applying coagulants in the membrane separation step. The current study reports basic principles of chemical enhancement with aluminium sulphate coagulant in biofilm-MBR (Bf-MBR) based on results of total recycle tests performed at different dosages of the chemical enhancer and properties characterization of filtrates, supernatants and sediments. It demonstrates a possibility to achieve lower membrane fouling rates with dosing of aluminium sulphate coagulant into MBBR and IFAS mixed liquors by extending operational cycles by 20 and 80 time respectively as well as increasing operating permeability of membrane separation by 1.3 times for IFAS. It has been found that charge neutralization is the dominating mechanism of aluminium sulphate action as a chemical enhancer in Bf-MBR, however, properties of the membrane surface influencing charge repulsion of foulants should be considered together with the secondary ability of the coagulant to improve consolidation of sediments.

Effect of aeration rate on the anti-biofouling properties of cellulose acetate nanocomposite membranes in a membrane bioreactor system for the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater

In this study, the effect of aeration rate in terms of specific aeration demand per membrane area (SADm) on the anti-biofouling properties of cellulose acetate (CA) nanocomposite membranes (CA/ND-NH₂) in a membrane bioreactor system was investigated. The amount of EPS and soluble EPS under high aeration rate conditions was observed to be higher than under low aeration rate conditions. The results obtained showed that either lower or higher aeration rates had a negative impact on membrane permeability. The high aeration rate resulted in a severe breakage of sludge flocs, and promoted the release of soluble EPS from the microbial flocs to the bioreactor tank. By increasing the aeration rate, the COD removal increased and decreased respectively for the membranes and the activated sludge. It was finally concluded that higher anti-biofouling properties of neat CA and nanocomposite membranes were obtained under optimal aeration rate conditions (SADm = 1 m³ m^-2 h^-1).

Multivariate Chemometric Analysis of Membrane Fouling Patterns in Biofilm Ceramic Membrane Bioreactor

Membrane fouling highly limits the development of Membrane bioreactor technology (MBR), which is among the key solutions to water scarcity. The current study deals with the determination of the fouling propensity of filtered biomass in a pilot-scale biofilm membrane bioreactor to enable the prediction of fouling intensity. The system was designed to treat domestic wastewater with the application of ceramic microfiltration membranes. Partial least squares regression analysis of the data obtained during the long-term operation of the biofilm-MBR (BF-MBR) system demonstrated that Mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), diluted sludge volume index (DSVI), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and their slopes are the most significant for the estimation and prediction of fouling intensity, while normalized permeability and its slope were found to be the most reliable fouling indicators. Three models were derived depending on the applied operating conditions, which enabled an accurate prediction of the fouling intensities in the system. The results will help to prevent severe membrane fouling via the change of operating conditions to prolong the effective lifetime of the membrane modules and to save energy and resources for the maintenance of the system.

A field pilot-scale study of biological treatment of heavy oil-produced water by biological filter with airlift aeration and hydrolytic acidification system

Heavy oil-produced water (HOPW) is a by-product during heavy oil exploitation and can cause serious environmental pollution if discharged without adequate treatment. Commercial biochemical treatment units are important parts of HOPW treatment processes, but many are not in stable operation because of the toxic and refractory substances, salt, present. Therefore, pilot-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of hydrolytic acidification-biological filter with airlift aeration (HA-BFAA), a novel HOPW treatment system. Four strains isolated from oily sludge were used for bioaugmentation to enhance the biodegradation of organic pollutants. The isolated bacteria were evaluated using 3-day biochemical oxygen demand, oil, dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removals as evaluation indices. Bioaugmentation enhanced the COD removal by 43.5 mg/L under a volume load of 0.249 kg COD/m(3) day and hydraulic retention time of 33.6 h. The effluent COD was 70.9 mg/L and the corresponding COD removal was 75.0 %. The optimum volumetric air-to-water ratio was below 10. The removal ratios of the total extractable organic pollutants, alkanes, and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons were 71.1, 94.4, and 94.0 %, respectively. Results demonstrated that HA-BFAA was an excellent HOPW treatment system.

