Evaluation of phytotoxic elements, trace elements and nutrients in a standardized crop plant, irrigated with raw wastewater treated by APT and ozone.

This project studied the benefits of applying Advanced Primary Treatment (APT) and ozone (O3) to raw wastewater destined for reuse in agriculture. The ozone was applied directly to raw wastewater, as well as to wastewater already treated with APT, and the results compared against a control sample of potable water. The experimental conditions that reported the best results was wastewater treated with O3 (at a dose of 4.8 mg/L, at pH 7, temperature 23 degrees C, for 1 hr), given that it met standards in force in Mexico with regard to micro-organism and heavy metal content. Under these conditions, after 15 min of ozonation, 100% destruction of the following bacteria was observed: V. cholerae, S. typhi as well as total and faecal coliforms. Destruction of helminth eggs and Giardia sp. took one hour. No phytotoxic elements or heavy metals were found. The balance of nutrients N:P:K (300:100:200 mg/kg) required for lettuce growth, was found in wastewater subjected to both treatment plans. However, ozone favoured the nitrification and assimilation of the nutrients, by contributing oxygen to the soil. Therefore, these conditions produced the greatest lettuce growth, the entire plant averaging 38 cm in length and 125 g. in weight. Moreover, a better appearance of the leaves was also noted.     

Pilot-scale studies on biological treatment of hypersaline wastewater at low temperature.

In order to investigate the feasibility of biological treatment of hypersaline wastewater produced from toilet flushing with seawater at low temperature, pilot-scale studies were established with plug-flow activated sludge process at low temperature (5-9 degrees C) based on bench-scale experiments. The critical salinity concentration of 30 g/L, which resulted from the cooperation results of the non-halophilic bacteria and the halophilic bacteria, was drawn in bench-scale experiments. Pilot-scale studies showed that high COD removal efficiency, higher than 80%, was obtained at low temperature when 30 percent seawater was introduced. The salinity improved the settleability of activated sludge, and average sludge value dropped down from 38% to 22.5% after adding seawater. Seawater salinity had a strong negative effect on notronomonas and nitrobacter growth, but much more on the nitrobacter. The nitrification action was mainly accomplished by nitrosomonas. Bench-scale experiments using two SBRs were carried out for further investigation under different conditions of salinities, ammonia loadings and temperatures. Biological nitrogen removal via nitrite pathway from wastewater containing 30 percent seawater was achieved, but the ammonia removal efficiency was strongly related not only to the influent ammonia loading at different salinities but also to temperature. When the ratio of seawater to wastewater was 30 percent, and the ammonia loading was below the critical value of 0.15 kgNH4+-N/(kgMLSS.d), the ammonia removal efficiency via nitrite pathway was above 90%. The critical level of ammonia loading was 0.15, 0.08 and 0.03 kgNH4+-N/(kgMLSS.d) respectively at the different temperature 30 degrees C, 25 degrees C and 20 degrees C when the influent ammonia concentration was 60-80 mg/L and pH was 7.5-8.0.     

Effect of C/N ratio on nitrous oxide emission from swine wastewater treatment process.

To evaluate control parameters for nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in the swine wastewater treatment process, the N2O emission was compared in the activated sludge from SBRs acclimated in different carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios. N2O emission from a denitrification phase was very strongly dependent on C/N ratio of swine wastewater, and the total N2O emission in the operating condition of BOD5/TN ratio of 2.6 was approximately 270 times greater than that in BOD5/TN ratio of 4.5. However, the effect of C/N ratio on N2O emission amount from nitrification was not significant in an oxic phase study. It is considered that stabilization of the C/N ratio through optimal solid-liquid separation of slurry or use of an external carbon source is indispensable for effective N2O emission control from nitrogen removal process of swine wastewater.     

