생물학적 탈질반응에서 하폐수의 C/N비가 충분하지 않거나 유출수의 질소농도를 낮은 수준까지 처리하는 것을 목표로 할 경우에는 외부탄소원의 주입이 요구된다. 본 연구에서 연속회분식반응조의 질산화 반응특성을 잘 파악할 수 있고 무엇보다도 탈질반응의 대상물질인 질산염의 양을 추정할 수 있는 호흡률을 활용하여 탈질공정을 제어하고자 하였다. 호흡률을 측정하여 질산화에 의해 생성된 질산염을 추정할 수 있었으며, 추정치는 반응조내 질산염의 약 90% 정도에 해당되어 비교적 정확하였다. 추정한 질산염의 양에 상응하여 외부탄소원으로 초산염의 주입량을 조절하였으며, 운전결과 질산성 질소당 요구되는 COD는 4.25 mg COD/mg N이 적절하였다. 또한 초산염의 주입에 따라 미생물의 세포내에 유기물로 축적되고 이를 이용한 성장에서 호흡률의 변화가 나타나는 것을 파악할 수 있었다. 연구결과 연속회분식반응조에서 호흡률을 활용하여 초산염의 주입량을 조절함으로써 매우 엄격한 수준의 유출수 질소농도까지 효과적으로 처리할 수 있었다.

The respirometric technique has been used to analyze the nitrification process in a sequencing batch reactor(SBR) treating municipal wastewater. Especially the profile of the respiration rate very well expressed the reaction characteristics of nitrification. As the nitrification process required a significant amount of oxygen for nitrogen oxidation, the respiration rate due to nitrification was high. The maximum nitrification respiration rate, which was about 50 mg O2/L･h under the period of sufficient nitrification, was related directly to the nitrification reaction rate and showed the nitrifiers activity. The growth rate of nitrifiers is the most critical parameter in the design of the biological nutrient removal systems. On the basis of nitrification kinetics, the maximum specific growth rate of nitrifiers in the SBR was estimated as 0.91 d-1 at 20℃, and the active biomass of nitrifiers was calculated as 23 mg VSS/L and it was about 2% of total biomass.

As the sequencing batch reactor process is a time-oriented system, it has advantages of the flexibility in operation for the biological nutrient removal. Because the sequencing batch reactor is operated in a batch system, respiration rate is more sensitive and obvious than in a continuous system. The variation of respiration rate in the process well represented the characteristics of biological reactions, especially nitrification. The respiration rate dropped rapidly and greatly with the completion of nitrification, and the maximum respiration rate of nitrification showed the activity of nitrifiers. This study suggested a strategy to control the aeration of the sequencing batch reactor based on respirometry. Aeration time of the optimal aerobic period required for nitrification was daily adjusted according to the dynamics of respiration rate. The aeration time was mainly correlated with influent nitrogen loadings. The anoxic period was extended through aeration control facilitating a longer endogenous denitrification reaction time. By respirometric aeration control in the sequencing batch reactor, energy saving and process performance improvement could be achieved.