Morphological characterisation of ATAD thermophilic sludge; sludge ecology and settleability

Autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD) is a biological wastewater treatment process used for stabilisation of domestic, animal, food and pharmaceutical sludges, and wastewater. It produces a high-quality effluent due to thermophilic processing conditions, however the stabilised sludge has poor settling characteristics, a high water content, low compaction capacity and is difficult to dewater by mechanical processes alone. These factors impact transport and disposal of processed ATAD sludge. We have carried out a detailed morphological characterisation of ATAD sludge at all stages of the ATAD process in an attempt to determine key characteristics of the sludge that might be responsible for its poor dewatering and settleability. A number of microscopic techniques including electron, optical, wide field and laser scanning confocal microscopy were applied to fresh, fixed or embedded sludge taken at various stages during a full scale ATAD process treating domestic sludge. The spatial distributions of structural sludge matrix components were determined and suggested a highly dynamic sludge morphology during the overall process. Large amounts of fibres were observed in the feed sludge, whereas thermophilic sludge liquor with low settleability was shown to have a lower protein to polysaccharide ratio (1:0.9) compared to the easily settled fraction where ratio values were in the range of (1:1.14-1:1.7) with a prevalence of protein constituents. ATAD sludge was also shown to contain colloids, slime, cellulose micro-particles and multiple hydrophobic droplets in the bulk liquor, factors that may markedly impact on sludge dewaterability characteristics. Laser scanning confocal microscopy demonstrated a superior ability to identify composition and spatial localisation of structural constituents in such a dispersed, high water content sludge.     

城市污水处理厂污泥的好氧处理研究

为了实现污泥的稳定化、减量化和无害化,对城市污水处理厂的浓缩污泥和厌氧消化污泥进行了好氧处理试验研究.试验结果表明,污泥好氧处理使污泥中有机物质含量降低,臭味减小.厌氧污泥经好氧消化处理后,一方面使污泥得到稳定化和减量化;另一方面,可以把污泥中的致病菌杀死.污泥经好氧消化后沉降性能有明显提高,絮凝剂的加入使其脱水性能也得到一定的改善.     

Insights into function of hydrocyclone separator and modified volcanic rock coagulant on formation of aerobic granular sludge

Hydrocyclone separator and novel coagulants were adopted to separately enhance the granulating process of aerobic granular sludge. For hydrocyclone separator, although there was no obvious large particle, it was feasible to improve the sludge sedimentation capacity, indicated by the sludge volume index. Moreover, the nitrogen removal performance was promoted by the separator with a nitrogen removal rate of 8.2 mg/(L·h), nearly two times of system without a separator. Meanwhile, nitrogen-related microbial communities were stimulated, for example, Thauera and Nitrosomonas. Another method of coagulation by the modified volcanic rock promoted the sludge settling performance. The optimum coagulating conditions were the coagulant size of 100 μm with dosage of 6 g/L. The addition of polyacrylamide played a weak role in granulation. Overall, the role of hydrocyclone separator and modified volcanic rock coagulant belonged to the improvement of the settleability of sludge and the aggregation of sludge, respectively.     

Activated sludge treatment of abattoir wastewater—I : Influence of sludge age and feeding pattern

As part of a study to provide data for the design of abattoir activated sludge plants laboratory-scale completely mixed reactors were fed with abattoir wastewater, continuously and intermittently using an 8 h feed, 16 h starvation pattern. The standard biokinetic coefficients and the effluent concentrations of COD. TKN and phosphorus were measured for the continuously fed reactors at sludge ages of 5, 10 and 20 days. Sludge settleability and filterability were also measured.Values obtained for the biokinetic coefficients Y and k_d were within the range of values reported for other substrates but k was lower and k_x higher. Effluent TKN and phosphorus concentrations were low at the three sludge ages, but the COD concentration was high at sludge ages of 5 and 10 days. In contrast to the data reported for many other wastewaters the effect of sludge age on the SVI was small. Intermittent feeding was tested at a single sludge age of 10 days. It produced an effluent and sludge with better and more stable characteristics than those from the continuously fed reactor at the same sludge age.     