A venturi device reduces membrane fouling in a submerged membrane bioreactor

In this study, for the first time, a venturi device was integrated into a submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) to improve membrane surface cleaning and bioreactor oxygenation. The performances of a blower and the venturi device were compared in terms of membrane fouling and bioreactor oxygenation. Upon comparing membrane fouling, the performances were similar for a low operation flux (18 L/m(2).h); however, at a medium flux (32 L/m(2).h), the venturi system operated 3.4 times longer than the blower system, and the final transmembrane pressure was one-third that of the blower system. At the highest flux studied (50 L/m(2).h), the venturi system operated 5.4 times longer than the blower system. The most notable advantage of using a venturi device was that the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of the MBR was in the range of 7 to 8 mg/L at a 3 L/min aeration rate, while the DO concentration of the MBR was inadequate (a maximum of 0.29 mg/L) in the blower system. A clean water oxygenation test at a 3 L/min aeration rate indicated that the standard oxygen transfer rate for the venturi system was 9.5 times higher than that of the blower system.

Kinetic evaluation of nitrification performance in an immobilized cell membrane bioreactor

High rate membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems operated at extremely low sludge ages (superfast membrane bioreactors (SFMBRs)) are inefficient to achieve nitrogen removal, due to insufficient retention time for nitrifiers. Moreover, frequent chemical cleaning is required due to high biomass flux. This study aims to satisfy the nitrification in SFMBRs by using sponge as carriers, leading to the extension of the residence time of microorganisms. In order to test the limits of nitrification, bioreactor was run under 52, 5 and 2 days of carrier residence time (CRT), with a hydraulic retention time of 6 h. Different degrees of nitrification were obtained for different CRTs. Sponge immobilized SFMBR operation with short CRT resulted in partial nitrification indicating selective dominancy of ammonia oxidizers. At higher CRT, simultaneous nitrification-denitrification was achieved when accompanying with oxygen limitation. Process kinetics was determined through evaluation of the results by a modeling study. Nitrifier partition in the reactor was also identified by model calibration.

Investigating biofilm structure developing on carriers from lab-scale moving bed biofilm reactors based on light microscopy and optical coherence tomography

This study focused on characterizing the structure of biofilms developed on carriers used in lab-scale moving bed biofilm reactors. Both light microscopy (2D) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were employed to track the biofilm development on carriers of different geometry and under different aeration rates. Biofilm structure was further characterized with respect to average biofilm thickness, biofilm growth velocity, biomass volume, compartment filling degree, surface area, etc. The results showed that carriers with a smaller compartment size stimulated a quick establishment of biofilms. Low aeration rates favored fast development of biofilms. Comparison between the results derived from 2D and 3D images revealed comparable results with respect to average biofilm thickness and compartment filling degree before the carrier compartments were fully willed with biomass. However, 3D imaging with OCT was capable of visualizing and quantifying the heterogeneous structure of biofilms, which cannot be achieved using 2D imaging.

MBBR system performance improvement for petroleum hydrocarbon removal using modified media with activated carbon

Moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) system has a successful operation in the treatment of different types of wastewater. Since the media, i.e. the place of growth and formation of biofilm, play the main role in the treatment in this system, MBBR systems were operated in the present research with modified Bee-cell media. Activated carbon granules of almond or walnut shells were placed in media pores to improve the treatment of refinery oil wastewater and their operation with MBBR system was compared with the conventional Bee-cell media. In these experiments, the effects of organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time (HRT), media filling ratio (MFR), and activated carbon concentration (ACC) used in the media were investigated on the operation of MBBR systems. The analysis of results estimated the optimal values of HRT, MFR, and ACC used in the media between the studied levels, being equal to 22 h, 50%, and 7.5 g/L, respectively. Under these conditions, total petroleum hydrocarbons removal efficiencies for MBBR systems using Bee-cell media with carbon of almond, carbon of walnut shells, and a carbon-free system were 95 ± 1.17%, 91 ± 1.11%, and 57 ± 1.7%, respectively, which confirms the adsorption ability of systems with the media containing activated carbon in the removal of petroleum compounds from wastewater.

