Development and Application of External Carbon Sources for Biological Denitrification in Wastewater
External carbon sources play an important role in the process of biological denitrification of wastewater.According to the mechanism of action and the variability of the utilization rate of external carbon sources involved in biological denitrification reaction,they can be divided into fast-acting carbon source,slow-release carbon source,and delayed-effect carbon source,the latter two of which are collectively called composite carbon sources.This review firstly summarizes the effects of different types of fast-acting carbon source on denitrification performance and sludge properties.The second part describes the slow-release carbon source represented by natural plant substrate leachate and biodegradable polymers.The third part describes the delayed-effect carbon source represented by kitchen bio-waste fermentation broth,sludge hydrolysis broth in wastewater treatment plant and high concentration organic wastewater fermentation broth.Based on the purposes of reducing denitrification cost and waste resource utilization,the preparation process,biological denitrification performance and feasibility of practical application of these two types of composite carbon sources are outlined,and potential paths for their quality and performance improvement are proposed.Finally,it is pointed out that the establishment of a comprehensive performance evaluation system for new composite carbon sources is a prerequisite and guarantee for the development and utilization of new external carbon sources for biological denitrification.