催化湿式氧化高浓度SDBS废水的研究

以过渡金属氧化物CuO为主活性组分,通过复合第二活性组分Co3O4和掺入电子助剂CeO2的考察,研制出适用于催化湿式氧化处理高浓度十二烷基苯磺酸钠(SDBS)废水的复合催化剂。实验结果表明,新制备的复合催化剂有较好的催化活性。通过对反应温度、氧气分压和废水pH值等工艺条件的考察,得出催化湿式氧化处理高浓度SDBS废水适宜的工艺条件为:反应温度为280℃、氧气分压为3 MPa、pH值为8.2,在此条件下用自制的催化剂处理初始COD质量浓度为4 942.1 mg/L的SDBS废水,在120 min内,COD去除率达到88.1%,而在相同条件下未加催化剂的湿式氧化COD去除率只有30.7%。     

Low strength wastewater treatment under low temperature conditions by a novel sulfur redox action process.

The objective of this research is to make a novel wastewater treatment process activated by a sulfur-redox cycle action of microbes in low temperature conditions. This action is carried out by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB). The process was comprised of a UASB reactor as pre-treatment and an aerobic downflow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor as post-treatment. As the results of reactor operation, the whole process achieved that over 90% of CODcr removal efficiency, less than 30 mgCODcr/L (less than 15 mgBOD/L) of final effluent, at 12 h of HRT and at 8 degrees C of UASB reactor temperature. Acetobacterium sp. was detected as the predominant species by PCR-DGGE method targeting 16SrDNA with band excision and sequence analysis. In the UASB reactor, various species of sulfate-reducing bacterium, Desulfobulbus sp., Desulfovibrio sp., and Desulfomicrobium sp., were found by cloning analysis. In the DHS reactor, Tetracoccus sp. presented as dominant. The proposed sulfur-redox action process was considered as an applicable process for low strength wastewater treatment in low temperature conditions.     

UASB reactor for domestic wastewater treatment at low temperatures: a comparison between a classical UASB and hybrid UASB-filter reactor.

The performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a hybrid UASB-filter reactor was investigated and compared for the treatment of domestic wastewater at different operational temperatures (28, 20, 14 and 10 degrees C) and loading rates. For each temperature studied a constant CODt removal was observed as long as the upflow velocity was lower than 0.35 m/h. At these upflow velocities similar removals were observed for both reactor types at 28 and 20 degrees C, 82 and 72% respectively. However, at 14 and 10 degrees C the UASB reactor showed a better COD removal (70% and 48%, respectively) than the hybrid reactor (60% and 38%). COD removal resulted from biological degradation and solids accumulation in the reactors. At 28 degrees C, a constant 200 g sludge mass was observed in both reactors and COD removal was attributed to biological degradation only. At lower temperatures, solids accumulation was observed in addition to biological degradation with an increase in reactor sludge as the temperature decreased. The decrease in biological degradation at lower temperatures was offset by solids accumulation and explains the similar overall COD removal efficiency observed at 28 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 14 degrees C. The decrease in temperature was also followed by an increase in the effluent TSS concentration in both reactors. At 14 and 10 degrees C a lower effluent TSS concentration and better performance was observed in the UASB reactor.     

Dynamical modelling of an activated sludge system of a petrochemical plant operating at high temperatures.

The Mexican petrochemical industry, Morelos S.A. de C.V., is one of the biggest and more important petroleum industries in Mexico and Latin America. It has an activated sludge system to treat its wastewater flow, which is approximately 7,000 m3/d. The wastewater contains volatile organic carbon substances classified as toxics. The old surface aeration system was changed for fine bubble diffusers; however, one major drawback of the new aeration system is that the temperature in the bioreactor has increased due to the compression of the air, which at the compressor exit reaches 85 degrees C. This effect results in the temperature in the bioreactor attaining 32 degrees C during the fall, whereas in the spring and summer, the bioreactor temperature reaches higher values than 40 degrees C. The high temperatures reduce the microorganism activity and cause a higher volatilisation rate of volatile compounds, among other effects, which affect the performance of the biological treatment. This work was performed to obtain a better modelling of the wastewater treatment from the petrochemical industry. The model describes the effect of the temperature on the performance of the biological treatment. The model was obtained from tests that were carried out in laboratory reactors with 14 L capacity, which were operated at different temperatures (from 30 to 45 degrees C), with the same wastewater and conditions as the actual system.     

Optimization of operational factors of a membrane bioreactor with gravity drain.

