Effect of high-strength ammonia nitrogen acclimation on sludge activity in sequencing batch reactor

The effect of high-strength ammonia nitrogen acclimation on sludge activity in sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was investigated. Two batch experiments, RUN1 and RUN2, were conducted with the influent ammonia nitrogen concentrations 60 and 500 mg/L, respectively. The sludges inoculated from RUN1 and RUN2 were used to treat a series of influent with ammonia nitrogen concentrations of 59, 232, 368, 604 and 1152 mg/L. It is found that the activated sludge acclimated to higher ammonia nitrogen concentrations revealed higher COD and NH4+-N removal efficiencies, and slower DHA decrease. The results confirmed that the activities of the bacteria in activated sludge in SBR were inhibited by high-strength ammonia nitrogen, whereas the activated sludge acclimated to high-strength ammonia nitrogen showed substantial resistance to inhibition by influents containing high levels of ammonia nitrogen.