Degradation of NH
3
and BOD in Domestic Wastewater using Algal-
bacterial System
Indah Nurhayati
1
, Rhenny Ratnawati
1*
, and Sugito
1
1
Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana
Surabaya, Dukuh Menanggal XII Surabaya 60234, Indonesia
Keywords: Carbon, domestic wastewater treatment, high rate algal reactor, potassium
Abstract: The objectives of this research were to: 1. Determine the characteristics of Kalidami Boezem water in
Surabaya, Indonesia, 2. Examine the level of NH
3
and BOD content in boezem water. The research was
conducted with two repetitions with varied addition of KH
2
PO
4
and carbon. The addition of KH
2
PO
4
concentration was adjusted to 0%, 1%, and 3%. Source of carbon (C) used was sucrose 0 mg/L and 29.4
mg/L. The reactor used was glass reactor with volume of 8 L. A total of 12 reactors were performed during
the 18-day study. The results showed that the characterization of boezem water of Kalidami, Surabaya has
pH value of 7.46, temperature value of 33.00
o
C, total P concentration of 1.43 mg/L, NH
3
-N concentration
of 10.80 mg/L, COD concentration of 122.30 mg/L, and BOD concentration of 52.60 mg/L. The highest
NH
3
-N concentration decreasing efficiency occurs in the reactor with the addition of K element of 0% and C
29.40 mg/L of 97.92% on day 18, with the final NH
3
-N concentration was 0.23 mg/L. The highest BOD
concentration decreasing efficiency occurs in the reactor with the addition of K element of 1% and C 29.40
mg/L of 61.03% on day 18, with the final BOD concentration was 20.50 mg/L.
1 INTRODUCTION
Domestic wastewater in the city of Surabaya is
usually directly discharged into the water bodies,
one of which is Kalidami Boezem, Surabaya. Water
bodies consisting of rich organic matter and
nutrients will create eutrophic conditions. This
condition is a toxic contaminant for most aquatic
biotas. Therefore, the applicable waste water
tretament is needed to reduce organic matter and
nutrient in Kalidami Boezem, Surabaya.
High Rate Algal Reactor (HRAR) is adopted
from High Rate Algal Pond (HRAP), which is
widely used in domestic wastewater treatment to
decomposize organic matter and nutrient in domestic
wastewater (Assemany et al., 2015). HRAR reduces
organic matter and nutrient by producing oxygen
from algal photosynthesis which is used by bacteria
to decompose organic matter and nutrient. HRAR
combines the simplicity of the method, economical
costs, and the ability to reduce organic matter
through oxygen production from the photosynthetic
process of algae. The principle of HRAR operations
is the use of wastewater as a nutrient source for algal
growth, then algae produce oxygen for bacteria to
break down substances organic and to perfect this
symbiotic cycle, algae use CO
2
produced by bacteria
for photosynthesis (Pasaribu et al., 2018). The result
of this biological treatment is a decrease in organic
matter and nutrient levels. The source of O
2
used in
HRAP naturally includes photosynthesis from algae
and absorption of oxygen from the atmosphere.
The concept of HRAP was discovered by
Oswald and colleagues in the mid-fifties (Oswald et
al., 1957) and this system has been used in various
countries throughout the world. HRAP in
wastewater treatment and nutrient recycling is based
on symbiotic interactions between heterotropic
bacteria and algal cells live in a pond as explained
by Subagiyo et al. (2015). Biological reactions that
appear on the algae pond reduce the organic content
and nutrients in wastewater by the help of bacteria
and by changing nutrients into algal biomass through
photosynthesis. Simatupang et al. (2017) have
reported that factors affecting the performance of
HRAP and the production of algae is the availability
of carbon (C) and nutrient sources, temperature,
light intensity, mixing or turbulence, the depth of the
pond, and hydraulic retention time (HRT).
Nurhayati, I., Ratnawati, R. and Sugito, .
Degradation of NH3 and BOD in Domestic Wastewater using Algal-bacterial System.
DOI: 10.5220/0008905300002481
In Proceedings of the Built Environment, Science and Technology International Conference (BEST ICON 2018), pages 213-218
ISBN: 978-989-758-414-5
Copyright
c
 2022 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
213

Ratnawati et al. (2017) have reported that the
efficiency of decreasing BOD and COD levels in
boezem water using HRAP was 52.09% and
50.94%, respectively. Boezem water bioremediation
can reduce NH
3
98% and BOD 52% (Nurhayati,
2019). Processing of sago wastewater with
symbiosis of bacterial algae can reduce COD
90.29%, BOD 82.74%, TSS 84.52%, nitrate 82.85%
and phosphate 98.66% (Pasaribu, 2018). The
objectives of this research were to: 1. Determine the
characteristics of Kalidami Boezem water in
Surabaya, Indonesia, 2. Examine the level of NH
3
and BOD content in boezem water using HRAR.