A new membrane bioreactor with gravity drain for municipal wastewater treatment was tested and its operational factors were investigated in this study. These factors include pressure head, MLSS, aeration intensity (an air flow rate per unit floor area) and temperature. Results of batch experiments showed that a critical pressure head of the MBR was 0.85-1.5 m-H2O. At a pressure head of 0.85 m-H2O, statistical analysis of batch experiments showed that aeration intensity significantly affected membrane flux, and the MLSS had no impact on membrane flux under a temperature of 22.0 +/- 1.0 degrees C. Results of the long-term continuous experiment showed that temperature significantly affected membrane flux. The impact of temperature on membrane flux in this case was about 4-10 times of that analyzed by using a classical cake layer model. During this experiment, the average removal efficiencies of COD, BOD5 and NH4+-N were over 85%, 97% and 94%, respectively.     

Treatment of low and medium strength sewage in a lab-scale gradual concentric chambers (GCC) reactor.

One of the major challenges of anaerobic technology is its applicability for low strength wastewaters, such as sewage. The lab-scale design and performance of a novel Gradual Concentric Chambers (GCC) reactor treating low (165+/-24 mg COD/L) and medium strength (550 mg COD/L) domestic wastewaters were studied. Experimental data were collected to evaluate the influence of chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations in the influent and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the performance of the GCC reactor. Two reactors (R1 and R2), integrating anaerobic and aerobic processes, were studied at ambient (26 degrees C) and mesophilic (35 degrees C) temperature, respectively. The highest COD removal efficiency (94%) was obtained when treating medium strength wastewater at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.9 g COD/L.d (HRT = 4 h). The COD levels in the final effluent were around 36 mg/L. For the low strength domestic wastewater, a highest removal efficiency of 85% was observed, producing a final effluent with 22 mg COD/L. Changes in the nutrient concentration levels were followed for both reactors.     

Thermophilic treatment by anaerobic granular sludge as an effective approach to accelerate the electron transfer and improve the reductive decolorization of azo dyes in bioreactors.

The effects of temperature, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and the redox mediator, anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS), on electron transfer and subsequent reductive decolorization of dyes from textile wastewater was assessed in mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic bioreactors. The results clearly show that compared to mesophilic anaerobic treatment, thermophilic treatment at 55 degrees C is an effective approach for increasing the electron transfer capacity in bioreactors, and thus improving the decolorization rates. At an HRT of 2.5 h and in the absence of AQDS, the color removal was 5.3-fold higher at 55 degrees C compared to 30 degrees C. Furthermore, similar decolorizations were found at 55 degrees C between the AQDS-free and AQDS-supplemented reactors, whereas a significant difference (up to 3.6-fold) on dye reduction occurred at 30 degrees C.     

Changes of microbial characteristics of retained sludge during low-temperature operation of an EGSB reactor for low-strength wastewater treatment.

In this study, a lab scale EGSB reactor was operated for 400 days to investigate the influence of temperature-decrease on the microbial characteristic of retained sludge. The EGSB reactor was started-up at 15 degrees C seeding with 20 degrees C-grown granular sludge. The influent COD of synthetic wastewater was set at 0.6-0.8 gCOD/L. The process-temperature was stepwise reduced from 15 degrees C to 5 degrees C during 400 days operation. Decrease of temperature of the reactor from 15 degrees C to 10 degrees C caused the decline of COD removal efficiency. However, continuous operation of the EGSB reactor led the efficient treatment of wastewater (70% of COD removal, 50% of methane recovery) at 10 degrees C. We confirmed that the both acetate-fed and hydrogen-fed methanogenic activities of retained sludge clearly increased under 15 to 20 degrees C. Changes of microbial profiles of methanogenic bacteria were analyzed by 16S rDNA-targeted DGGE analysis and cloning. It shows that genus Methanospirillum as hydrogen-utilizing methanogen proliferated due to low temperature operation of the reactor. On the other hand, genus Methanosaeta presented in abundance as acetoclastic-methanogen throughout the experiment.     

Ammonia removal in the catalytic wet air oxygen process of landfill leachates with Co/Bi catalyst.

