The impact of temperature on nitrification rate in fixed film biofilters

The impact of temperature on nitrification rate was evaluated in this study through experimental tests, mathematical modeling and sensitivity analysis. The results show that the impact of temperature on fixed film nitrification rate is less significant than that predicted by the van't Hoff–Arrhenius equation. In a fixed film biofilter, the impact of temperature on nitrification rate due to DO (dissolved oxygen) limitation is different from that due to TAN (total ammonia nitrogen) limitation. Sensitivity analysis indicated that a temperature increment at 20 °C resulted in nitrification rate increase of 1.108% per °C and 4.275% per °C under DO and TAN limited conditions, respectively. Diffusion mass transport plays an important role in fixed film nitrification processes. Consequently, the effect of temperature on nitrification rate due to bacterial growth rate change in fixed film processes is greatly reduced compared with that of suspended growth processes. When oxygen is limited, the decrease in saturation DO concentration as temperature increases results in a negative temperature impact upon the nitrification rate.     

Effects of abrupt salinity increase on nitrification processes in a freshwater moving bed biofilter

The nitrification process is a widely used biological approach responsible for ammonia and nitrite removal in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) biofilters. Given this pivotal role, the influence of different water quality parameter on nitrification efficiency is important information for RAS operations. One influencing parameter is salinity, and salinity fluctuations in freshwater RAS biofilters are reported to affect the nitrifying bacteria. This study investigated the effects of abrupt increase in salinity in freshwater RAS on substrate-dependent (1’-order) as well as substrate independent (0’-order) nitrification rates. A 100% inhibition was found for surface specific removal (STR) of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and surface specific nitrite removal (SNR) when salinity was abruptly increased to 25‰ and above. A fast turnover (i.e. steep decline in [NH₄-N⁺] and [NO₂-N⁻]) were observed at lower salinities (≤10‰), while limited/no degradation of either ammonia or nitrite was seen at salinities above 25‰. At low substrate loading (1’-order process), removal rate constants (k_1a) of 0.22 and 0.23 m d^-1 were observed for ammonia and nitrite degradation, respectively, declining to 0.01 m d^-1when adding marine RAS water increasing the salinity to 15‰. Similar observations followed at high nutrient loadings (0’-order process) with STR and SNR of 0.10 and 0.12 g N m^-2 d^-1, respectively, declining to 0.01 g N m^-2 d^-1 at 15‰. When salinities of 25‰ and 35‰ were applied, neither TAN nor nitrite degradation was seen. The results thus demonstrate a pronounced effect of salinity changes when freshwater RAS biofilters are subjected to fast/abrupt changes in salinity. RAS facility operators should be aware of such potential effects and take relevant precautions.     

Impact of ozonation and residual ozone-produced oxidants on the nitrification performance of moving-bed biofilters from marine recirculating aquaculture systems

In marine recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) ozone is often used in combination with biofiltration for the improvement of process water quality. Especially for disinfection purposes ozone residuals are required, that lead to a fast formation of secondary oxidants in seawater, summed up as ozone-produced oxidants (OPO). We studied the impact of OPO on nitrifying biofilter bacteria in a series of laboratory batch experiments by exposing (i) cell suspensions of the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) Nitrosomonas marina strain 22 and the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) Nitrospira strain Ecomares 2.1, (ii) a pure culture of the NOB Nitrospira strain immobilized on biocarriers, as well as (iii) a heterogeneous biofilm culture settled on biocarriers from a marine RAS for 1 h to different OPO concentrations up to 0.6 mg/l chlorine equivalent. Subsequent activity tests detected a negative linear correlation between OPO concentration and nitrifying activity of suspended pure cultures. Immobilization on biocarriers increased the tolerance of AOB and NOB dramatically, suggesting the biofilm matrix to be highly protective against OPO. Furthermore, we investigated the chronic effect of moderate ozonation at OPO concentrations of 0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 mg/l chlorine equivalent on biofilter performance in a 21 d exposure experiment using 12 experimental RAS, stocked with tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Chronic exposure experiments could not reveal any harmful impact on biofilter performance for OPO concentrations up to 0.15 mg/l, even at continuous exposure. Surprisingly, nitrifying activity was enhanced at all OPO concentrations compared to the control without ozonation, suggesting moderate ozonation to promote biological nitrification. It can be concluded that rather health, welfare and performance of most cultivated fish species are the limiting factors for ozone dosage than nitrification performance of biofilters. The results may further have practical implications in relation to design and operational strategy of water treatment processes in RAS and might thus contribute to the optimization of an effective and safe treatment combination of biofiltration and ozonation.     

