Modeling a Combined Anaerobic/Anoxic Oxide and Rotating Biological Contactors Process under Dissolved Oxygen Variation by Using an Activated Sludge-Biofilm Hybrid Model

A hybrid model which incorporated a biofilm model into the general dynamic model was developed to predict the effluent quality of a combined activated sludge and biofilm process—Taiwan National Central University Process 1. The system was performed under three different dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions in the oxic tank, including 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5 mg/L. When the DO increased from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/L, the soluble biodegradable substrate (SS) and soluble phosphate (PO4) in the effluent were not significantly influenced. Their removal efficiencies were above 92 and 94%. Ammonia–nitrogen (NH3) removal efficiency increased from 36 to 83% and nitrate–nitrogen (NO3) increased from 1.7 to 2.9 mg/L. In biofilm, when the DO was 2.0 mg/L, the active autotrophic biomass (ZA) fraction was 15.7% (surface) to 12.9% (substratum). But when the DO was 0.5 mg/L, the ZA fraction became lower and the fraction was 6.2% (surface) to 3.5% (substratum). The fraction of active nonpoly-P heterotrophic biomass (ZH) in the biofilm did not vary significantly, the values were about 28–35%. ZI decreased as the DO increased. SS in the biofilm did not vary significantly and was maintained at about 2.0 mg/L. When DO increased, NO3 also increased, NH3 decreased from 13.1 to 1.8 mg/L in biofilm.     

Efficacy of Biofilms under Toxic Conditions

Response of biofilms to toxic compounds has been modeled using Monod-type inhibition kinetics. Biofilm inhibition due to substrate, secondary substrate, and product is considered. For biofilm inhibition due to substrate and secondary substrate with high inhibitory substances, the model predicted the biofilm effectiveness factor to be higher than unity. On the other hand, for slightly inhibitory substances, substrate limitations within the biofilm due to mass transfer resistance resulted in a reduction in biofilm effectiveness factor as its thickness increased. In case of product inhibition, the effectiveness factor of the biofilm was always lower than one due to accumulation of product leading to higher concentrations within the biofilm than in the bulk. The generalized models developed for effectiveness factors under various conditions of inhibition can be used as a predictive tool in design of wastewater treatment systems.     

Modeling Pd-Catalyzed Destruction of Chlorinated Ethenes in Groundwater

Groundwater contamination by chlorinated ethenes is a widespread environmental problem. Shortcomings in conventional remediation methods have motivated research into novel treatment technologies. A palladium/alumina catalyst in the presence of molecular hydrogen gas (referred to hereafter as the Pd/H2 system) has been demonstrated to destroy chlorinated ethenes in contaminated groundwater. This study presents a model for aqueous-phase destruction of chlorinated ethenes in contaminated groundwater using the Pd/H2 system that includes catalyst deactivation and regeneration. The model is validated using published data from laboratory column experiments from Stanford University. The model is then coupled with an analytical groundwater flow model to simulate application of in-well Pd/H2 reactors for in situ treatment of chlorinated ethene contaminated groundwater in a recirculating horizontal flow treatment Well (HFTW) system. Applying the model under realistic conditions results in approximately 130 days of HFTW system operation without significant catalyst deactivation. This suggests catalyst deactivation will not significantly affect system performance in a real remediation scenario. The model presented in this study, which simulates deactivation kinetics and regeneration of an in-well catalyst that is a component of a recirculating well system designed for in situ treatment of contaminated groundwater, represents an important step in transitioning the Pd/H2 technology to the field.     

Modeling Biofilms on Gas-Permeable Supports: Flux Limitations

A computer model is used to investigate the microbial uptake of oxygen and a carbon-source substrate for biofilms growing on gas-permeable, hollow-fiber membranes and impermeable solid supports of similar geometry. Substrate and oxygen fluxes are predicted for different biofilm thicknesses as a function of fluid velocity and substrate concentration. Under conditions of oxygen limitation, low water velocities, and moderate to high bulk liquid substrate concentration, the membranes have a clear advantage and outperform solid supports. This improvement in performance stems from the ability of the membrane to deliver high oxygen concentrations (8–20 mg∕L) directly to the biofilm, whereas it is difficult to maintain bulk dissolved oxygen concentrations much above 4 mg∕L in wastewater treatment. The growth of an active biofilm can actually increase the flux of oxygen across the membrane dramatically; however, the presence of a biofilm always reduces the ability of a membrane to oxygenate the surrounding wastewater. This drop in oxygen transfer performance is caused by the fact that the active biofilm consumes oxygen and impedes diffusion of the oxygen into the bulk water. In thick biofilms the oxygen flux can drop to zero so that the external regions of the biofilm and the external wastewater become anaerobic. This may cause some operating problems, but it may also facilitate nitrification-denitrification. Additional aeration of the external wastewater could improve biofilm performance and assist in controlling biofilm growth.     