2 MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Domestic wastewater
Domestic wastewater was taken from Kalidami
Boezem, which was located in Kalisari Damen
Street, Mulyorejo, Surabaya, Indonesia. The
characterization of domestic wastewater measured
are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Characterization of Kalidami’s domestic
wastewater
No.
Parameters
Unit
Quality
standard*
Results
1.
pH value
-
6-9
7.46
2.
Temperature
value
o
C
Deviation
3
33.00
3.
Total P
mg/L
1
1.43
4.
NH
3
-N
mg/L
(-)
10.80
5.
COD
mg/L
50
122.30
6.
BOD
mg/L
6
52.60
*
Provincial Regulation of East Java No. 2,
2008
(-): not required
2.2 Algae culture
Algae were taken from fresh water ponds in the
Wonorejo area, Surabaya, Indonesia. The initial
chlorophyll a of algae culture that is ready to be
used for research was with a minimum of 3.5±0.5
mg/L (Ratnawati et al., 2017). The chlorophyll a
was analyzed using spectrophotometric method
(Eaton, Clesceri, and Greenberg, 2005).
2.3 Range Finding Test (RFT)
The aim of RFT was to determine the volume ratio
of domestic wastewater and algae culture that can
still be tolerated by algae. The volume ratio (%/%)
of composition of domestic wastewater and algae
culture used in RFT was 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25.
RFT was tested by using glass reactor with the
volume of 2 L for 7 days.
Chlorophyll a concentration during RFT in the
ratio of domestic wastewater and algae culture was
25:75, 50:50, and 75:25 i.e.: 3.8 mg/L, 2.6 mg/L,
and 1.3 mg/L, respectively. RFT was done until
chlorophyll a concentration with a minimum of 3.5
mg/L was obtained (Ratnawati et al., 2017). The
ratio of domestic wastewater and alga culture was
25:75 and was used for the HRAR with
concentration of chlorophyll a amounted to 3.8
mg/L.
2.4 High Rate Algal Reactor (HRAR)
Twelve experimental conditions were tested in
duplicate during 18 days using laboratory-scale
reactors (Table 2). The experimental design
comprised three additional dosses of potassium (K)
elements (0%, 1%, and 3%) and two additional
dosses of carbon (C) elements which were sucrose
(0 mg/L and 29.4 mg/L).
Table 2: Experinment condition
Reactor
KH
2
PO
4
concentration (%)
Sucrose (mg/L)
0%K
0
0
0%K, C
0
29.4
1%K
1
0
1%K, C
1
29.4
3%K
3
0
3%K, C
3
29.4
Glass reactors of 4 L volume capacity were
prepared for this research. About 3 L domestic
wastewater and algae culture was placed in these
reactors. The sample from each reactor was
collected on days 0, 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18. The
parameters measured were NH
3
-N concentration and
BOD. The sample was analysed in accordance with
the Indonesia National Standard. The analysis of
NH
3
-N concentration and BOD was with SNI 06-
6989.30-2005 (Indonesia National Standard, 2005)
and SNI 06-6989.72-2009 (Indonesia National
Standard, 2009), respectively.
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214

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 NH
3
-N concentration
NH
3
-N concentration during the research are shown
in Figure 1. Initial NH
3
-N concentration of all
treatments was 10.80 mg/L, and decreased until the
end of research. Figure 1a shows that the variation
trends of NH
3
-N concentration in reactor without
addition K (0%K) and reactor without addition K
and with addition C (0%K, C) were approximately
similar. At the beginning of day 3 of the research,
NH
3
-N concentration sharply declined with NH
3
-N
concentration in (0%K) and (0%K, C) was 1.81
mg/L and 2.42 mg/L, respectively. The NH
3
-N
concentration gradually decreased until the end of
the research with the final NH
3
-N concentration was
0.53 mg/L (0%K) and 0.23 mg/L (0%K, C). The
efficiency of decreasing NH
3
-N concentration with
addition of C was higher than without addition of C,
which was 95.14% (0%K) and 97.92% (0%K, C).
The NH
3
-N concentrations decreased because of
nitrification process. NH
4
+
is converted to NO
2
-
by
Nitrosomonas. NO
2
-
is further converted to NO
3
-
by
Nitrobacter (Assemany et al., 2015; Ratnawati et al.,
2016) with the equations:
NH
4
+
+ 3/2 O
2
→ NO
2
-
+ H
2
O + 2 H
+
(1)
NO
2
-
+ ½ O
2
→ NO
3
-
(2)
The NH
3
-N concentrations decreased because of
decomposition process and absorption of organic
materials by bacteria (Ratnawati and Talarima,
2017). Nurhayati et al. (2017) have reported the
algal-bacterial symbiosis in biodegradation of
organic materials of boezem water. Heterotrophic
bacteria in metabolic process degrade organic
materials into inorganic materials which are
absorbed by algae during photosynthesis. The results
of photosynthesis are in the form of water (H
2
O),
oxygen (O
2
), and energy. Oxygen, which is the
result of photosynthesis, is used by bacteria to
decompose organic materials in boezem water
(Pasaribu et al., 2018). Algae growth increases along
with increasing inorganic compounds that are used
as nutrient for algae so that NH
3
-N is decreasing.
