Heterotroph anoxic yield in anoxic aerobic activated sludge systems treating municipal wastewater

As input to the steady state design and kinetic simulation models for the activated sludge system, the correct value for the heterotroph anoxic yield is essential to provide reliable estimates for the system denitrification potential. This paper examines activated sludge anoxic yield values in the literature, and presents experimental data quantifying the value. In the literature, in terms of the structure of ASM1 and similar models, theoretically it has been shown that the anoxic yield should be reduced to approximately 0.79 the value of the aerobic yield. This theoretical value is validated with data from corresponding aerobic OUR and anoxic nitrate time profiles in a batch fed laboratory scale long sludge age activated sludge system treating municipal wastewater. The value also is in close agreement with values in the literature measured with both artificial substrates and municipal wastewater. Thus, it is concluded that, in ASM1 and similar models, for an aerobic yield of 0.67mg COD/mg COD, the anoxic yield should be about 0.53 mg COD/mg COD. Including such a lower anoxic yield in ASM1 and similar models will result in a significant increase in denitrification potential, due to increased denitrification with wastewater RBCOD as substrate. In terms of the structure of ASM3, for the proposed substrate storage yields and the aerobic yield of 0.63 mg COD/mg COD, experimental data indicate that the corresponding anoxic yield should be about 0.42 mg COD/mg COD. This is significantly lower than the proposed value of 0.54 mg COD/mg COD, and requires further investigation.     

Involvement of protozoa in anaerobic wastewater treatment process

It is only very rarely recognised in literature that anaerobic reactors may contain protozoa in addition to various bacterial and archeal groups. The role of protozoa in anaerobic degradation was studied in anaerobic continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR) and batch tests. Anaerobic protozoa, especially the ciliated protozoa, have direct influence on the performance of CSTR at all organic loading rates (1–2 g COD l⁻¹ d⁻¹) and retention times (5–10 days). The studies revealed that chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal is strongly correlated to ciliate density in CSTR fed with oleate (suspended COD) and acetate (soluble COD). There was no significant difference in COD removal between reactors fed suspended COD and those fed soluble COD. However, the diversity and number of ciliates is greater in CSTR fed with particulate feed. The mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) representing biomass was significantly lower (16–34%) in CSTR with protozoa. In batch tests, increased COD removal and methane production was observed in sludge having ciliates as compared with sludge without protozoa. Methane production increased linearly with number of ciliates (R²=0.96) in batch tests with protozoa. Direct utilization of COD by flagellates and ciliates was observed in bacteria-suppressed cultures. The technological importance of these results is that reactors with protozoa-rich sludge can enhance the rate of mineralization of complex wastewater, especially wastewater containing particulate COD.     

The storage of acetate under anoxic conditions.

Till now the role of storage in activated sludge processes under transient conditions has been deeply investigated under anaerobic (EBPR processes) or aerobic (bulking control) environments. Little attention has been given to the role of storage in processes including anoxic environments. Hence, the aim of the present work was to investigate the anoxic storage along with other substrate removal mechanisms under transient conditions. Several mixed culture were ad hoc selected under anoxic environment and periodic feeding (acetate as carbon source) at different organic load rate (OLR) and feed length; then their transient response to substrate spike was investigated by batch tests under both anoxic and aerobic conditions. The relative role of different mechanisms in the substrate removal was established on the basis of COD balance assuming that the acetate COD removed from the liquid phase could be oxidised for energy needs or recovered into solids as poly-3-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) (storage), other internal precursors or intermediates (accumulation) and active biomass (growth, as estimated by ammonium uptake). In all tested conditions, growth response was very little while PHB storage was prevailing. In some operating conditions, indirect evidence of accumulation (in forms still to be identified) was also found. The transient response was not affected by the presence of free amino acids, at least for the unacclimated mixed culture under observation. Transient response under aerobic condition was quite similar to the anoxic one.     

COD fractionation of tannery wastewaters--particle size distribution, biodegradability and modeling

This study aims to establish the scientific link between particle size distribution (PSD) and biodegradability of different COD fractions of tannery wastewater, by means of sequential filtration/ultrafiltration, respirometric analysis and model evaluation. PSD profiles were determined in physical segregation experiments, using eight membrane discs, each with different pore sizes between 2 and 1600 nm. Biodegradability-related COD fractionation was determined at each size interval by model simulation and calibration of the corresponding oxygen uptake rate (OUR) profiles. Activated Sludge Model No. 3 (ASM3), modified for direct growth on hydrolysis products, was adopted for evaluation. PSD analyses defined a COD fingerprint with two significant portions at the two ends of size distribution, with 60% of the total COD at the particulate range, 25% at the soluble range and the remaining 15% well distributed among the colloidal range. Comparative evaluation of the sequence of OUR profiles yielded values of applicable model coefficients. It also enabled the assessment of size distribution for each major COD fraction, as an original tool for better interpretation of specific biodegradation characteristics of the selected tannery wastewater. Results also revealed a very slowly biodegradable/residual particulate COD component with a significant inhibitory effect. Model-based evaluation of the OUR profiles enabled quantifying the impact of inhibition in terms of changes in rate coefficients for growth, hydrolysis of soluble COD and endogenous decay.     