Stratification structure of polysaccharides and proteins in activated sludge with different aeration in membrane bioreactor

The effect of distribution pattern of polysaccharides (PS) and proteins (PN) in activated sludge (AS) stratification with different aeration rates on membrane fouling and rejection efficiency were investigated. During high aeration, PN and PS concentrations increased in supernatant, the dominant fraction (84% of PN and 73% of PS) was small molecules (<1 kDa). Less slime and loose bound extracellular polymeric substances (LB-EPS), more tight bound EPS (TB-EPS) were observed compared with low aeration. The decrease in PN/PS ratio and Ca(2+) concentration within EPS deteriorated AS flocculation ability. At slow trans-membrane pressure (TMP) rise stage, fouling rate under high aeration was 41% lower than low aeration due to lower PN within EPS outer. Low PS rejection rate (about 23%) leaded to higher PS in effluent at this stage. High PS rejection rate (about 94%) at rapid TMP rise stage resulted in about 2.2-time higher fouling rate than that low aeration.

A triple fouling layers perspective on evaluation of membrane fouling under different scenarios of membrane bioreactor operation

One of the main factors affecting membrane fouling in MBRs is operational conditions. In this study the influence of aeration rate, filtration mode, and SRT on hollow fiber membrane fouling was investigated using a triple fouling layers perspective. The sludge microbial population distribution was also determined by PCR method. Through various applied operational scenarios the optimal conditions were: aeration rate of 15 LPM; relaxation mode with 40s duration and 8 min. interval; and SRT of 30 days. The similarity between SMP variations in triple fouling layers with its corresponding hydraulic resistance confirmed the effect of SMP on membrane fouling. Among three fouling fractions, the upper (rinsed) layer found to have the most effect on membrane fouling which implies the critical role of aeration, but as for multilateral effects of aeration, the optimal aeration rate should be determined more precisely. Relaxation interval was more effective than its duration for fouling control. SRT variations in addition to influencing the amount of SMP, also affect on the structure of these material. At longer SRTs (20, 30 days) a greater percentage of SMP could penetrate into the membrane pores and for shorter SRTs they accumulate more on membrane surface. Results showed that there is a very good correlation between total hydraulic resistance (Log R) and protein to carbohydrate ratio at the rinsed layer (P1/C1). Considering significant effects of aeration and SRT conditions on this ratio (according to data), it is very determinative to apply the optimal aeration and SRT conditions.

Pseudomonas putida response in membrane bioreactors under salicylic acid-induced stress conditions

Starvation and changing feeding conditions are frequently characteristics of wastewater treatment plants. They are typical causes of unsteady-state operation of biological systems and provoke cellular stress. The response of a membrane bioreactor functioning under feed-induced stress conditions is studied here. In order to simplify and considerably amplify the response to stress and to obtain a reference model, a pure culture of Pseudomonas putida was selected instead of an activated sludge and a sole substrate (salicylic acid) was employed. The system degraded salicylic acid at 100-1100mg/L with a high level of efficiency, showed rapid acclimation without substrate or product inhibition phenomena and good stability in response to unsteady states caused by feed variations. Under starvation conditions, specific degradation rates of around 15mg/gh were achieved during the adaptation of the biomass to the new conditions and no biofilm formation was observed during the first days of experimentation using an initial substrate to microorganisms ratio lower than 0.1. When substrate was added to the reactor as pulses resulting in rapidly changing concentrations, P. putida growth was observed only for substrate to microorganism ratios higher than 0.6, with a maximum YX/S of 0.5g/g. Biofilm development under changing feeding conditions was fast, biomass detachment only being significant for biomass concentrations on the membrane surface that were higher than 16g/m(2).

