DEMON®
Anammox Treatment Technology

DEMON® anammox treatment technology reduces high-strength ammonia (NH₃-N) levels in the reject flows from landfill leachate, industrial streams and dewatering centrate/filtrate from anaerobic digestion. From the specific streams, the treated water returns to the plant influent with up to 70-80% less total nitrogen (TN) loading. This is a continuous deammonification process, using granular, anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria anammox biomass retained by micro-screens.

Compared to traditional nitrification-denitrification methods, which require large amounts of energy (1.8-2.7 kW-hr/lb N), alkalinity and external carbon resources, DEMON uses both ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anammox bacteria to efficiently (0.45-0.79 kW-hr/lb N) and reliably remove ammonia and total nitrogen.

Efficient Shortcut Nitrogen Removal

The DEMON process consists of two steps occurring within the same reactor. The first step is partial nitritation, converting ammonia to nitrite under low dissolved oxygen levels (typically < 0.5 mg/L). The second step is deammonification, when the anammox bacteria converts residual ammonia and newly formed nitrite into dinitrogen gas (N₂) under anoxic conditions. The entire process occurs within a single sludge system with the AOB and anammox bacteria responsible for the majority of the work.

Process Flexibility

Often implemented as a continuous operation, the DEMON anammox process can also be designed as a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). However, a continuous operation is preferred as it reduces the overall horsepower requirements for installed blowers and pumps while higher specific loading rates enable smaller reactor volumes.

System Resilience

The proven DEMON anammox process system controls and physical separation techniques are unique to the system. It facilitates anammox bacteria growth and retention while decoupling the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) solids retention time (SRT) of the AOB and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). As an automated process, it requires minimal oversight from plant operators.

Carbon–Emission Footprint

Since Anammox bacteria convert ammonia & nitrite to dinitrogen gas without the use of organic carbon, this allows WWTP’s using the DEMON® Anammox technology to a) utilize their influent carbon for more efficiently for denitrification, b) direct more organic carbon to anaerobic digestors for generation of energy and / or c) minimize the use of external carbon sources like methanol of which in all cases helps reduce the carbon / emission footprint of the WWTP.

Advantages

Most cost-effective total nitrogen (TN) removal method on the market
Saves over 60 percent of energy
Produces 90 percent less sludge
Carbon neutral operation
Enables quick project startups with the available seed sludge
Can be retrofitted to existing tanks
Operates at minimal dissolved oxygen levels

Ammonia Removal - Anammox Treatment Technology - DEMON®

Case Studies

Chambers Creek WWTP
In 2011, Pierce County was exploring wastewater treatment options for dewatered centrate within a $350M facility known as Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. This new 170 ML/d (45 MGD) municipal wastewater treatment facility upgrade.
Read More
Blue Plains WWTP, Washing DC
Looking for a more sustainable and economical solution, the facility began evaluating Anammox (Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidation) based side stream treatment. The DEMON® process was identified after the first system was implemented at the Strass, Austria WTP in 2004.
Read More
Chambers Creek WWTP
In 2011, Pierce County was exploring wastewater treatment options for dewatered centrate within a $350M facility known as Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. This new 170 ML/d (45 MGD) municipal wastewater treatment facility upgrade.
Read More
Blue Plains WWTP, Washing DC
Looking for a more sustainable and economical solution, the facility began evaluating Anammox (Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidation) based side stream treatment. The DEMON® process was identified after the first system was implemented at the Strass, Austria WTP in 2004.
Read More
Chambers Creek WWTP
In 2011, Pierce County was exploring wastewater treatment options for dewatered centrate within a $350M facility known as Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. This new 170 ML/d (45 MGD) municipal wastewater treatment facility upgrade.
Read More
Blue Plains WWTP, Washing DC
Looking for a more sustainable and economical solution, the facility began evaluating Anammox (Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidation) based side stream treatment. The DEMON® process was identified after the first system was implemented at the Strass, Austria WTP in 2004.
Read More

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DEMON® Anammox Treatment Technology