Immobilized nitrifier bead in airlift bioreactor were used to remove high levels of ammonia nitrogen from synthetic wastewater. Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) bead for immmobilization of nitrifier consortium were prepared by PVA-boric acid method by varying concentration of PVA and nitrifier consortium. By determining viscosity, sphercity and tailing, the characteristics of prepared beads were investigated and the continous immobilization process was developed. Synthetic wastewater containg 25g/㎥ of ammonia nitrogen could be treated within 0.5 hour and the highest removal rate of ammonia nitrogen was 934.2g/㎥ ·day.

Nitrifier consortium immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol was used for the removal of ammonia nitrogen from synthetic aquaculture water in the airlift bioreactor. At the aeration rate of 0.15 vvm and bead packing volume fraction of 20%, airlift bioreactor was operated effectively for a removal of ammonia nitrogen and for a stability of operation. Ammonia nitrogen removal rate by airlift bioreactor was continuously increased with decreasing hydraulic residence time. At the HRT(hydraulic residence time) of 0.3 hour, ammonia nitrogen removal rate was 84.3 g/㎥·d and the highest ammonia nitrogen removal rate was 130.8 g/㎥·d when HRT was 0.1 hour.

Nitrifier consortium entrapped in Ca-alginate bead were packed into aerated packed bed bioreactor and non aerated packed bed bioreactor and the performances of two bioreactors were evaluated for the removal of ammonia nitrogen from synthetic aquaculture water. Total ammonia nitrogen(TAN) removal rate was decrease in aerated packed bed bioreactor below 0.3hr of hydraulic residence time(HRT), but increased in non aerated packed bed bioreactor until 0.5hr of HRT. At HRT of 0.05 hr, TAN removal rate of non aerated packed bed bioreactor was about 335g TAN/㎥/day and the optimum ratio of packing height and inside diameter of reactor (H/D) was 4. The performance of two bioreactors indicated that non aerated packed bed bioreactor was better than aerated packed bed bioreactor in ammonia removal from synthetic aquaculture water.