Textile Wastewater Treatment With Activated Sludge And Powdered Activated Carbon

The objective of the study is to determine the effectiveness of batch activated sludge process and powdered activated carbon adsorption for organic and color removal from textile wastewaters. Factors affecting treatment performance investigated in the study included raw wastewater strength, various combinations of dye to starch in the wastewater, aeration time. Synthetic wastewaters using starch solution and disperse-red-60 dye were used in the adsorption study. The 3 wastewater strengths used included low, medium and high strength. The 5 different dye to starch combinations used included 0% dye+100% starch, 25% dye+75% starch, 50% dye+50% starch, 75% dye+25% starch, and 100% dye+0% starch. The batch bio-oxidation was conducted for a period of 24 hours. The COD removal efficiency, color removal, bio-oxidation rate constant, F/M ratio, SVI, pH and temperature were determined. The results indicated that starch was much easier to remove by the batch activated sludge process compared to disperse-red-60 dye, which was virtually non-biodegradable. Wastewaters containing 100% starch had the highest COD removal efficiency. Increase in dye concentration in wastewater resulted in decrease in the COD removal efficiency. The COD removal efficiency ranged from 6 to 45% for low strength wastewater of 100mg/L COD, 27 to 80% for medium strength wastewater of 500mg/L COD, and 23 to 65% for high strength wastewater of 1000mg/L COD. The low strength wastewaters had the best settling characteristics, while the medium strength wastewaters had the worst. For high PAC dosage of 15g/L, high COD removal efficiencies of 88 to 98% removal and E * ab of 36 to 47 were obtained. It is recommended that activated sludge be used to remove high COD organic pollutants first, followed by PAC adsorption to remove dye waste in the treatment of textile wastewaters.     

The effect of primary sedimentation on full-scale WWTP nutrient removal performance

Traditionally, the performance of full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is measured based on influent and/or effluent and waste sludge flows and concentrations. Full-scale WWTP data typically have a high variance which often contains (large) measurement errors. A good process engineering evaluation of the WWTP performance is therefore difficult. This also makes it usually difficult to evaluate effect of process changes in a plant or compare plants to each other. In this paper we used a case study of a full-scale nutrient removing WWTP. The plant normally uses presettled wastewater, as a means to increase the nutrient removal the plant was operated for a period by-passing raw wastewater (27% of the influent flow). The effect of raw wastewater addition has been evaluated by different approaches: (i) influent characteristics, (ii) design retrofit, (iii) effluent quality, (iv) removal efficiencies, (v) activated sludge characteristics, (vi) microbial activity tests and FISH analysis and, (vii) performance assessment based on mass balance evaluation. This paper demonstrates that mass balance evaluation approach helps the WWTP engineers to distinguish and quantify between different strategies, where others could not. In the studied case, by-passing raw wastewater (27% of the influent flow) directly to the biological reactor did not improve the effluent quality and the nutrient removal efficiency of the WWTP. The increase of the influent C/N and C/P ratios was associated to particulate compounds with low COD/VSS ratio and a high non-biodegradable COD fraction.     

Biomass characteristics in three sequencing batch reactors treating a wastewater containing synthetic organic chemicals

