Pyrrhotite-sulfur-limestone composite for high rate nitrogen and phosphorus removal from wastewater: Column study

Pyrrhotite-sulfur-limestone composite (PSLC) was prepared and PSLC autotrophic denitrification biofilter (PSLCAD) was constructed with PSLC particle (2–4.75 mm) in this study. During treating synthetic, municipal and industrial secondary effluent, PSLCAD showed good NO3−-N and PO43--P removal, and the highest TON (Total oxidized nitrogen) removal rate of PSLCAD was up to 1749.91 mg/L/d. At HRT 0.5 h, and influent NO3−-N 21.09 mg/L, TON removal rate was up to 1005.12 mg/L with effluent NO3−-N 0.10 mg/L. PSLCAD achieved effluent PO43--P below 0.2 mg/L when influent PO43--P was around 0.5 mg/L. HRT down to 0.5 h had no negative impacts on N removal. Effluent pH below 7 was harmful to denitrification performance of PSLCAD. TON removal rate increased with influent NO3−-N increasing, but influent NO3−-N over 103.55 mg/L decreased NO3−-N removal rate. In PSLCAD biofilter, the most dominant bacteria were Thiobacillus and Sulfurimonas, and they played the most important role in denitrification, but the abundance of heterotrophic denitrifiers was also quite high. PO43− was mainly removed through precipitate of Fe–P in PSLCAD. The synergistic effects between pyrrhotite and sulfur autotrophic denitrification were much enhanced, and that caused PSLCAD to achieve high rate N and P removal. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd