YANShi-kun,DAIYong-hua,WANGLi-hua,et al.Determination of Maximum Specific Growth Rate Constant of Nitrifying Bacteria in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants[J].China Water & Wastewater,2025,41(19):88-94.
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Determination of Maximum Specific Growth Rate Constant of Nitrifying Bacteria in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

China Water & Wastewater[ISSN:1000-4062/CN:12-1073/TU] volume: 第41卷 Number: 第19期 Page: 88-94 Column: Date of publication: 2025-10-01
Author(s):
YAN　Shi-kun1;  DAI　Yong-hua2;  WANG　Li-hua2;  LU　Xi3;  TANG　Rui1;  MA　Zi-hang1;  ZHOU　Zhen1
（1. College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering， Shanghai University of Electric Power， Shanghai 200090， China； 2. Shanghai Chengtou Wastewater Treatment Co. Ltd.， Shanghai 201203， China； 3. Three Gorges Smart Water Technology Co. Ltd.， Shanghai 200050， China）
Keywords:
wastewater treatment plant;  nitrifying bacteria;  maximum specific growth rate constant;  municipal wastewater
Abstract:
The maximum specific growth rate constant of nitrifying bacteria (μAUT) is a crucial parameter for the design and operation of wastewater treatment plants（WWTPs）. Optimizing the measurement conditions of μAUT and determining its typical range for different treatment processes are of significant importance for improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment systems. The results showed that the optimal sludge concentration for measuring μAUT was 100-200 mg/L, and the optimal initial ammonia nitrogen concentration was 50 mg/L. Reproducibility analysis indicated that the constructed direct measurement method demonstrated good accuracy and reliability, with R2>0.980 and relative standard deviation of 2.57%. Measurement results for six municipal WWTPs in Shanghai at 25 ℃ showed that the μAUT values for the anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (AAO) process, inverted AAO process, and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process were (1.28 ± 0.10) d-1, (1.40 ± 0.04) d-1, and (2.12 ± 0.21) d-1 respectively. The sludge-biofilm mixed system in the MBBR process significantly enhanced the μAUT value. The typical μAUT range for the activated sludge system treating domestic wastewater was 1.27-1.34 d-1, although factors such as drainage system type, pipeline length, and industrial wastewater influx may affect μAUT levels. It is recommended that measured values be used in the design and operation of WWTPs to optimize investments and subsequent operational costs.
Last Update: 2025-10-01