Effects of alkalinity on ammonia removal,carbon dioxide stripping,and system pH in semi-commercial scale water recirculating aquaculture systems operated with moving bed bioreactors

When operating water recirculating systems (RAS) with high make-up water flushing rates in locations that have low alkalinity in the raw water, such as Norway, knowledge about the required RAS alkalinity concentration is important. Flushing RAS with make-up water containing low alkalinity washes out valuable base added to the RAS (as bicarbonate, hydroxide, or carbonate), which increases farm operating costs when high alkalinity concentrations are maintained; however, alkalinity must not be so low that it interferes with nitrification or pH stability. For these reasons, a study was designed to evaluate the effects of alkalinity on biofilter performance, and CO₂ stripping during cascade aeration, within two replicate semi-commercial scale Atlantic salmon smolt RAS operated with moving bed biological filters. Alkalinity treatments of nominal 10, 70, and 200 mg/L as CaCO₃ were maintained using a pH controller and chemical dosing pumps supplying sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃). Each of the three treatments was replicated three times in each RAS. Both RAS were operated at each treatment level for 2 weeks; water quality sampling was conducted at the end of the second week. A constant feeding of 23 kg/day/RAS was provided every 1–2 h, and continuous lighting, which minimized diurnal fluctuations in water quality. RAS hydraulic retention time and water temperature were 4.3 days and 12.5 ± 0.5 °C, respectively, typical of smolt production RAS in Norway.It was found that a low nominal alkalinity (10 mg/L as CaCO₃) led to a significantly higher steady-state TAN concentration, compared to when 70 or 200 mg/L alkalinity was used. The mean areal nitrification rate was higher at the lowest alkalinity; however, the mean TAN removal efficiency across the MBBR was not significantly affected by alkalinity treatment. The CO₂ stripping efficiency showed only a tendency towards higher efficiency at the lowest alkalinity. In contrast, the relative fraction of total inorganic carbon that was removed from the RAS during CO₂ stripping was much higher at a low alkalinity (10 mg/L) compared to the higher alkalinities (70 and 200 mg/L as CaCO₃). Despite this, when calculating the total loss of inorganic carbon from RAS, it was found that the daily loss was about equal at 10, and 70 mg/L, whereas it was highest at 200 mg/L alkalinity. pH recordings demonstrated that the 10 mg/L alkalinity treatment resulted in the lowest system pH, the largest increase in [H⁺] across the fish culture tanks, as well as giving little response time in case of alkalinity dosing malfunction. Rapid pH changes under the relatively acidic conditions at 10 mg/L alkalinity may ultimately create fish health issues due to e.g. CO₂ or if aluminium or other metals are present. In conclusion, Atlantic salmon smolt producers using soft water make-up sources should aim for 70 mg/L alkalinity considering the relatively low loss of inorganic carbon compared to 200 mg/L alkalinity, and the increased pH stability as well as reduced TAN concentration, compared to lower alkalinity concentrations.     

Evaluation of three types of structured floating plastic media in moving bed biofilters for total ammonia nitrogen removal in a low salinity hatchery recirculating aquaculture system