Wastewater Treatment with Biomass Attached to Porous Geotextile Baffles

A bench-scale study used nonwoven geotextiles as a compact biomass host media to treat wastewater from a combined sewer system. The geotextile coupons were used as baffles and suspended in an aerated reactor. Each baffle was offset in succession to form a sinuous channel with permeable boundaries. Filtering the total suspended solids (TSS) and micro-organisms formed a biomass floc in the interior of the baffles, which grew to emerge on the surface. Suspended and nonsettleable colloidal solids in the influent wastewater were captured by both filtration and adsorption from the channel flow. This bench-scale setup, named the geotextile baffle contact system, consistently provided secondary treatment to influent concentrations up to 318 mg/l of TSS and 114 mg/l of biological oxygen demand. Ammonia (NH3–N) concentrations were reduced over 90%, and mineralization of the nitrate (NO3–N) was also observed when the biofilm aged and thickened. Some of the influent TSS and sloughed biomass from the baffles settled to the bottom of the tank.     

2,4,6 Tri-Chlorophenol Containing Wastewater Treatment Using a Hybrid-Loop Bioreactor System

A hybrid-loop bioreactor system consisting of a packed column biofilm and an aerated tank bioreactor with an effluent recycle was used for biological treatment of 2,4,6 tri-chlorophenol (TCP) containing synthetic wastewater. The effects of sludge age (solids retention time) on chemical oxygen demand (COD), TCP, and toxicity removal performance of the system were investigated for sludge ages between 5 and 30?days, while the feed COD (2600±100?mg?L?1), TCP (370±10?mg?L?1), and the hydraulic residence time (25?h) were constant. Percent TCP, COD, and toxicity removals increased with increasing sludge age resulting in nearly complete COD, TCP, and toxicity removal at sludge ages above 20?days. Biomass concentrations in the packed column and in the aeration tank increased with increasing sludge age resulting in low reactor TCP concentrations, and therefore, high TCP, COD, and toxicity removals. More than 95% of COD, TCP, and toxicity removal took place in the packed column reactor. Volumetric rates of TCP and COD removal increased due to increasing biomass and decreasing effluent TCP and COD concentrations with increasing sludge age. The specific rate of TCP removal was maximum (120?mg?TCP?gX?1?day?1) at a sludge age of 20?days. TCP inhibition was eliminated by operation of the system at sludge age above 20?days to obtain nearly complete COD, TCP, and toxicity removal.     

Goodness-of-Fit Test for Modeling Tracer Breakthrough Curves in Wetlands

Wetland transport models generally either assume plug flow (with or without dispersion) or conceptualize the wetland as a series of continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). To evaluate the CSTR approach, we present a goodness-of-fit test suitable for evaluating breakthrough curves from tracer experiments. The test, which makes use of confidence intervals associated with the multivariate normal distribution, can be used to test the fit of the breakthrough curve model, but requires sampling across a transect rather than from a single point. To test the CSTR assumption, we conducted a pair of two-dimensional tracer experiments within a 9.9?ha wetland constructed to receive effluent from a wastewater treatment plant in San Jacinto, Calif. The wetland operates with five parabolic inlets and a single large parabolic outlet to encourage lateral uniformity. In both experiments tritium oxide (HTO) was used as the tracer. Rhodamine WT dye was also included in the second experiment. Tracer samples were collected along transects installed perpendicular to the direction of flow. Analysis of the results indicates satisfactory lateral mixing and no significant short-circuiting. Rhodamine WT dye performed similarly to HTO when detectable but was too dilute to be observed at the outlet. When tracer movement was modeled as a series of continuously stirred reaction vessels, the parameter associated with the integer number of vessels increased from 2 at the first transect to 8 at the outlet. At each transect, the model was checked with a new goodness-of-fit test. At the α = 0.05 confidence level, all fitted models were rejected, suggesting that while the CSTR assumption may usefully approximate transport processes, it is not statistically valid for this wetland.     