Oxidation of ammonia in landfill leachates in the catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) process was investigated with Co/Bi catalyst. The characterization of the Co/Bi catalyst was carried out by the X-ray diffraction technique. Studies of ammonia removal from the landfill leachates by CWAO showed that Co/Bi catalyst exhibited higher activities for both total organic carbon (TOC) and ammonia with removal levels of 99% for TOC and 98% for ammonia, respectively. Results also indicated that large amounts of ammonia were produced during the elimination of nitrogenous organic compounds in the CWAO process and the further oxidation of ammonia gave off essentially N2 under 240 degrees C. When the system temperature reached above 240 degrees C, ammonia oxidation rate was much higher with nitrate dominating in the effluent; a very small amount of nitrite was observed in the reaction process, it possibly acts as the intermediate of nitrate ion and molecular nitrogen formation, showing that the system temperature had significant effects on the ammonia oxidation and reaction selectivity towards the production of molecular nitrogen or nitrate.     

Advanced electro-Fenton degradation of biologically-treated coking wastewater using anthraquinone cathode and Fe-Y catalyst

The electrocatalytic activity of bare and 2-ethyl anthraquinone-modified graphite felt (2-EAQ/GF) toward oxygen reduction was investigated using a cyclic voltammetry technique in a neutral solution. The prepared cathodes were tested for electrogeneration of H2O2 and electro-Fenton oxidation (EFO) treatment of neutral coking wastewater (CW) after biological process, using a graphite anode and Fezeolite Y catalyst. The results showed that (i) H2O2 yield and current efficiency greatly depended on cathodic potential and materials; (ii) hydroxyl radicals, generated from Fe-zeolite Y-catalyzed H2O2 decomposition, played a great role in EFO treatment, while anodic direct and indirect oxidation was insignificant; (iii) chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon (TOC) and acute toxicity of wastewater decreased by 40-50, 30-40 and 50-60%, respectively, and biodegradability increased after 1 h of EFO treatment. Due to the free-pH adjustment, EFO presents a potential engineering application for advanced treatment of CW.     

Organic matter release in low temperature thermal treatment of biological sludge for reduction of excess sludge production.

Thermal treatment applied in association with a biological system allows for a significant reduction in excess sludge production (approximately 50%). In general, heat treatment is described as a sludge disintegration technique. This paper offers a thorough study on the impact of heat treatment, at temperatures below 100 degrees C, on the solubilisation of the sludge COD and its biodegradability. Discontinuous heating experiments were performed on activated and digested sludge. At all temperatures tested the released COD for digested sludge was systematically higher than that for activated sludge (15 and 40%, respectively, at 95 degrees C for 40 min of contact time). For the first 30 min, a 1st order kinetic, with respect to the residual COD, was systematically found. In the range of 40-95 degrees C, digested sludge had a lower activation energy than activated sludge (26 kcal/mol compared to 70-160 kcal/mol). COD solubilisation is thus more positively influenced by temperature in the case of activated sludge. This may be due to the significant difference in the ratio of protein/carbohydrate in digested and activated sludge (1-5 and 0.2-0.7, respectively). The increase in the COD/TKN ratio in the solubilised fraction after thermal treatment of activated sludge suggests a preferential solubilisation of proteins over carbohydrates. Respirometric tests performed on the solubilised COD showed that whatever the sludge origin, only 40-50% of released COD is biodegradable at a conventional hydraulic retention time (i.e., 24 h). Hence, heat treatment would act more through organic matter solubilisation rather than by a biodegradability increase.     

Production of thermostable protease enzyme in wastewater sludge using thermophilic bacterial strains isolated from sludge.

The volume of sludge produced annually is very high and poses serious disposal problems. The traditional methods of sludge disposal produce secondary pollutants. Therefore, the alternate or suitable solution is reuse of sludge in an ecofriendly approach. Biotechnology is an interesting tool to add value to the processes involved in wastewater and wastewater sludge disposal/reuse. In this context, a study was carried out on thermophilic bacterial strains that produce thermostable proteases. The bacterial strains were first isolated from municipal wastewater sludge. In contrast to the conventional strains used in industries, like Bacillus sp., the new strains were Gram-Negative type. In semi-synthetic medium, a maximal protease activity of 5.25 IU/ml (International Unit per ml) was obtained at a pH of 8.2 and at a temperature of 60 degrees C, which is higher than the stability temperature of 37 degrees C for a similar protease obtained from the conventional producer Bacillus licheniformis. Moreover, growth and protease activity of the strains were tested in wastewater sludge. It is expected that the complexity of sludge could stimulate/enhance the protease production and their characteristics. In conclusion, reuse of wastewater sludge will help to reduce their quantity as well as the value-added products produced will replace chemical products used in industries.     