Effect of low ORP in anoxic sludge zone on excess sludge production in oxic-settling-anoxic activated sludge process

This paper studied the effect of oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) in the anoxic sludge zone on the excess sludge production in the oxic-settling-anoxic process (OSA process), a modified activated sludge process. Two pilot-scale activated sludge systems were employed in this study: (1) an OSA process that was modified from a conventional activated sludge process by inserting a sludge holding tank or namely the "anoxic" tank in the sludge return line; and (2) a conventional process used as the reference system. Each was composed of a membrane bioreactor to serve the aeration tank and solid/liquid separator. Both systems were operated with synthetic wastewater for 9 months. During the operation, the OSA system was operated with different ORP levels (+100 to -250 mV) in its anoxic tank. It has been confirmed that the OSA system produced much less excess sludge than the reference system. A lower ORP level than +100 mV in the anoxic tank is in favor of the excess sludge reduction. When the ORP level decreased from +100 to -250 mV the sludge reduction efficiency was increased from 23% to 58%. It has also been found that the OSA system performed better than the reference system with respect to the chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency and sludge settleability. The OSA process may present a potential low-cost solution to the excess sludge problem in an activated sludge process because addition of a sludge holding tank is only needed.     

Exploring the relationship between viscous bulking and ammonia-oxidiser abundance in activated sludge: A comparison of conventional and IFAS systems

This study investigated the nature of viscous sludge bulking within a molasses-fed integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) and conventional activated sludge (AS) plant by routinely measuring the total carbohydrate and protein fractions of the mixed liquor (ML). The impacts of sludge settleability and plant performance on the relative abundance of ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) (Nitrosomonas oligotropha-cluster) were also investigated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results showed that sludge volume index (SVI) correlated positively with the amount of ML total carbohydrate in both the IFAS and traditional AS plants, highlighting the influential role that ML polysaccharide concentration plays on sludge settleability in these reactors. Results also revealed a negative relationship between the AOB/total Bacteria ratio and SVI, demonstrating that a poor settling sludge generally coincided with periods of relatively low AOB abundance. The existence of these relationships suggests that readily available organic carbon (molasses) was likely to have been present in excess in these systems. Our qPCR results also showed that concentrations of both AOB and total Bacteria genomic copies detected within the ML of the IFAS and conventional AS plants were remarkably similar. For the IFAS system, results showed that the ML supported an equivalent number of AOB (per gram of biomass) to that detected on the plastic IFAS media carriers, suggesting that the suspended biomass fraction plays an equally important role in the overall nitrification performance of these systems. Interestingly, large observed variations in AOB and AOB/total Bacteria ratio measured within both the ML and IFAS media carriers had no measurable impact on the apparent nitrification performance of these systems; indicating the presence of some excess or ‘reserve’ nitrifying capacity above that which is required for effective plant performance. Results presented here also constitute the first known side-by-side comparison of the distribution of AOB in IFAS and conventional racetrack-like AS plants at the full-scale level.     

An examination of the surface characteristics of activated sludge in relation to bulking during the treatment of paper mill wastewater

The addition of mineral talc, Aquatal^®(Toulouse, France), to activated sludge treating paper mill effluents and its effect on settlement characteristics has been investigated. One laboratory study and a full‐scale investigation on a large waste water treatment plant (WWTP) with a capacity of 500.000 population equivalent (p.e.) have been carried out using this mineral. The sludge in the full‐scale plant was filamentous and had specific sludge volume index (SSVI) values in excess of 250. The talc dosing which was adapted to sludge settleability reduced SSVI values by 38%, improved the total suspended solids' concentrations by 86% and reduced the specific sludge load by 34%. In the laboratory‐scale plant, the sludge had SSVI values of 200–260 before treatment and was hydrophilic. The use of Aquatal^® at a dose of 0.7 g/g mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) took 2 weeks to reduce the SSVI to 78. It also increased the hydrophobicity to a balanced 50%. The use of mineral converted the somewhat diffuse flocs into a compact structure.     

Prediction of thickening capacity using diluted sludge volume index

Knowledge of the secondary clarifier's capacity to produce an adequately thickened underflow stream is essential for successful design and control of the activated sludge process. Accurate prediction of thickening capacity is possible using settling flux theory, but establishment of the required functional relationship between settling velocity and suspended solids concentration is a lengthy and tedious procedure. In this study, parameters characterizing such relationships are shown to be well correlated with an easily measured index of sludge settleability, the diluted sludge volume index (SVI^*). It is therefore possible to predict, using settling flux theory, limiting values of solids loading as a function of SVI^* and underflow velocity. This technique has numerous potential applications in activated sludge process control and design.     