Procedure to Quantify Biofilm Activity on Carriers Used in Wastewater Treatment Systems

A procedure is presented for evaluating and comparing the biological activity of biofilms attached to various biofilm carriers by measurement of the glucose consumption rate. This technique allows for the economical design and selection of small particulate biofilm carriers that will maximize substrate removal when used in industrial-scale fluidized bioreactors. Methods for ensuring reproducible results are described. To support the glucose consumption rate findings, biofilm dry weights were obtained at the conclusion of activity rate experiments, and scanning electron micrographs were taken to evaluate the presence of biofilm and to view surface characteristics. Fourteen different biofilm carriers were evaluated ranging from commercially available products to novel carriers designed specifically for this study. Carriers that exhibited the highest reaction rates in descending order included: Syntrex 1220 (Kinetico, Inc.), Kaldnes Carrier Element—Modified (Kaldnes North America, Inc.), Kaldnes Carrier Element—Original (Kaldnes North America, Inc.), Macrolite Modified CEPP-02 (Kinetico, Inc.), Macrolite 357 (Kinetco, Inc.), and Virgin Foam Cubes (BB Bradley Co.). Results showed that the accumulation of biofilm depended most strongly on carrier surface properties, such as surface roughness and specific surface area. The biofilm activity as measured by glucose consumption rate correlated well with activity determinations made by COD measurements when a complex carbohydrate was used as substrate in place of glucose. Substrate consumption rates in microreactors were within ±43% of those measured in a 3-L bioreactor. The method presented here produced highly reproducible results and may be used to accurately and economically screen a large number of newly-designed carriers for application in industrial bioreactor processes.     

Influence of Hydrodynamics on the Performance of a Biofilm Airlift Suspension Reactor

Five biofilm airlift suspension (BAS) reactors filled with ceramic materials as biocarriers were used to investigate the hydrodynamics, liquid mixing, and biofilm detachment kinetics in the BAS reactor. A mathematical model was developed to describe the internal liquid circulation within the BAS reactor. The Froude number was introduced to correlate the relationship between the Froude number and superficial gas velocity at different biocarrier concentrations. The validity of the empirical model was verified over a wide range of experimental conditions and the result shows that the internal liquid circulation velocity was proportional to the square root of the reactor height and the superficial gas velocity. Because the internal liquid circulation flow rate was much larger than influent flow rate, the BAS reactor had a strong capacity to resist shock loading caused by the change in influent organic matter concentration. Shock loading resistance increased with the height of a BAS reactor. Although biofilm detachment was a very complicated process which involved many mechanisms, dimensional analysis was employed to successfully analyze the biofilm detachment kinetics. It was found that the biofilm detachment rate was proportional to the first power of the superficial gas velocity and biofilm thickness, and to the 2/3 power of the number of biocarriers in the reactor, respectively. Use of the Froude number and dimensional analysis provide an effective and accurate method to study the characteristics of the BAS reactor.     

Modeling Particle-Size Distribution Dynamics during Precipitative Softening

A population balance model was developed to simulate simultaneous precipitation and flocculation during precipitative softening. Rate coefficients for nucleation, crystal growth, and flocculation were extracted from experimental particle-size distribution (PSD) data based on changes in the total number and total volume of particles. Three models of flocculation were evaluated: rectilinear, curvilinear, and an empirical size-independent model. Model simulations were compared with experimental PSD data to test which model was most appropriate. The curvilinear precipitative flocculation model was superior when seeded precipitation occurred at moderate mixing intensities (G = 50–100?s?1). However, the curvilinear model overpredicts the formation of very large particles and requires values of the collision efficiency greater than 1.0, suggesting a more complicated dependence of the PSD dynamics on mixing intensity and saturation ratio than presently included in the model. At higher mixing intensities (G = 300?s?1), flocculation exhibited size-independent behavior, indicating that physical/chemical aspects of the precipitation process are altering or overshadowing the physics described in the curvilinear flocculation model.     