Utilization of moving bed biofilm reactor for industrial wastewater treatment containing ethylene glycol: kinetic and performance study

One of the requirements for environmental engineering, which is currently being considered, is the removal of ethylene glycol (EG) as a hazardous environmental pollutant from industrial wastewater. Therefore, in a recent study, a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was applied at pilot scale to treat industrial effluents containing different concentrations of EG (600, 800, 1200, and 1800 mg L-1 ). The removal efficiency and kinetic analysis of the system were examined at different hydraulic retention times of 6, 8, 10, and 12 h as well as influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) ranged between values of 1000 and 3000mg L-1. In minimum and maximum COD Loadings, the MBBR showed 95.1% and 60.7% removal efficiencies, while 95.9% and 66.2% EG removal efficiencies were achieved in the lowest and highest EG concentrations. The results of the reactor modelling suggested compliance of the well-known modified Stover-Kincannon model with the system.

Determination of optimum conditions for dairy wastewater treatment in UAASB reactor for removal of nutrients

In this study, the granular sludge was generated for simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal (SNDPR) and studied on a laboratory scale. Analyzing the nutrients removal percentages from wastewater were scrutinized by using an optimization of the variables, i.e., COD:N:P ratio, OLR, aeration time, MLSS, F:M and HRT. These 6 interrelated parameters were evaluated as the process response. Microscopic observations of the performance of the SNDPR process revealed that the granules included Bacillus sp. in the bacterial community. According to these results, the UAASB system produced an effluent that lends dairy wastewater suitable for land irrigation and that this an attractive process of using granular sludge is appropriate for achieving carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal from nutrient-rich wastewater by a biological method.

Effect of carriers on sludge characteristics and mitigation of membrane fouling in attached-growth membrane bioreactor

This study aims to investigate the effect of carriers on membrane fouling. Three sets of submerged membrane bioreactors (MBRs), including one suspended-growth MBR, called SMBR, and two attached-growth MBRs (one called AMBR, and another with baffles called AMBRb) were operated at various media volume fractions. The results indicated that the membrane-fouling rates of AMBR and AMBRb were lower than that of SMBR. Moreover, the operation times of AMBR and AMBRb were 4.2 and 3.5 times longer, respectively, than that of SMBR at an optimum media volume fraction of 30%. The biochemical effects of carriers on sludge suspension significantly affected membrane fouling, unlike the physical effects of carriers. Further studies on sludge characteristics indicated that particle size, soluble microbial product (SMP), sludge volume index (SVI) and filament index (FI) did not remarkably affect membrane fouling, whereas the protein in bound EPS primarily contributed to membrane fouling.

Treatment of oilfield wastewater in moving bed biofilm reactors using a novel suspended ceramic biocarrier

In this study, a novel suspended ceramic carrier was prepared, which has high strength, optimum density (close to water), and high porosity. Two different carriers, unmodified and sepiolite-modified suspended ceramic carriers were used to feed two moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) with a filling fraction of 50% to treat oilfield produced water. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) was varied from 36 to 10h. The results, during a monitoring period of 190 days, showed that removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand was the highest in reactor 3 filled with the sepiolite-modified carriers, followed by reactor 2 filled with the unmodified carriers, with the lowest in reactor 1 (activated sludge reactor), at an HRT of 10h. Similar trends were found in the removal efficiencies of ammonia nitrogen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Reactor 3 was more shock resistant than reactors 2 and 1. The results indicate that the suspended ceramic carrier is an excellent MBBR carrier.

Importance of the operating pH in maintaining the stability of anoxic ammonium oxidation (anammox) activity in moving bed biofilm reactors

Two bench-scale parallel moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR) were operated to assess pH-associated anammox activity changes during long term treatment of anaerobically digested sludge centrate pre-treated in a suspended growth partial nitrification reactor. The pH was maintained at 6.5 in reactor R1, while it was allowed to vary naturally between 7.5 and 8.1 in reactor R2. At high nitrogen loads reactor R2 had a 61% lower volumetric specific nitrogen removal rate than reactor R1. The low pH and the associated low free ammonia (FA) concentrations were found to be critical to stable anammox activity in the MBBR. Nitrite enhanced the nitrogen removal rate in the conditions of low pH, all the way up to the investigated level of 50mg NO(2)-N/L. At low FA levels nitrite concentrations up to 250 mg NO(2)-N/L did not cause inactivation of anammox consortia over a 2-days exposure time.