Performance evaluation and optimization of simultaneous phosphorus and nitrogen removal from anaerobically digested liquid-dairy-manure using an intermittently-aerated-extended-idle sequencing batch reactor

Wastewater from confined dairy operations requires efficient treatment to reduce its potential to pollute the surrounding environments. In this study, a novel intermittently-aerated-extended-idle sequencing batch reactor (IA-EI SBR) process was developed, evaluated, and optimized for simultaneously removing phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) from anaerobically digested liquid-dairy-manure (ADLDM) with lower carbon-to-nutrient-ratios. Four influential operating parameters including cycle-time of 5–9 h, intermittent-aeration strategy of 10–50 min/h, two feed-phases of 6–30 min, and idle-phase of 40–120 min were statistically analyzed using central-composite design coupled with response-surface methodology for optimal removal efficiencies of ortho-phosphorus (%OP removal ), total-phosphorus (%TP removal ), ammonia-nitrogen (%NH 3 -N removal ), total-nitrogen (%TN removal ), and chemical oxygen demand (%COD removal ). Results showed that the interactions of cycle time-idle phase, and aeration strategy-feed phases were significant in affecting %TP removal ( p -value ≤ 0.005). The synergistic effect of aeration strategy-idle phase was significant for %TN removal and %COD removal ( p -value ≤ 0.006), while the cycle time-feed phases interaction had significant effect on %NH 3 -N removal . The maximum simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) efficiency of 85.7% was recorded under influent COD and TN loading of 3,999.2 and 785.7 mg L −1 at 30 min/h aeration time in 7 h. The quadratic regression models based on statistical analysis of the experimental results adequately described the IA-EI SBR performance and showed that the applied levels of operating parameters were highly correlated with all five responses ( p -value ≤ 0.030). Operating conditions for optimal IA-EI SBR process efficiency determined by desirability analysis were cycle-time of 8 h, intermittent-aeration strategy of 36 min/h, feed-phases of 24 min, and idle-phase of 100 min. Under these optimal conditions, the corresponding removal efficiencies for OP, TP, NH 3 -N, TN, and COD of 82.64, 95.82, 92.92, 73.84, and 90.94%, respectively, were achieved in validation experiments.