Organic Pollutant (COD) Removal Technology
In natural surface water and groundwater, nitrogen mainly exists as nitrate (NO₃⁻), while in polluted water, nitrogen present as free ammonia (NH₃) and ammonium ions (NH₄⁺) is called aqueous ammonia or non-ionic ammonia. Non-ionic ammonia is the main factor causing toxicity to aquatic organisms. Ammonia nitrogen is a nutrient in water, which can lead to eutrophication, acts as a major oxygen-consuming pollutant, and is toxic to fish and certain aquatic organisms. Therefore, wastewater treatment plants must meet discharge standards for ammonia nitrogen.
Based on known ammonia nitrogen removal processes, nitrification is commonly used to convert ammonia nitrogen into non-ionic ammonia, making it safe for discharge into natural water bodies. Because the nitrifying bacteria involved are autotrophic microorganisms with slow growth rates and are highly sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature, toxicity, and hydraulic shocks, they are easily lost from the system.
Nitrification Process: Oxidizing Ammonia Nitrogen to Nitrate
2NH₄⁺ + 3O₂ → 2NO₂⁻ + 4H⁺ + 2H₂O
2NO₂⁻ + O₂ → 2NO₃⁻
By externally adding MicroMotion®-N, nitrosomonas and nitrobacter bacteria are supplemented to quickly restore the system’s ammonia nitrogen removal capacity.
When exposed to toxic shocks or under low-temperature conditions in wastewater treatment plants, native nitrifying bacteria decrease in number, lose activity, and face inhibited reproduction, leading to reduced ammonia nitrogen removal rates. The nitrifying bacteria supplied by MicroMotion®-N work synergistically with native nitrifiers to enhance the system’s nitrification capacity, improving performance under toxic, inhibitory, or low-temperature conditions. MicroMotion®-N can be used during system startup to quickly establish a nitrification system, during shock events to restore nitrification function rapidly, and during daily operation to increase the system’s stability and sustainability.
Technical Column