Food wastes were used for anaerobic fermentation to prepare carbon sources for enhancing nitrogen
removal in wastewater treatment. Under anaerobic conditions without pH adjustment, the fermentation
liquid from food wastes (FLFW) with a high organic acid content was produced at room temperature
(25
C) and initial solid concentration of 13%. Using FLFW as the sole carbon source of artificial waste-
water for biological treatment by sequence batch operation, maximized denitrification (with a denitri-
fication rate of VDN ¼ 12.89 mg/gVSS h and a denitrification potential of PDN ¼ 0.174 gN/gCOD) could be
achieved at a COD/TN ratio of 6. The readily biodegradable fraction in the FLFW was evaluated as 58.35%.
By comparing FLFW with glucose and sodium acetate, two commonly used chemical carbon sources,
FLFW showed a denitrification result similar to sodium acetate but much better than glucose in terms of
total nitrogen removal, VDN,PDN, organic matter consumption rate (VCOD) and heterotrophy anoxic yield
coefficient (YH).