In this paper, we examine a biofilm process for simultaneous removal of ammonia and NOX (nitrite and nitrate). SiporaxTM, a porous Raschig-ring type filter specifically designed and manufactured for fast colonisation by micro-organisms, was used to demonstrate the feasibility of simultaneous nitrification (usually an aerobic process) and denitrification (usually an anaerobic or anoxic process) inside a single reactor. Clear evidence was found that denitrification occurred inside the internal pore structure of SiporaxTMrather than in an anoxic zone near the outlet of the reactor. The reactor was operated continuously and maximum nitrification and denitrification capacities of 0.61 and 0.83 g N/(1.day), respectively were observed in this study.

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