Evidence for oxygen-limiting conditions during tertiary fixed-film nitrification

A study of highly loaded (greater than 1.2 g/m2 d) tertiary nitrification systems was conducted to determine the rea son for the substantial variations seen in the rate and extent of NH4-N oxidation at the higher loading rates. It was determined that variation and scatter were not random, but seemed to be related to the level of dissolved oxygen in the tower. The "scattered data" evolved into a family of curves, each member representing a different effluent NH4-N value in the load versus removal re lationship. J. Water Pollut. Control Fed., 61, 510 (1989).