The physical and biochemical characteristics of the biomass in three lab-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBR) treating a synthetic wastewater at a 20-day target solids retention time (SRT) were investigated. The synthetic wastewater feed contained biogenic compounds and 22 organic priming compounds, chosen to represent a wide variety of chemical structures with different N, P and S functional groups. At a two-day hydraulic retention time (HRT), the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) cycled between -100 (anoxic) and 100 mV (aerobic) in the anoxic/aerobic SBR, while it remained in a range of 126+/-18 and 249+/-18 mV in the aerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) and the aerobic SBR reactor, respectively. A granular activated sludge with excellent settleability (SVI=98+/-31 L mg(-1)) developed only in the anoxic/aerobic SBR, compared to a bulky sludge with poor settling characteristics in the aerobic SBR and SBBR. While all reactors had very good COD removal (>90%) and displayed nitrification, substantial nitrogen removal (74%) was only achieved in the anoxic/aerobic SBR. During the entire operational period, benzoate, theophylline and 4-chlorophenol were completely removed in all reactors. In contrast, effluent 3-nitrobenzoate was recorded when its influent concentration was increased to 5 mg L(-1) and dropped only to below 1 mg L(-1) after 300 days of operation. The competent (active) biomass fractions for these compounds were between 0.04% and 5.52% of the total biomass inferred from substrate-specific microbial enumerations. The measured competent biomass fractions for 4-chlorophenol and 3-nitrobenzoate degradation were significantly lower than the influent COD fractions of these compounds. Correspondent to the highest competent biomass fraction for benzoate degradation among the test SOCs, benzoate oxidation could be quantified with an extant respirometric technique, with the highest specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR(benzoate), 0.026 g O2 h(-1) g(-1) XCOD) in the anoxic/aerobic SBR. These combined results suggest that operating SBRs with alternative anoxic/aerobic cycles might facilitate the formation of granular sludge with good settleability, and retain comparable removal of nitrogen and synthetic organic compounds. Hence, the practice of anoxic/aerobic cycling should be considered in wastewater treatment systems whenever possible.     

好氧颗粒污泥技术用于味精废水处理的研究

以厌氧颗粒污泥为接种污泥,采用人工模拟废水在SBR反应器内培养好氧颗粒污泥,35 d后颗粒污泥成熟,反应器对COD和NH4+-N的去除率分别高于95%和99%。采用该反应器处理味精废水,当COD、NH4+-N的容积负荷分别为2.4、0.24 kg/(m3.d)时,对COD、NH4+-N和TN的去除率分别在90%、99%和85%左右,且颗粒污泥未出现解体的现象。以厌氧颗粒污泥为接种污泥、味精废水为进水,在与上述相同条件下培养好氧颗粒污泥,经过60 d的培养,反应器内的污泥以絮状污泥为主,该系统对COD、NH4+-N和TN的去除率分别为85%、99%和70%。     

Effect of feeding pattern on biochemical storage by activated sludge under anoxic conditions

This study investigated the effect of feeding pattern on bacterial storage under anoxic conditions, emphasizing previous adaptation of biomass to a long term feeding condition, under steady-state operation. Storage was evaluated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system operated in a sequence of anoxic/aerobic phases, fed with acetate as the sole carbon source during anoxic conditions. The experimental results indicated that biochemical storage of acetate as PHB occurred when substrate was fed as a pulse, while acetate was removed mostly through direct microbial growth under continuous feeding. For pulse feeding, the anoxic yield, Y(STOD) was calculated as 0.58mg COD (mgCOD)(-1) in two different ways, using mass balances on acetate utilization, PHB generation and nitrate consumption. This value was supported by parallel batch tests and similar results in the literature. Similarly, the rate coefficient for storage under anoxic conditions, k(STOD) was computed as 9.3day(-1) based on basic stoichiometry and model calibration of experimental data. Batch tests conducted with biomass adapted to different feeding patterns showed that substrate storage was insignificant when the feed was added continuously at low concentrations, even if the biomass was previously adapted to storage. Similarly biomass acclimated to continuous feeding could not store the excess substrate although fed instantly. For the operating conditions selected for the study, storage response was significant only with a microbial culture with metabolic activities previously adapted to storage and with short-term substrate feeding at high concentrations.     

Extensions to modeling aerobic carbon degradation using combined respirometric-titrimetric measurements in view of activated sludge model calibration

Recently a model was introduced to interpret the respirometric (OUR) -titrimetric (Hp) data obtained from aerobic oxidation of different carbon sources in view of calibration of Activated Sludge Model No.1 (ASM1). The model requires, among others, the carbon dioxide transfer rate (CTR) to be relatively constant during aerobic experiments. As CTR is an inherently nonlinear process, this assumption may not hold for certain experimental conditions. Hence, we extended the model to describe the nonlinear CTR behavior. A simple calibration procedure of the CO2 model was developed only using titrimetric data. The identifiable parameter subset of this model when using titrimetric data only contained the first equilibrium constant of the CO2 dissociation, pK1, the initial aqueous CO2 concentration, C(Tinit) and the nitrogen content of biomass, i(NBM). The extended model was then successfully applied to interpret typical data obtained from respirometric-titrimetric measurements with a nonlinear CO2 stripping process. The parameter estimation results using titrimetric data were consistent with the results estimated using respirometric data (OUR) alone or combined OUR and Hp data, thereby supporting the validity of the dynamic CO2 model and its calibration approach. The increased range of applicability and accurate utilization of the titrimetric data are expected to contribute particularly to the improvement of calibration of ASM models using batch experiments.     

