Ammonia removal from effluent using isolated native bacteria from Kermanshah Petrochemical Industries effluent

Background and Ammonia-Nitrogen is considered one of the environmental pollutants, these pollutants have high concentrations in petrochemical effluent specially, Ammonia and Urea plants. In this study, biological methods using native bacteria consertium isolated from petrochemical industry has been used for nitrate and ammonia removal.
This study has been carreid out in batch mode and the effects of initial concentrations; pH and retention time has been investigated. The initial concentrations of 3×108 CFU/ml of nitrifier and denitrifier bacteria has been used. An initial ammonia and nitrate concentrations of 50-200 mg/l as well as the retention time 3-168 hours and also pH 5,6,7,8 and 9 were studied.
Finding: The results showed that the native bacteria isoated from petrochemical industry with a population of 3×108 CFU/ml in pH 8 were able to remove ammonia and nitrate with a initial concentrations of 200 mg/l with 99.5% efficiency in a retention time 4 days for nitrifier, and 6 days for denitrifier bacteria.
Discussion and The isolated native bacteria had a powerful effect in the nitrification and denitrification processes, so effluent ammonia can be removed with high efficiency by isolated native bacteria, and needs for environmental standards can be applied for effluent discharge.