Effect of free ammonia inhibition on NOB activity in high nitrifying performance of sludge

The inhibition of free ammonia (FA) on nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) was investigated using an enriched NOB community with high nitrifying performance. A continuous-flow reactor was operated for the enrichment of the bacterial community. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that Nitrospira (NOB) using in batch experiments was extended from 4.78% to 12.08% during the under continuous-flow operation for 27 days. For each batch experiments, an ammonia injection at the start-up resulted in the desired initial FA concentration (at pH = 8.1–8.2, T = 25 °C), and a continuous ammonia feeding stream allowed for a relatively stabilized FA levels as much as the initial one. Results indicated that FA inhibition on NOB was not instantaneous but occurred gradually at a certain reaction time. Low concentrations of FA (18.08–24.95 mg L(−1)) had a limited inhibition on NOB with increasingly high nitrate production rates, whereas high FA levels (36.06–50.66 mg L(−1)) exerted a significant negative impact on the NOB. Also, strong adaptation happened in these high levels of FA inhibition on NOB, which resulted in an overall low NOB activity during the whole aerobic operation.