Processing based denitrification

Although the PHA-based denitrification process has high performance of nitrogen removal as noted above, the relatively high production cost of PHAs may still limit this technology in practical application. Boley et al. [32] estimated that a PHB-based denitrification system costs 21-37Euro/kg N03 -N, which is almost 10 times higher... 

Hydrogenation reactions, particularly for the manufacture of fine chemicals, prevail in the research of three-phase processes. Examples are hydrogenation of citral (selectivity > 80% [86-88]) and 2-butyne-l,4-diol (conversion > 80% and selectivity > 97% [89]). Eor Pt/ACE the yield to n-sorbitol in hydrogenation of D-glucose exceeded 99.5% [90]. Water denitrification via hydrogenation of nitrites and nitrates was extensively studied using fiber-based catalysts [91-95]. An attempt to use fiber-structured catalysts for wet air oxidation of organics (4-nitrophenol as a model compound) in water was successful. TOC removal up to 90% was achieved [96]. 

Bioprocesses for the removal of nitrogen oxides from polluted air are an interesting alternative [58], but current reaction rates are still too low for large-scale applications. Advanced biological processes for the removal of NO from flue gases are based on the catalytic activity of either eukaryotes or prokaryotes, e.g. nitrification, denitrification, the use of microalgae and a combined physicochemical and biological process (BioDeNO ). 

The problem addressed in this chapter concerns the design of a process for NO removal from flue gases to levels below 10 ppm vol. The process will be based on the formation of the l e(II) EDTA-NO2 complex, followed by microbial denitrification. The process should be flexible enough to handle large variations in the fluegas load originating from a 10 MW gas-turbine, with the following characteristics (nominal values in bold) ... 

Even if rate measurements in sediments are made using whole core incubations, e.g., when the inhibitor is a gas, it is still difficult to obtain a depth distribution of the rate (usually, an areal rate is obtained). A sophisticated measurement and model based system that avoids direct rate measurements has been used to overcome this problem. Microelectrodes, which have very high vertical resolution, are used to measure the fine scale distribution of oxygen and NOs" in freshwater sediments. By assuming that the observed vertical gradients represent a steady state condition, reaction-diffusion models can then be used to estimate the rates of nitrification, denitrification and aerobic respiration and to compute the location of the rate processes in relation to the chemical profiles (e.g., Binnerup et ai, 1992 Jensen et ai, 1994 Meyer et ai, 2001 Rysgaard et ai, 1994). Recent advances and details of the microelectrode approach can be found in the Chapter by Joye and Anderson (this volume). 

Denitrification rates in the other two main ODZs, the ETNP and ETSP appear to be about 25 Tg a each Codispoti et al. (2002). In the ETNP denitrification was estimated by the geostrophic flux of nitrate deficit out of the ODZ area, with nitrate deficit determined from nutrient-density relationships (Codispoti, 1973 Codispoti and Richards, 1976). Volumetric estimates of denitrification rate based on ETS activity are in concert with this rate (Codispoti and Richards, 1973 Devol, 1975). The ETSP the denitrification rate is based on measurements of ETS activity (Codispoti and Packard, 1980). As with the Arabian Sea these estimates are again for canonical denitrification. It is likely that processes identified in the Arabian Sea are also occurring in the ETNP and ETSP. Thus, the rate of 25 Tg a might be raised to 50 Tg ar. Given a denitrification rate between 30 and 50 Tg a for each of the major ODZ s, global water-column denitrification would appear to between 90 and 150 Tg a. ... 

---