Patent ID: 8394272

Claim:
A method for removing contaminant of carbon and nitrogen from wastewater by using the heterotrophic ammonia oxidation bacteria (HAOB), comprising the following: (A) Cultivation of HAOB activated sludge: seeding natural soils containing HAOB into substrates containing organic carbon and nitrogen and/or inorganic ammonia nitrogen, and aerating in a reactor while keeping pH within the range of 6.5 and 8.5, wherein if the substrate contains ammonia nitrogen, organic carbon source is supplied in batches; stopping aeration when ammonia nitrogen concentration falls below 3 mg/L and NO 2 − —N accumulation reaches maximum amount, maintaining an anoxic environment, and adding organic carbon source to allow denitrification to take place until the total of NO 2 − —N and NO 3 − —N concentrations are less than 1 mg/L; and (B) Removal of carbon and nitrogen from wastewater: seeding the activated sludge produced from (A) into a biological treatment reactor containing wastewater comprising organic carbon and nitrogen and/or inorganic ammonia nitrogen, and aerating to allow the ammonia oxidation to take place, wherein if the wastewater does not contain organic carbon, additional organic carbon source is added into the reactor; and stopping aeration when nitrite has accumulated, maintaining an anoxic condition, and adding organic carbon source to allow denitrification to take place until no nitrite is present, wherein the HAOB are heterotrophic bacteria which are able to carry out ammonification, ammonia oxidation and denitrification (reduction of nitrite and nitrate), and which have the following features: ability to grow on PM plate and score positive when Griess-Ilosvay reagent is directly applied; ability to directly oxidize ammonia into N 2 , NO 2 − or NO 3 − under aerobic conditions in presence of organic carbon source; and ability to remove nitrogen through denitrification with NO 2 − and NO 3 − as electron receptors and BOD as electron donor under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions.