Removal of Nitrate from Groundwater by Using Effective Microorganisms (EM)

Abstract

In this research the ability of effective microorganisms (EM) to remove nitrate from groundwater had been studied. Many samples were taken and tested from several wells in Tikrit University. The tests showed that the samples of groundwater contained a few nitrate concentrations (less than 1 mg/l), so that the wastewater was synthetic solution by adding potassium nitrate (KNO3) to the groundwater as a nitrate source within the rang of (50 – 150) mg/l. the ratios of EM were used in the experiments ranged between (1:250) to (1:5000). While the hydraulic retention times 24 and 48 were used in the experiments. The result showed that the removal efficiency of nitrate was increased by increasing the ratio of EM in the process unit and the maximum nitrate removal was 82% when the nitrate concentration and EM ratio were 150 mg/l and (1:250) respectively and HRT was 48 hr.