Algae use NH
3
-N concentration as the main source
of N to build the cell protein material by
photosynthesis reaction (Ratnawati and Al Kholif,
2018).
Figure 1b and 1c also have the variation trends
for NH
3
concentration that were approximately
similar. The NH
3
concentration sharply declined on
the day 3 of the research, then gradually decreased
until the end of the research. Figure 1b shows that
in reactor with addition K 1%, NH
3
-N concentration
in day 3 was 3.28 mg/L (1%K) and 3.13 mg/L
(1%K,C). The final NH
3
-N concentration in reactor
without addition of C (1%K) was higher than it was
in reactor with addition of C (1%K, C), that were
2.16 mg/L and 0.97 mg/L, respectively. The
efficiency decreased NH
3
-N concentration was 80%
(1%K) and 91.02% (1%K, C).
Figure 1c shows NH
3
-N concentration in day 3 of
the research. In reactors with addition of K 3%,
without C (3%K) and with C (3%K, C), NH
3
-N
concentration was 5.86 mg/L and 4.26 mg/L. The
final NH
3
-N concentration in both reactors had the
same concentration, that was 3.57 mg/L. The
efficiency of decreased NH
3
-N concentration in both
reactors was 66.94%.
(a)
(b)
Degradation of NH3 and BOD in Domestic Wastewater using Algal-bacterial System
215

(c)
Figure 1: NH
3
concentration in HRAR
From this study, it can be seen that the K
elements addition did not have an effect on the
decrease of NH
3
-N concentration, but the C
elements addition has an effect on decreasing NH
3
-N
concentration through little differences. This
happened because in reactor, the nutrients and O
2
for
the growth of algal-bacterial symbiosis are sufficient
so the process of organic materials decomposition in
the boezem water is optimal (Nurhayati et al., 2017).
Subagiyo et al. (2015) have reported that the
KH
2
PO
4
and K
2
HPO
4
addition functions as buffer,
namely the pH controller affecting bacterial cell
density. The addition of carbon source (sucrose) is
as food source and bacterial energy (Ratnawati and
Al Kholif, 2018).
3.2 BOD concentration
Initial BOD concentration in all reactors was 52.60
mg/L (Figure 2). BOD concentrations tended to
decrease in the first 13 days of the research, then
slighty increased until the end of the research.
Figure 2a shows the first 3 days of the research.
BOD concentration sharply declined to 30.70 mg/L
(0%K) and 25.50 mg/L (0%K, C). BOD
concentration slighty decreased until the first 13
days of the research and fluctuated until the end of
research. The final BOD concentration in (0%K) and
(0%K, C) reactor was 29.60 mg/L and 24.70 mg/L,
respectively. The efficiency decreased BOD
concentration was 43.73% (0%K) and 53.04%
(0%K, C).
BOD concentration decreased because it was
degraded by bacteria. Organic materials in the form
of BOD concentration are used as nutrient and food
source for bacterial growth, so there is a reduction in
BOD concentration. Biological reactions of bacteria
will decompose organic compounds into simple
compounds, inorganic products, and energy
production for bacteria. The decomposition process
is shown in the reaction below (Metcalf and Eddy,
2004):
(COHNS) + O
2
+ aerobic bacteria → CO
2
+ NH
3
+
product + energy (3)
Synthesis or assimilation process:
(COHNS) + O
2
+ aerobic bacteria + energy →
C
5
H
7
O
2
N (new bacterial cell) (4)
C
5
H
7
O
2
N is a chemical formula used to represent
bacterial cells. Lack of organic levels will push
bacteria to undergo endogenous respiration, or
commonly called as selfoxidation, using its own
tissue as a substrate.
C
5
H
7
O
2
N + 5 O
2
→ 5 CO
2
+ NH
3
+ 2 H
2
O +
energy(5)
The compounds CO
2
and NH
3
are nutrients for
algae. With sufficient sunlight, then algae
photosynthesis will occur:
NH
3
+ 7.62 CO
2
+ 2.53 H
2
O → C
7.62
H
8.06
N (new
algal cell) + 7.62 O
2
(6)
In natural conditions where water receives a little
organic matter, the oxygen produced in equation 6
can be used by bacteria in equations 3 and 4 and the
cycle is repeated. This cycle, called "algae-bacterial
symbiosis", is natural phenomenon that occur in
water body that receives low organic loading and
symbiotic reactions of these algae are in state of
dynamic equilibrium.