Oxygen Transfer Model for a Flow-Through Hollow-Fiber Membrane Biofilm Reactor

A mechanistic oxygen transfer model was developed and applied to a flow-through hollow-fiber membrane-aerated biofilm reactor. Model results are compared to conventional clean water test results as well as performance data obtained when an actively nitrifying biofilm was present on the fibers. With the biofilm present, oxygen transfer efficiencies between 30 and 55% were calculated from the measured data including the outlet gas oxygen concentration, ammonia consumption stoichiometry, and oxidized nitrogen production stoichiometry, all of which were in reasonable agreement. The mechanistic model overpredicted the oxygen transfer by a factor of 1.3 relative to the result calculated from the outlet gas oxygen concentration, which was considered the most accurate of the measured benchmarks. A mass transfer coefficient derived from the clean water testing with oxygen sensors at the membrane-liquid interface was the most accurate of the predictive models (overpredicted by a factor of 1.1) while a coefficient determined by measuring bulk liquid dissolved oxygen underpredicted the oxygen transfer by a factor of 3. The mechanistic model was found to be an adequate tool for design because it used the published diffusion and partition coefficients rather than requiring small-scale testing to determine the system-specific mass transfer coefficients.     

Evaluation of Input Variables in Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System Modeling for an Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment Plant under Unsteady State

A conceptual neural-fuzzy model based on adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was proposed to estimate effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD) of a full-scale anaerobic wastewater treatment plant for a sugar factory operating at unsteady state. The fitness of simulated results was improved by adding two new input variables into the model; phase vectors of operational period and effluent COD values of last five days (history). In modeling studies, individual contribution of each input variable to the resulting model was evaluated. The addition of phase vectors and history of five days into the input variable matrix in ANFIS modeling for anaerobic wastewater treatment was applied for the first time in literature to increase the prediction power of the model. By this way, the correlation coefficient between estimated and measured values of output variable (COD) could be increased to the value of 0.8940, which is considered a good fit.     

Efficacy of Chlorine Dioxide as a Disinfectant for Bacillus Spores in Drinking-Water Biofilms

This paper presents results describing the effectiveness of chlorine dioxide penetration into a drinking-water distribution system biofilm/corrosion matrix and decontamination of adhered Bacillus globigii spores, a surrogate for Bacillus anthracis. Biofilm and corrosion products were developed using biofilm annular reactors containing oxidized scaled, iron coupons. Reactors were inoculated with B. globigii spores after biofilm development, and decontamination was undertaken with bulk-phase chlorine dioxide concentrations of 5, 10, 15, and 25??mg/L. Initial biofilm viable B. globigii spore densities of 106??CFU/cm2 were reduced to 50 to 300??CFU/cm2 at chlorine dioxide concentrations of 25 and 15??mg/L, respectively, within 6?days. B. globigii spore distribution throughout the biofilm/corrosion matrix depth and the change in viable spore count during chlorine dioxide disinfection were examined using a microslicing technique. Four layers of 360?μm thickness were sliced, and these showed that B. globigii spores were equally distributed throughout the biofilm/corrosion matrix depth. Furthermore, chlorine dioxide acted on all layers simultaneously, but spores still persisted in the deepest layer of the biofilm/corrosion matrix after 6?days of disinfection at 15 and 25??mg/L chlorine dioxide.     

Performance of a Biofilm Airlift Suspension Reactor for Synthetic Wastewater Treatment

Performance stability of a biofilm airlift suspension reactor (BASR) was studied using ethanol as a substrate. The main objective of this research was to investigate the applicability of the reactor as a wastewater treatment process by examining the effects of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) loading rate and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the performance of the reactor. SCOD removal of 90% or higher was achieved at an HRT of 45 min with loading rates from 10 to 18 kg SCOD/m3?day. Similar results were obtained at HRTs of 60 and 90 min and a SCOD loading rate of 10 kg SCOD/m3?day. Nitrification occurred in the system when the ratio of SCOD to ammonia nitrogen was changed from 10:1 to 6:1. The morphology of the biofilm in the BASR was denser and thicker when nitrifiers grew in the biofilm. Filamentous overgrowth was observed from time to time and proper chlorine dose successfully suppressed its growth. The oxygen uptake rate was an effective tool for monitoring the effect of chlorination.     