水蚯蚓原位消解技术用于污泥减量的研究

采用水蚯蚓原位消解污泥技术对诸暨和浏阳市污水处理厂的三种工艺、四项工程进行改造,通过生产性试验考察了污泥减量效果以及对去除污染物的影响。结果表明,耦合后的工艺的污泥减量效果显著,其污泥产率最小为0.015 kg/m3,污泥减量可达81.7%,污泥的沉降性变好,MLVSS/MLSS值降至36.7%。系统工艺的耦合调整可使对COD的去除率增加8.9%,出水水质能稳定达到GB 18918—2002的一级B标准。同时,水蚯蚓原位消解污泥技术对于不同地区的水处理工艺均具有良好的适用性。     

Effect of feeding pattern and storage on the sludge settleability under aerobic conditions

The selection of filamentous bacteria is often assumed to be associated with specific microbial properties such as growth rate, substrate uptake rate, substrate affinity and potential for substrate storage. In this study we aimed to verify some of these factors. Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) systems were used to scale-down aerobic activated sludge systems with an aerobic selector. Adding acetate in different aerobic feeding periods allowed us to simulate a variable relative size of aerobic selector with different bulk liquid substrate concentrations. The experiments showed that as expected, the aerobic fill time ratio (FTR(ox)) and the corresponding feast period, which can be assumed similar to contact time in an aerobic selector, had a strong effect on the sludge settleability. Promoting a strong substrate gradient in the SBR (FTR(ox)<5.4%) resulted in good sludge settleability (SVI<120mLg(-1)). Whenever acetate was added in a limiting rate (FTR(ox)>6.2%), a condition in which the acetate concentration in the reactor was always very low, the sludge settleability decreased (SVI>150mLg(-1)). Sludge settleability could be improved by changing the feeding strategy to a pulse feed. The maximum specific acetate uptake rate and poly beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production rate of bad settling sludge, including bulking sludge, was similar to well-settling sludge, which is not in accordance with the general assumptions that well settling sludge have a higher maximal substrate uptake rate and better storage capacities. An alternative hypothesis for the development of filamentous structures in biological flocs has been formulated. It is hypothesized that bulking sludge originates from the presence of substrate gradients in sludge aggregates. Whereas at low bulk liquid substrate concentration filamentous bacteria give easier access to the substrate at the outside of the flocs and thereby proliferate, at high bulk liquid substrate concentration there is no substrate advantage for filamentous organisms and smooth bacterial structures predominate. In this hypothesis there is no need for an intrinsic difference in kinetic parameters between floc and filamentous bacteria. Where presence of filamentous bacteria is related to process conditions, the presence of a specific filament is likely due to presence of a specific limiting substrate.     

膨胀污泥沉降性能的恢复试验研究

在前期已进行的污泥负荷对丝状菌污泥膨胀影响的研究基础上。对低污泥负荷下发生的污泥膨胀进行了污泥沉降性能恢复的试验研究。结果表明，恢复高污泥负荷运行能使膨胀污泥的沉降性能得以恢复，而恢复时间及恢复速率与膨胀程度均呈正相关关系；溶解氧是影响膨胀污泥沉降性能恢复的重要因素，在溶解氧不足时提高污泥负荷不但不能使污泥膨胀得到控制。反而却加剧了污泥膨胀。     

腐殖土改善活性污泥沉降与脱水性能的研究

考察了腐殖土对活性污泥沉降和脱水性能的改善效果.结果表明,投加腐殖土可显著改善污泥的沉降和脱水性能,随着腐殖土投量的增加,活性污泥的初沉速度、压缩比、泥饼含固率均明显提高,污泥容积指数(SVI)、污泥比阻(SRF)及毛细吸水时间(CST)均明显降低;当活性污泥浓度为2 300 mg/L、腐殖土的投加量为5.0 g/L时,污泥的初沉速度由原来的1.72 m/h增至3.01m/h,压缩比由原来的2.86增至7.14,SVI由原来的152 mL/g降至61 mL/g;当污泥浓度为7 300mg/L、腐殖土的投加量为5.0 g/L时,污泥比阻由原来的1.33×1012m/kg降至5.7×1011m/kg,CST由原来的20.3 s降至15.7 s,泥饼含固率由原来的13.4%增至33.0%.     

