Achieving ultra-high nitrogen and phosphorus removal from real municipal wastewater in a novel continuous-flow anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic process via partial nitrification, endogenous denitrification and nitrite-type denitrifying phosphorus removal

Achieving economic and efficient removal of nutrients in mainstream wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) continues to be a challenging research topic. In this study, a continuous-flow anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic system with sludge double recirculation (AOA-SDR), which integrated partial nitrification (PN), endogenous denitrification (ED) and nitrite-type denitrifying phosphorus removal (nDNPR), was constructed to treat real carbon-limited municipal wastewater. The average effluent concentrations of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and PO43−-P during the stable operation period were 1.8 and 0.3 mg/L, respectively. PN was achieved with an average nitrite accumulation ratio of 90.4% by combined strategies. Adequate storage of polyhydroxyalkanoates and glycogen in the anaerobic zone promoted the subsequent nitrogen removal capacity. In the anoxic zone, nitrite served as the main electron acceptor for the denitrifying phosphorus removal process. Mass balance analysis revealed that nDNPR contributed to 23.6% of TIN removal and 44.7% of PO43−-P removal. The enrichment of Nitrosomonas (0.45%) and Ellin 6067 (1.31%), along with the washout of Nitrospira (0.15%) provided the bacterial basis for the successful implementation of PN. Other dominant endogenous heterotrophic bacteria, such as Dechlormonas (10.81%) and Candidatus Accumulibacter (2.96%), ensured simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal performance. The successful validation of integrating PN, ED and nDNPR for advanced nutrient removal in the AOA-SDR process provides a transformative technology for WWTPs.