Le HT, Jantarat N, Khanitchaidecha W, Ratananikom K and Nakaruk A
The performance of a typical sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for removing various nitrogen loadings was investigated in this study. The typical cycle of SBR consisted of filling of 5 min, aerating of 3 h, non-aerating of 4 h, settling of 1 h and decanting of 5 min (HRT was approximately 24 h). The results showed that the nitrogen removal efficiency was gradually increasing from ∼ 36% at the low NH4-N of 10 mg/L to ∼ 50% at the higher NH4-N of 20 mg/L and reached to the maximal efficiency of 82% at the highest concentration of 40 mg/L. This is due to the increasing NH4-N and nitrogen removal rates which were 6.0 and 5.5 mg/L⋅h at the best reactor performance. Moreover, the high specific nitrogen removal rate of 20.5 mg N/g MLVSS.h was found and the most effective carbon consumption of 2.4 mg C/mg N was obtained during the experiment.