Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet - Trickling Filter Nitrification

Nitrogen is one of the principal nutrients found in wastewater. Discharges containing nitrogen can severely damage a water resource and it’s associated ecosystem. As a result, several chemical, physical and biological processes have been used to promote the removal of nitrogen. Nitrification and denitrification are two suggested processes that significantly reduce nitrogen levels in wastewater. This fact sheet will primarily focus on the nitrification process using a trickling filter system. TFs are designed as aerobic attached growth reactors and have been proven to be suitable for the removal of ammonia nitrogen.