Substrate flux into storage and growth in relation to activated sludge modeling

The recently proposed IAWQ activated sludge model No. 3 (ASM3) was evaluated for it's capacity in describing heterotrophic aerobic COD conversions. Hereto model simulations were compared to observed conversions in a laboratory sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with acetate as the sole substrate in the influent; no nitrification occurred. ASM3 was simplified to take only those processes which were important in the reactor studied into account. In general it was possible to describe the overall conversions including oxygen uptake rates. However, the difference in growth rate between feast and famine phase could not be described accurately. This was due to the fact that ASM3 allows growth on storage polymers only. Therefore a new model structure was proposed in which growth on external substrate is allowed. This model structure was further compared to experimental results at different temperatures. Since the polymer formation seemed to be strongly reduced at higher temperatures it was needed to describe this process with a negative temperature coefficient.     

Effect of EDTA and Fe-EDTA complex concentration on TCF Kraft mill effluent degradability. Batch and continuous treatments

The effect of ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) and Fe-EDTA complex on synthetic totally chlorine-free (TCF) effluent degradability in batch and continuously operating reactors was evaluated. Under batch treatment, the addition of EDTA and Fe-EDTA complex was studied in the range of 80 to 320 mg l(-1). Under continuously operated reactors, the Fe-EDTA complex concentration varied from 20 to 80 mg l(-1), and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) varied from 48 to 24 h. Sludge oxygen uptake rate (OUR) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal decreased when EDTA concentration increased in the influent under batch treatment; however, this inhibitory effect was reduced by the addition of Fe-EDTA complex. Without the addition of EDTA, COD removal decreased from 71% to 8%. The most efficient EDTA removal treatment (almost 10%) was the treatment of 80 mg l(-1) Fe-EDTA. Under continuously operated reactors, COD removal was greater than 57% in the synthetic TCF effluent with a Fe-EDTA concentration that varied from 20 to 80 mg l(-1); however, EDTA removal was lower than 25% in all cases. Synthetic TCF effluent with a Fe -EDTA concentration higher than 80 mg l(-1) could not be treated by the activated sludge treatment due to EDTA's inhibitory effect on the sludge.     

Integration of anammox into the aerobic granular sludge process for main stream wastewater treatment at ambient temperatures

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation, nitrification and removal of COD was studied at ambient temperature (18 °C ± 3) in an anoxic/aerobic granular sludge reactor during 390 days. The reactor was operated in a sequencing fed batch mode and was fed with acetate and ammonium containing medium with a COD/N ratio of 0.5 [g COD/gN]. During influent addition, the medium was mixed with recycled effluent which contained nitrate in order to allow acetate oxidation and nitrate reduction by anammox bacteria. In the remainder of the operational cycle the reactor was aerated and controlled at a dissolved oxygen concentration of 1.5 mg O₂/l in order to establish simultaneous nitritation and Anammox. Fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) revealed that the dominant Anammox bacterial population shifted toward Candidatus “Brocadia fulgida” which is known to be capable of organotrophic nitrate reduction. The reactor achieved stable volumetric removal rates of 900 [g N₂-N/m³/day] and 600 [g COD/m³/day]. During the total experimental period Anammox bacteria remained dominant and the sludge production was 5 fold lower than what was expected by heterotrophic growth suggesting that consumed acetate was not used by heterotrophs. These observations show that Anammox bacteria can effectively compete for COD at ambient temperatures and can remove effectively nitrate with a limited amount of acetate. This study indicates a potential successful route toward application of Anammox in granular sludge reactors on municipal wastewater with a limited amount of COD.     

Effect of chlorine on filamentous microorganisms present in activated sludge as evaluated by respirometry and INT-dehydrogenase activity