Numerical Simulation of Bromate Formation during Ozonation of Bromide

The purpose of this study is to develop a kinetic model that links O3 decomposition reactions from the TFG ozone decay model with recognized Br? oxidation reactions, secondary ?OH reactions, and H2O2 reactions in order to improve O3 decay and bromate formation prediction capabilities under multiple water quality conditions. The model was compared with experimentally measured ozone decomposition and final bromate concentration data sets provided by two researchers. The data sets included varying pH (6.5–8.5), initial hydrogen peroxide (0–1 mM), and initial bromide concentration (0.1–1 mM). Model verification was carried out by sensitivity analysis of the rate constants and then optimization of the most sensitive rate constants using the method of least squares. Model predicted ozone decay data was analyzed and compared with measured ozone decay data using R-squared statistic for linear regression model. The model predicted final bromate concentration is analyzed by comparing it with the residual Δ(%) between experimental and model results. The TFG model was effectively tested for multiple data sets and it was found that model prediction was a success both for ozone decay (regression coefficients >0.95 for all experimental conditions but one) and bromate prediction with residual of less than 100% for all experimental conditions except low peroxide dose (<20 μm).     

Simultaneous Removal of Organic Matter and Nitrogen Compounds in Autoaerated Biofilms

This paper describes the simultaneous removal of organic matter and nitrogen compounds carried out using an autoaerated multispecies biofilm growing on gas-permeable hollow-fiber membranes. In order to perform the aerobic heterotrophic oxidation and nitrification processes, the biofilm absorbs atmospheric oxygen through the inside walls of hollow fibers and consumes substrate from the bulk liquid. A mass balance calculated the consumed oxygen. Depending on the removed organic and nitrification rates, the oxygen flux through the hollow fibers can reach up to 90% of the total oxygen consumed, whereas the remaining 10% pertains to the dissolved oxygen from the influent wastewater. Without the biofilm the oxygen transfer rate through clean hollow fibers is 3.5?g?m?2?day?1, whereas the oxygen transfer rate through the biomembrane (hollow fiber+biofilm) achieves a maximum value of 25?g?m?2?day?1. The enhanced oxygen transfer using the biological pathway may be attributed, among many other factors, to the mobility of the microorganisms generating microturbulence, which produces more active bioturbulent diffusiveness than the molecular diffusion in the biofilm. It has also shown that the oxygen utilization efficiency was affected by the substrate utilization rate.     

Solids Loading Limitations of Rectangular Secondary Clarifiers

Basin configuration and equipment design govern whether rectangular secondary clarifiers will experience problems of inadequate sludge transport capacity. The operating factors to be considered, other than peak flows which may be severe, are the potential for sludge bulking and the higher mixed liquor suspended solids concentrations and solids retention times employed for biological nutrient removal processes. Rectangular clarifiers longer than 20?m and loaded at more than 3.5?kg/m2?day often have sludge transport/shortcircuiting problems. Shortcircuiting of mixed liquor into the return sludge is a common situation that can be avoided in new designs and easily corrected in existing facilities. A step-by-step design approach is presented as a series of process calculations with graphs. Results from the unmodified and the improved rectangular clarifiers at Phoenix 91st Avenue wastewater treatment plant, Ariz., are presented.     

Simulating Activated Sludge System by Simple-to-Advanced Models

Models ranging through simple, intermediate, and International Water Association complex activated sludge models (ASMs) were evaluated to compare their ability to describe biomass growth and substrate removal in an activated sludge system. A membrane-activated sludge bench-scale system was used to treat a complex synthetic wastewater over a wide range of operating conditions, ranging from 1 to 15 days solids retention time and 4 to 12 h hydraulic retention time. Total suspended solids, volatile suspended solids (VSSs), and total and soluble chemical oxygen demands (CODs) were monitored in the influent, the reactor, and the effluent. A variety of substrate removal formulations were used with the simple and intermediate models. Although all models provide excellent prediction of biomass growth, the intermediate model was best. Prediction of substrate removal was good with models that incorporated a nonbiodegradable component in the influent. ASM3 was the best model for predicting effluent soluble COD, but overall, the intermediate model was judged best for prediction of mixed liquor VSS and effluent soluble COD.     

Mechanisms of Ballasted Floc Formation

Ballasted flocculation processes were studied at laboratory scale to evaluate the mode of transport of ballasting agent from bulk liquid into the chemical floc and establish a new model for assessing the mechanisms of ballasted floc formation. For this purpose, a test program consisting of bench scale observations, microscopic observations, density tests, and centrifugal settling tests was developed. Ballasted flocs were found to be formed by a mechanism in which the ballasting agent is incorporated into the floc matrix by inertial forces, and the ballasting agent taking the place of the bound water content (ΦW). Bulk density of ballasted flocs (ρb) was found to be linearly related to the ballasting agent dose (M). This study provided a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling the interaction between ballasting agent and coagulant/polymer chemical floc.