Performance and microbial communities of denitrification using construction waste as filler for nitrate removal

The increasing amount of construction waste generated by the construction industry is causing serious pollution to the environment. In our research, the feasibility of construction waste as filler for denitrification was investigated. The physical and chemical properties of ceramic pellet and construction waste were compared and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy characterization. In addition, the ability of construction waste to treat high concentrations of nitrogenous wastewater was investigated and the structure of the extracellular polymer and microbial community was analyzed. The results showed that the removal rates of NO3--N and COD of construction waste were stable at 98% and 60%, and the biofilm in the construction waste reactor is more hydrophobic and denitrification-related microorganisms are more advantageous. Experimental results demonstrate that construction waste was feasible as a filler for denitrification filters, and this study also achieve the purpose of treating waste with waste.