Sludge dewatering in a conventional plant with phosphorus removal-I: Analysis of additional costs

The aim of this research is to assess the differences in quantity and quality of sludges produced in a conventional activated sludge plant, modified for phosphorus chemical removal. Tests were carried out at the Cesenatico sewage treatment plant, where in summer phosphorus is removed simultaneously to the biological process with the aid of aluminium or ferrous sulphate. Characteristics of the sludge produced with or without phosphorus removal were compared. The sludge was then dewatered by a centrifuge and a filter-press on pilot scale and many tests were carried out under different operating conditions.In this part, the plant's most important performances are discussed with regard to phosphorus removal efficiency, sludge production, characteristics and dewaterability. The experiments showed that phosphorus could be removed up to residual concentration of 1.6 mg 1^?1 without detrimental effects on the biological process, with an increase of sludge production of 21 and 36% using aluminium or ferrous sulphate respectively. On the basis of experimental results a costs analysis was carried out to assess the costs for phosphorus removal, including the additional ones for sludge conditioning, dewatering and cake transport to landfill. It results that additional costs vary from 3290 to 6380 Lit per capita per year (29–54%). The higher costs refer to smaller plants (50,000 inhabitants), in which aluminium sulphate is used and sludge dewatered by centrifuge. The use of ferrous rather than aluminium sulphate allows savings of 1300–1600 Lit per capita per year.     

Activated sludge treatment of abattoir wastewater—II : Influence of dissolved oxygen concentration

Performance of laboratory scale completely mixed activated sludge reactors fed with abattoir wastewater was measured at different dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. Degradation of fat present in the influent was inhibited at DO concentrations below about 0.5 mg l⁻¹, leading to sludges with high fat content which settled poorly due to excessive numbers of filamentous microorganisms. Fat was degraded rapidly at higher DO concentrations (up to 4.0 mg l⁻¹) and the sludge contained few filamentous microorganisms, a low fat content and settled readily. However, effluent quality was highest at low DO concentrations due to lower levels of soluble breakdown products from the fat.When wastewater was fed intermittently at constant aeration rate, sludge with a low fat content and good settleability resulted, even though the DO concentration was about 0.2 mg l⁻¹ for more than 30% of the time. Effluent quality was also high. Thus it is concluded that for full-scale abattoir treatment plants where wastewater flow is intermittent, DO concentration may be low during periods of high loading without adversely affecting effluent quality or sludge settleability.     

好氧颗粒污泥发生丝状菌污泥膨胀的控制措施

在SBR反应器内接种好氧颗粒污泥,经驯化后对人工模拟废水的处理效果良好。考察了培养过程中污泥形态的变化以及发生丝状菌污泥膨胀时反应器对污染物的去除效果,并探讨了丝状菌在污泥颗粒化过程中的作用以及控制丝状菌污泥膨胀的方法。结果表明,丝状菌污泥膨胀对COD的去除率有影响,但对去除NH3-N、TP的效果影响不大。通过增加反应器内的水力剪切力对控制丝状菌污泥膨胀有一定的效果,而减小C/N值,均衡进水中的营养可从根本上解决污泥膨胀问题。成熟的好氧颗粒污泥的MLSS约为3 000 mg/L,沉降性能较好,SVI为77 mL/g;对COD、NH3-N、TP均具有较高的去除率,分别达到94.52%9、5%9、0%左右。     

厦门城市污泥深度脱水处理及资源化利用研究

结合厦门污水处理厂污泥深度脱水工艺的应用情况,考察了预浓缩—FeC l3和CaO调质—高压隔膜厢式压滤机对污泥的深度脱水效果,并研究了泥饼的处理、处置和资源化利用情况。结果表明,污泥经深度脱水后,泥饼含水率60%,自然放置7 d后,含水率可进一步降至45%左右,满足填埋的要求,另外还可用于制砖和作园林绿化的土壤基质,也可作焚烧处置。污泥深度脱水过程中产生的滤液可循环利用,回流至进水处时,对出水水质影响很小,且可为脱氮过程提供碳源和碱度;回流至重力浓缩池时,可改善污泥沉降性能,提高脱水效率。与传统污泥脱水工艺相比,该工艺具有经济优势。     

Effects of integrated fixed film activated sludge media on activated sludge settling in biological nutrient removal systems

Integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) is an increasingly popular modification of conventional activated sludge, consisting of the addition of solid media to bioreactors to create hybrid attached/suspended growth systems. While the benefits of this technology for improvement of nitrification and other functions are well-demonstrated, little is known about its effects on biomass settleability. These effects were evaluated in parallel, independent wastewater treatment trains, with and without IFAS media, both at the pilot (at two solids residence times) and full scales. While all samples demonstrated good settleability, the Control (non-IFAS) systems consistently demonstrated small but significant (p < 0.05) improvements in settleability relative to the IFAS trains. Differences in biomass densities were identified as likely contributing factors, with Control suspended phase density > IFAS suspended phase density > IFAS attached phase (biofilm) density. Polyphosphate content (as non-soluble phosphorus) was well-correlated with density. This suggested that the attached phases had relatively low densities because of their lack of anaerobic/aerobic cycling and consequent low content of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, and that differences in enhanced biological phosphorus removal performance between the IFAS and non-IFAS systems were likely related to the observed differences in density and settleability for the suspended phases. Decreases in solids retention times from 8 to 4 days resulted in improved settleability and increased density in all suspended phases, which was related to increased phosphorus content in the biomass, while no significant changes in density and phosphorus content were observed in attached phases.     

The activated sludge process—IV: Application of the general kinetic model to anoxic-aerobic digestion of waste activated sludge

This paper discusses the application of the general activated sludge model as set out by Dold et al. (Prog. Wat. Technol.12, 47–77, 1980) and extended by Van Haandel et al. (Wat. Res.15, 1135–1152, 1981), to anoxic-aerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. The laboratory scale experimental investigation comprised a 6 day sludge age activated sludge process, the waste sludge from which was fed to a number of digesters operated as follows: single reactor flow-through digesters at 4 or 10 days sludge age (retention times) under aerobic or anoxic-aerobic conditions (with 1.5 and 4 h cycle times) and 3-in-series flow-through aerobic digesters each with 4 days sludge age; all digesters were fed draw-and-fill wise once per day. The general kinetic model simulated accurately all the experimental data without the need to change the values of the kinetic constants. Both theoretical simulations and experimental data indicate that (i) the rate of volatile solids destruction is not affected by the incorporation of anoxic cycles and (ii) the specific denitrification rate constant in a digester is about two-thirds of that in the secondary anoxic reactor of the single sludge activated sludge system; this allows definition of a fourth denitrification rate constant K₄ for the anoxic-aerobic digester with K₄T = 0.046(1.029)^(T-20) mg(NO₃-N) (mgAVSS d)⁻¹, a constant independent of sludge age. An important consequence of (i) and (ii) above is that the denitrification can be integrated readily into the steady state digester model of Marais and Ekama (Wat. SA2, 163–200, 1976) and used for design purposes.     

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.     

The effect of anoxia and anaerobia on ciliate community in biological nutrient removal systems using laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs)

Little is known about the effect of anaerobic and anoxic stages on the protozoan community in the activated sludge process and how this subsequently affects performance. Using a laboratory-scale BNR system the effect of different periods of anoxia on both the protozoan community and performance efficiency have been examined. Four SBRs were operated at two cycles per day using a range of combined anoxic/anaerobic periods (0, 60, 120 and 200 min). Effluent quality (TOC, BOD, TP, TN, NH₄-N, NO₃-N and NO₂-N), sludge settleability and ciliate community (species diversity and abundance) were analysed over a periods of up to 24 days of operation. The species richness and total abundance of ciliates were found to decrease with longer anoxic/anaerobic periods. Both, positive and negative significant correlations between the abundance of certain species and the period of anoxia was observed (e.g. Opercularia microdiscum, Epicarchesium granulatum), although other species (i.e. Acineria uncinata, Epistylis sp.) were unaffected by exposure to anoxia. In the laboratory-scale units, the 60 min anoxic/anaerobic period resulted in good process performance (TOC and BOD removal of 97-98% respectively), nitrification (80-90%), denitrification (52%) but poor levels of biological P-removal (12%); with the protozoan community moderately affected but still diverse with high abundances. Increasing the length of anoxia to up to 200 min did not enhance denitrification although P-removal rates increased to between 22 and 33%; however, ciliate species richness and total abundance both decreased and sludge settleability became poorer. The study shows that activated sludge ciliate protozoa display a range of tolerances to anoxia that result in altered ciliate communities depending on the length of combined anoxic/anaerobic periods within the treatment process. It is recommended that anoxic/anaerobic periods should be optimised to sustain the protozoan community while achieving maximum performance and nutrient removal.