Frequently Asked Questions |The Nitrification Process, Nitrogen Elimination & MoreQ:Why isNitrogen Eliminationimportant?A:If wastewater is going to be recycled it is important to lower and/or Eliminate Nitrogen otherwise it could cause severe health hazards to people and animals.Q:What doesBiological Oxidation of Ammoniamean?A:This is the first step in Nitrification when Ammonia is oxidized and turns into nitrate.Q:When does Nitrification take place?A:It usually peaks in the spring and summer months, slows in the fall, and without the right conditions can become almost nonexistent during the winter. It truly depends on the microorganisms and there are many factors, such as: organic matter, water content, oxygen supply, temperature and soil pH that affect the amount of ammonium that is converted to nitrate.Q:What areNitrifiers?A:Nitrifiers are types of bacteria that grow by consuming inorganic nitrogen compounds.Q:What doesAmmoniahave to do with it?A:During nitrification it is Ammonia that is being converted into nitrate.Q:What types ofMicroorganismsare present in wastewater?A:There are multiple types of Microorganisms in wastewater including: aerobic bacteria, aerobic floc (activated sludge), facultative bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, filamentous organisms, protozoans, metazoans, & dispersed growth.Q:AreFilamentous organismsgood or bad?A:Filamentous organisms can be both good and bad in wastewater treatment. When Filamentous are small and low in number they can improve plant performance and the quality of the ww effluent, but when they are large and are to concentrated they can cause interfloc bridging or even form a filamentous mat resulting in less solid separation, a floating scum mat and even inhibit growth of desirable bacteria.

Q:What are the benefits ofAmmonia Reduction?A:Ammonia Reduction in wastewater treatment plants can improve effluent quality,Q:What genus doesNitrosomonasfall under?A:Nitrosomonasis a type of ammonia-oxidizing Proteobacteria

Q:What role doesNitrobactorplay in theNitrogen Cycle?A:Nitrobactor is the bacterium that actually oxidizes the nitrite into nitrate.Q:Why doesNitrogenneed to be regulated in wastewater?A:If wastewater effluent is not regulated for Nitrogen and too much is dumped into ponds, streams, & rivers it can cause not only a public health hazard but also kill aquatic life & increase growth of alage/aquatic plants.Q:One of the last steps ofWastewater Treatmentconsists of disinfecting the wastewater, is this only done chemically?A:No, there non chemical disinfecting processes including Ozone and Ultraviolet treatment. Ozone treatment occurs when oxygen is passed through high voltage potential resulting in a third oxygen atom becoming attached and forming O3. The only disadvantage is that the equipment to generate O3 is costly & requires special operators. Ultraviolet treatment consists of subjecting the wastewater to intense ultraviolet light. The disadvantages to this process include frequent lamp maintenance, lamp replacement, and in most cases the same water needs to be treated multiple times to ensure none of the harmful bacteria was missed.Q:What takes place during the Denitrification Process?A:During the denitrification process bacteria use nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor and convert it through a series of intermediates to nitrogen gas.Q:IsWastewaterjust sewage?A:No, Wastewater is considered to be all water that is washed down street drains, toilets, urinals, sink drains, and tubs.Q:How many steps are in the process?A:There are 2 steps in the process. During the first step, ammonia is aerobically oxidized to nitrite and then to nitrate. Subsequently, this nitrate is reduced to gaseous nitrogen by denitrifying microorganisms that use it as final electron acceptor.Q:TheDOof my water sampleincreased. What could this indicate?A: An increase in DO can be the result of oxygen generating inorganic reduction chemistry and or algal growth taking place.Q:What does adecreasein theDOmean?A: A decrease in DO can indicate that the water contains Oxygen consuming microbes, inorganic oxygen consuming or corrosive oxidizing material, or often partially oxidized heavy metals, or organic material in the process of being oxidized.