Three different commercially available structural plastic media were evaluated in triplicate in moving bed biofilters under low salinity (11–12 ppt) warm water culture conditions and two different feed loading rates. The culture system consisted of nine separate modules that include a double drain fish culture tank paired to a moving bed biofilter. The biofilters were filled with 0.11 m³ of one of three different types of floating plastic structured media. The three types of media evaluated were K1 kaldnes media, MB3 media, and AMB media. Volumetric total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) removal rates (g TAN removed/m³ media-day), TAN removal efficiency, and biofilm kinetic constants, K_i (h⁻¹) were determined for the three media types at two different daily feed load rates of 3.5 and 8.2 kg feed/m³ media. The feed provided was a 4.8 mm slow sinking marine grower diet pellet (45% protein, 17% fat). Average (±standard deviation, SD) volumetric TAN removal rates (VTR) at the lower feed load for the three media types were 92.2 ± 26.3, 86.1 ± 27.5, and 82.5 ± 25.9 for the MB3, AMB, and K1 kaldnes media, respectively. At the higher feed load the average VTR for the three media types was 186.4 ± 53.7, 172.9 ± 47.8, and 139.9 ± 38.9 for the MB3, AMB, and K1 kaldnes media, respectively. Influent TAN concentrations varied by the feed load rate and ranged from 0.55 to 0.93 mg/L and 0.83 to 1.87 mg/L for the low and higher feed loads, respectively. The percent TAN removal rates for the MB3 media was the highest of the three media types at both the low and high feed load rates averaging 12.3% and 14.4%, respectively. The MB3 media was selected for use in the moving bed biofilters because of the greater VTR and removal efficiency results for use in the 0.11 m³ moving bed biofilters of the hatchery recirculating aquaculture system.     

Application of nitrification and denitrification processes in a direct water reuse system for pacific white shrimp farmed in biofloc system

The aim of the present study was to propose a low-cost nitrogen removal system through the nitrification / denitrification process in order to maintain the water quality required for the Pacific white shrimp superintensive cultivation in closed systems without water renewal. The increase in productivity consequently causes the accumulation of organic matter and nitrogenous compounds, especially ammonia nitrogen and nitrite, which in high concentrations can be lethal to aquatic organisms. In addition, the accumulation of solids in the system provides conditions for the emergence of opportunistic pathogens, microalgae booms, and increases the producer's cost of inputs to maintain the equilibrium physicochemical relationships required for shrimp farming. The experimental productive cycle lasted 36 days using Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps with 7.1 g ± 0.56 g and density of 350 shrimps m⁻³. The nitrogen removal efficiency observed during the study period was 71.3 ± 5.3 %, and the shrimp had a survival of 92.9 % and a final weight of 13.1 ± 1.4 g. Thus, we established a system (ammonia and nitrite), capable of managing solids without interaction with the sea, ensuring high biosecurity against exogenous diseases in marine shrimps farms.     

移动床生物膜反应器处理低浓度氨氮养殖废水试验

采用移动床生物膜反应器(MBBR)处理低浓度氨氮养殖废水,在不同水力停留时间(HRT)和不同曝气条件下,分析MBBR处理人工模拟的低浓度氨氮(2 mg/L左右)养殖废水的进出水氨氮、亚硝酸盐氮和硝酸盐氮的浓度变化,探讨HRT和曝气量对MBBR处理低浓度氨氮养殖废水的影响,并以实际鲟鱼养殖废水(氨氮浓度0.5～1.5 mg/L)和其他研究成果进行验证和比较.结果显示:MBBR的最优HRT为6～8 min,最优曝气量为180 L/h,相应的氨氮去除率为70％ ～ 75％,氨氮去除负荷为560～700 g/(m3.d),填料生物膜厚度为26～38 μm;膜表层结构多样,物种丰富,膜生长良好.该反应器对处理低浓度氨氮养殖废水具有的高效能力.     