The reduction in BOD concentration in the
reactor happens because of the algal-bacterial
symbiosis. Alga will produce O
2
in phytosynthesis.
Bacteria will use O
2
for its life and degrade organic
materials into CO
2
, then CO
2
is used by algae for
phytosynthesis (Simatupang et al., 2017). Metabolic
process in heterotrophic bacteria degrades organic
materials in boezem water, then algae use it for
phytosynthesis and process them into H
2
O, O
2
, and
energy (Pasaribu et al., 2018). Nurhayati et al.
(2017) have reported that BOD concentration
decreases because of adequate nutrients
requirements for the growth of algal-bacterial
symbiosis.
There are similar patterns in Figure 2a and
Figure 2b. In Figure 2b (reactor with the addition K
1%), BOD concentration decreased in 3 days of the
research until 13 days of the research, then it
increased at the end of the research. The final BOD
concentration was 28.10 mg/L (1%K) and 20.50
mg/L (1%K,C). The efficiency decreased BOD
concentration were 46.58% (1%K) and 61.03%
(1%K,C).
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216

BOD concentration decreased in the first 13 days
of the research, then slighty increased until the end
of the research (Figure 2c). The final BOD
concentration in (3%K) and (3%K, C) was 29.40
mg/L and 26.80 mg/L, respectively. The efficiency
decreased BOD concentration in (3%K) and (3%K,
C) was 44.11% and 49.50%, respectively.
The highest reduction of BOD concentration
occured in the reactor with the addition of 0% K
element and 29.40 mg/L C source (0%K, C) on day
13, with an efficiency BOD decreased by 53.04%
and the final BOD concentration was 24.70 mg/L.
The addition of K element did not have an effect on
decreasing BOD concentration, but the C element
had an effect on decreasing BOD concentration.
This occured because the growth of algal-bacterial
symbiosis in the reactor met their nutritional needs.
The nutrients needed by bacteria for growth are C,
N, S, P, Ca, Zn, Na, K, Cu, Mn, Mg, vitamins,
water, and energy (Annisah, 2015). Addition of
sucrose as element of C serves as an energy source
that can increase bacterial growth so that the BOD
concentration can decrease. K element, as a macro
nutrient that functions to change the physical form
of molecular enzymes, exposes active chemical sites
that are suitable for reactions. K element also
neutralizes various organic anions and other
compounds in plants, which help stabilize pH
between 7 and 8, which is optimal for most enzyme
reactions. K element also plays a major role in the
transportation of water and nutrients in the xylem of
all plants.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 2: BOD concentration in HRAR
Fallowfield et al. (2010) have reported that a
decrease in BOD reached 95% and COD reduction
reached 85% in the study using an algae pond
integrated with facultative ponds and sedimentation
ponds, which were placed after the algae pond. Lim
et al. (2010) used Chrlorella vulgaris and
Eichhonrnia crassipies on HRAP to process waste
from the rubber industry and obtained 92.9%
decrease in COD . Whereas, research conducted by
Lim et al. (2010) using Chorella vulgaris, with 10%
of the amount is algae inoculum, to remediate textile
waste has mentioned that the decrease obtained from
pond was 62.27%. Microbes grow on nutrient media
containing compounds certain organic chemistry as
the only source of carbon and energy or as the only
source of nitrogen.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The characterization boezem water of Kalidami,
Surabaya, has pH value of 7.46, temperature value
of 33.00
o
C, total P concentration of 1.43 mg/L, NH
3
-
N concentration of 10.80 mg/L, COD concentration
of 122.30 mg/L, and BOD concentration of 52.60
mg/L. The highest NH
3
-N concentration decreasing
efficiency occured in the reactor with the addition of
K element 0% and C 29.40 mg/L on day 18, which
was 97.92%, with the final NH
3
-N concentration
was 0.23 mg/L. The highest BOD concentration
decreasing efficiency occured in the reactor with the
addition of K element 1% and C 29.40 mg/L on day
18, which showed the percentage of 61.03%, with
the final BOD concentration of 20.50 mg/L. The
addition of K element did not have an effect on
NH
3
-N and BOD concentration decreased, but the C
element had an effect on NH
3
-N and BOD
concentration decreased.
Degradation of NH3 and BOD in Domestic Wastewater using Algal-bacterial System
217

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was supported by the Directorate of
Higher Education, the Ministry of Research,
Technology, and Higher Education of the Republic
of Indonesia with the Research Grant Award
STRANAS Research 2018, Contract No.
086.4/LPPM/V/2018. We thank Ms. Nareswara Titis
and Venny Yunita Sari for the assistances with data
collection.
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