Nutrients removal and nitrous oxide emission during simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus removal process: effect of iron

The short- and long-term influences of ferric iron (Fe(III)) on nutrients removal and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission during SNDPR process were evaluated. According to the continuous cycle experiments, it was concluded that the addition of Fe(III) could lower the nitrogen removal of the following cycle during SNDPR process, which was mainly induced by the chemical removal of phosphorus. However, the impacts were transitory, and simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal would recover from the inhibition of Fe(III) after running certain cycles. Moreover, the addition of Fe(III) could stimulate N2O emission transitorily during SNDPR process. However, if Fe(III) was added into reactor continuously, the nitrogen removal would be improved, especially at low Fe load condition. It was because that the activity of NO reductase was enhanced by the addition of Fe. However, the low Fe load in reactor would induce more N2O emission. When Fe(III) load was 40 mg/L in the reactor, the N2O yield was 10 % higher than control. The TN removal was weakened when Fe(III) load reached to 60 mg/L, and the N2O yield was lower than control, due to the inhibition of the high Fe load on denitrification enzymes.