Effects of the carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio on a system coupling simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) and denitrifying phosphorus removal (DPR).

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) were coupled with a denitrifying phosphorus removal (DPR) to achieve simultaneous nutrient and carbon removal. With influent chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia-N (NH-N), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations of 250, 50, and 8 mg/L, the SND-DPR coupled system achieved stable nutrient removal efficiency of COD, NH-N, TN and TP were 91.8 ± 1.7%, 88.4 ± 1.8%, 64 ± 3.3% and 99.2 ± 0.6%, respectively. Enhancing the C/N ratio strengthened the storage of intracellular polymers and provided sufficient intracellular carbon sources for phosphorus uptake. The nutrient removal efficiency reached the highest level at a C/N ratio of 5, and no advantage was observed after increasing the C/N ratio to 7. Nutrients were mainly removed during the aerobic stage at a low DO concentration as well during the anoxic stage, which helped achieve concurrent nitrification and denitrification by ordinary heterotrophic organisms (OHOs), promote denitrifying and aerobic phosphorus removal, and conserve organic carbon demand and energy consumption for aeration. The system was limited for DO in the aerobic stage at a low DO concentration, resulting in a deficiency in electron acceptors (O and NON) and limiting the subsequent promotion of phosphorus uptake and TN removal. The limited DO content in the low DO stage was the key factor involved in enhancing the nutrient removal efficiency along with the increasing influent C/N ratio.