消化和反消化.docVIP

INTRODUCTION The deleterious effects of nitrogenous compounds on aquatic environments have long been recognized. Nitrogenous compounds can cause a significant depletion of dissolved oxygen in receiving waters, exhibit toxicity towards fish, and therefore, decrease the productivity of streams and lakes, and present a public health hazard. To preserve receiving water quality, many discharge permits for wastewater treatment plants are being revised to include restrictions on the discharge of the various nitrogen compounds. In order to meet these permit limitations, the biological processes of nitrification and denitrification are commonly employed. Nitrification is the process by which ammonia is first converted to nitrite and, finally, to nitrate. Gaseous nitrogen is produced from nitrite and nitrate during denitrification. Prior to 1930, most wastewater treatment facilities were designed to accomplish a relatively high degree of nitrification, at least during the warmer months of the year, since highly nitrified effluents were discovered to be unsusceptible to putrefaction. During the period from 1940 to the late 1960s, the design of wastewater treatment facilities was directed towards the removal of carbonaceous materials in terms of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Designing strictly for BOD removal was favored since it could be accomplished at reduced capital and operating costs as compared to designs incorporating nitrification. Also, during this time, environmental engineers generally dismissed the effects of unnitrified effluents on receiving waters based on the following concepts: Nitrification is caused by a specific group of microorganisms, the population of which is minimal in natural waters. The reaction rate for nitrogenous oxidation is small in relation to that for carbonaceous material. 0 The oxidation of ammonia to nitrates simply converts dissolved oxygen (DO) to a form in which it is still available to aquatic organisms. These concepts have been