Biological Denitrification of Water

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Abstract
Voluminous research has been published regarding the denitrification of drinking water. Most of this work has been done in Europe. Unfortunately, much of the European literature has not been translated into English, and as a consequence there may be a gap in the understanding of the international state of the art with regard to drinking‐water denitrification. Numerous substrates have been evaluated including methanol, ethanol, acetic acid, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and various sulfur compounds. Various unit processes have been utilized including biofilters, fluidized‐bed and packed‐bed reactors, packed towers containing cells immobilized in polymer gels, and completely mixed reactors with cells attached to bouyant porous carriers. There are several commercial facilities currently providing drinking water to European communities. Most include post‐treatment with flocculation, filtration, and disinfection. A common concern in denitrification operations is the minimization of nitrite accumulation. This requires careful process control, and more research regarding the nitrite problem is needed. The European literature is a valuable source of information regarding the denitrification of drinking water.