Activated sludge technology is more used than any other for biological treatment of wastewater. However, filamentous bulking is a very common problem in activated sludge plants, chlorine being the chemical agent normally used to control it. In this work the effect of chlorine on microorganisms present in activated sludge flocs was assessed by a respirometric technique (oxygen uptake rate, OUR) and by the INT-dehydrogenase activity test (DHA) measured by two techniques: spectrophotometry (DHA(a)) and image analysis (DHA(i)). Both DHA tests were optimized and correlated with the respirometric technique (OUR) using pure cultures of a filamentous microorganism (Sphaerotilus natans) under chlorine inhibition. Using these correlations the tested methods were applied to determine the action of chlorine on respiratory activity in activated sludge. The OUR and the DHA(a) quantifies the action of chlorine on the total respiratory activity (RA) of flocs (filamentous and floc-forming bacteria); in contrast, the DHA(i) test evaluates specific action of chlorine on the RA of filamentous microorganisms. In activated sludge flocs containing filamentous microorganisms, a chlorine dose of 4.75 mgCl(2) (gVSS)(-1) with a contact time of 20 min reduced about 80% of the RA of filamentous bacteria while affecting only 50-60% of the total RA of flocs. Besides, a chlorine dose of 7.9 mgCl(2) (gVSS)(-1) produced the total respiratory inactivation of filamentous microorganisms after 10 min contact, however, with this dose the total RA of activated sludge flocs was reduced only about 45-65%; controlling filamentous bulking without affecting too much floc-forming bacteria. At the tested chlorine concentrations the inhibition of filamentous microorganisms was higher than in the whole activated sludge. Although floc-forming microorganisms were demonstrated to be more susceptible to chlorine than filamentous in pure cultures, results obtained in the present work confirmed that it is the location of the filamentous microorganisms in the flocs and the presence of extracellular polymer substances which largely determines their higher susceptibility to chlorine; consequently this feature plays a critical role in bulking control.     

Modelling biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems - a review

The external nitrification (EN) biological nutrient removal (BNR) activated sludge (ENBNRAS) system shows considerable promise for full-scale implementation. As an aid for this implementation, a mathematical simulation model would be an invaluable tool. To develop such a model, a study was conducted to select the most suitable simulation model to serve as a starting point for further development. For this, the existing available simulation models for BNRAS systems are compared with one another and evaluated against experimental observations in the literature and on ENBNRAS systems. One process immediately apparent to be crucially important is the anoxic growth of phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs), with associated PAO denitrification and anoxic P uptake for polyP formation. These linked processes are lacking in the earlier kinetic simulation models for BNRAS systems, which were based on aerobic PAO growth and P uptake only, but have been incorporated into the more recent kinetic models. This provides a substantive body of information on modelling this aspect. Other processes of significance identified to require consideration are anaerobic slowly biodegradable COD (SBCOD) hydrolysis to readily biodegradable COD (RBCOD), and COD loss. Both processes have significant impact on the predicted BEPR performance. Due to the uncertainties associated with the mechanisms and quantification of these two processes, it is concluded that the most extensively validated kinetic simulation model should be selected for development, and that the omissions in this model should be addressed progressively, using the relevant information drawn from the existing models, the literature and observations on ENBNRAS systems.     

SBR中好氧颗粒污泥的培养与除污效能

以普通絮状活性污泥为种泥，采用人工配水，通过控制运行条件在SBR中成功地培养出了好氧颗粒污泥。研究表明，该好氧颗粒污泥具有良好的同步硝化反硝化和去除COD的性能。好氧颗粒污泥成熟后平均直径为4～5mm，沉速为72～90m／h，反应器中MLSS为7．8g／L，使反应器对COD和NH3-N的去除率分别达到了95％～98％和75％～90％。     

好氧SBR反应器中污泥颗粒化过程的成核研究

采用人工配制的模拟生活污水,以好氧絮状污泥为接种污泥,通过调控运行条件,在低高径比、纯好氧曝气的序批式反应器(SBR)中成功培养出了高活性的好氧颗粒污泥晶核,并对其性能、除污效果和成核影响因素进行了研究.结果表明:成熟好氧颗粒污泥晶核平均粒径为0.5mm,沉降性能较好,SVI为77mL/g;成熟好氧颗粒污泥晶核对COD和NH3-N都有较高的去除率,分别达到了90%和97%;水力剪切力是影响污泥成核的关键因素.     

Effect of ultrasound pretreatment in mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion with emphasis on naphthalene and pyrene removal

In many anaerobic digestion processes for the treatment of the sludge produced in wastewater treatment plants, the hydrolysis of the organic matter has been identified as the rate limiting step. This study is focused on the effect of ultrasonic pretreatment of raw sewage sludge before being fed to the mesophilic and the thermophilic anaerobic digestion. From particle size reduction, COD disintegration degree and biodegradability test, 11,000kJ/kg TS was estimated as the optimal specific energy in ultrasonic pretreatment. Moreover, the use of pretreated sludge improved significantly the COD removal efficiency and biogas production in lab-scale anaerobic digesters when compared with the performance without pretreatment, specially under mesophilic conditions. During ultrasonic pretreatment, the diffusion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) compounds to the aqueous phase was stated by a reduction in the pretreated sludge micropollutants content. With sonication, naphthalene was better removed than without this pretreatment, particularly in the mesophilic digester. However, pyrene removal remained at same efficiency level with and without ultrasonic pretreatment.