墨瑞鳕循环水养殖系统中不同生物膜反应器水处理效率及微生物群落对比分析

固定床生物膜反应器(fixed-bed biofilm bioreactor, FBBR)和移动床生物膜反应器(moving- bed biofilm reactor, MBBR)在养殖水体氨氮(NH4+-N)和亚硝酸氮(NO2–-N)污染控制中已有较为广泛的研究,然而相关研究大多是在实验室完成的,目前尚缺乏实际生产的循环水养殖系统(recirculating aquaculture system, RAS)中FBBR和MBBR水体净化效能的对比研究。因此,本研究将FBBR (弹性毛刷滤料)和MBBR (PVC多孔环滤料)并联接入实际生产的墨瑞鳕(Macculochella peeli) RAS中,实现二者的同步连续运行(35 d),考察了其出水水质变化和微生物群落结构。出水水质变化表明,FBBR和MBBR中氨氧化能力的形成快于亚硝氮氧化能力,硝化能力渐趋成熟,可以有效控制养殖水体中的NH4+-N和NO2–-N浓度,但会导致养殖水体中硝酸氮(NO3–-N)积累和pH下降;单因素方差分析表明,FBBR出水中NH4+-N、NO2–-N、NO3–-N浓度和pH与MBBR出水无显著差异,两反应器的硝化效率相似。FBBR和MBBR在微生物群落上的相同点在于：优势菌门为变形菌门(Proteobacteria) (相对丰度分别为69.42%和86.92%),优势菌纲为γ-变形菌纲(γ-Proteobacteria) (40.71%和63.36%)和α-变形菌纲(α-Proteobacteria) (26.58%和21.74%),优势菌属为不动杆菌属(Acinetobacter) (27.50%和53.29%);硝化菌由亚硝化单胞菌属(Nitrosomonas)和硝化螺菌属(Nitrospira)构成;硝化螺菌属的相对丰度远高于亚硝化单胞菌属,两反应器中可能存在完全氨氧化菌。两反应器在微生物群落上的不同点在于FBBR微生物群落的丰富度和多样性以及硝化菌的相对丰度均高于MBBR。本研究可以为RAS养殖水体净化提供技术支撑,助推循环水养殖模式的推广应用。     

Variability of the nitrifying bacteria in the biofilm and water column of a recirculating aquaculture system for tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production

The aim of this study was to evaluate variability of nitrifying bacterial community in the biofilm and in the water of a recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in a tilapia farming in order to determine if nitrification process is dependent, or not, of nitrifying bacteria abundance. Biofilm and water samples were collected periodically for 30 days and analysed with the fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique, used to quantify ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite‐oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Ammonia presented the peak in the first week, while the nitrite's maximum was recorded in the second week. Nitrate increased steadily, indicating nitrification activity. Total bacterial abundance in biofilm increased continuously, while in water, it did not change significantly. In the biofilm, number of AOB was high at beginning, decreased after few days and increased again following augment of ammonia. Number of NOB also showed an increase in abundance in biofilm following the increment of nitrite and nitrate. In water, AOB and NOB did not show major variability. Relative abundance of nitrifying bacteria represented more than 30% of total bacteria in biofilm at beginning of the experiment. Their contribution decreased to >3% in last days. It indicates that nitrifying bacteria are biofilm colonizers, and that their activity seems to be directly related to the concentration of nitrogen compounds. However, contribution of nitrifying bacteria did not vary much along the time. We may conclude that the biofilm‐nitrifying bacteria plays major role in nitrification process in RAS and that the activity of these organisms is dependent of their abundance in response to the concentration of nitrogen compounds.     

A case study of biofilter activation and microbial nitrification in a marine recirculation aquaculture system for rearing Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Marine recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) is a prominent technology within fish farming. However, the nitrifying bacteria in the biofilter have low growth rates, which can make the biofilter activation a long and delicate process with periods of low nitrification rates and variations in water quality. More knowledge on the microbial development in biofilters is therefore needed in order to understand the rearing conditions that favour optimal activation of the biofilters. In this case study, we investigated the activation of two biofilters in a marine RAS for Atlantic salmon post‐smolt associated with either high or low stocking densities of fish by monitoring the microbial communities and chemical composition. The results showed that the microbial communities in both biofilters were similar during the first rearing cycle, despite variations in the water quality. Nitrifying bacteria were established in both biofilters; however, the biofilter associated with low stocking density had the highest relative abundance of ammonia‐oxidizing Nitrosococcus (1.0%) and nitrite‐oxidizing Nitrospira (2.1%) at the end of the first rearing cycle, while the relative abundance of ammonia‐oxidizing Nitrosomonas (2.3%–2.9%) was similar in both biofilters. Our study showed that low fish stocking density during the first rearing cycle provided low and steady concentrations of ammonium, nitrite and organic load, which can stimulate rapid development of a nitrifying population in new marine RAS biofilters.