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) treatment of supernatant of cow manure by thermal pre-treatment.

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) methane fermentation treatment of cow manure that was subjected to screw pressing, thermal treatment and subsequent solid-liquid separation was studied. Conducting batch scale tests at temperatures between 140 and 180 degrees C, the optimal temperature for sludge settling and the color suppression was found to be between 160-170 degrees C. UASB treatment was carried out with a supernatant obtained from the thermal treatment at the optimal conditions (170 degrees C for 30 minutes) and polymer-dosed solid-liquid separation. In the UASB treatment with a COD(Cr) loading of 11.7 kg/m3/d and water temperature of 32.2 degrees C, the COD(Cr) level dropped from 16,360 mg/L in raw water to 3,940 mg/L in treated water (COD(Cr), removal rate of 75.9%), and the methane production rate per COD(Cr) was 0.187 Nm3/kg. Using wastewater thermal-treated at the optimal conditions, also a methane fermentation treatment with a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was conducted (COD(Cr) in raw water: 38,000 mg/L, hydraulic retention time (HRT): 20 days, 35 degrees C). At the COD(Cr) loading of 1.9 kg/m3/d, the methane production rate per COD(Cr), was 0.153 Nm3/kg. This result shows that UASB treatment using thermal pre-treatment provides a COD(Cr), loading of four times or more and a methane production rate of 1.3 times higher than the CSTR treatment.     

Zero-valent iron treatment of RDX-containing and perchlorate-containing wastewaters from an ammunition-manufacturing plant at elevated temperatures.

The use of zero-valent iron for treating wastewaters containing RDX and perchlorate from an army ammunition plant (AAP) in the USA at elevated temperatures and moderately elevated temperature with chemical addition was evaluated through batch and column experiments. RDX in the wastewater was completely removed in an iron column after 6.4 minutes. Increasing the temperature to 75 degrees C decreased the required retention time to 2.1 minutes for complete RDX removal. Perchlorate in the wastewater was completely removed by iron at an elevated temperature of 150 degrees C in batch reactors in 6 hours without pH control. Significant reduction of perchlorate by zero-valent iron was also achieved at a more moderate temperature (75 degrees C) through use of a 0.2 M acetate buffer. Based on the evaluation results, we propose two innovative processes for treating RDX-containing and perchlorate-containing wastewaters: a temperature and pressure-controlled batch iron reactor and subsequent oxidation by existing industrial wastewater treatment plant; and reduction by consecutive iron columns with heating and acid addition capabilities and subsequent oxidation.     

Photocatalytic oxidation of low concentration 2,4-D solution with new TiO2 fiber catalyst in a continuous flow reactor.

Environmental pollution by low concentrations of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a concern these days due to ever increasingly stringent regulations. Photocatalysis with immobilized TiO2 fiber is a promising oxidation method. Laboratory experiments on photocatalytic degradation of 0.045 mmol l(-1) 2,4-D with the world's first high-strength TiO2 fiber catalyst were carried out in a continuous flow reactor in which the degradations were, in general, similar to those with high 2,4-D concentrations investigated elsewhere. Degradation and mineralization of 2,4-D were significantly enhanced with no initial pH adjustments. The rate constants for total organic carbon (TOC) without pH adjustment were about two-fold bigger than the pH adjustment cases. CO2 gas measurement and carbon mass-balance were carried out for the first time, where about 34% organic carbon converted into CO2 gas during four-hour oxidation. 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), phenol, benzyl alcohol and two unknowns (RT = 2.65 and 3.78 min.) were detected as aromatic intermediates while Phenol was the new aromatic in HPLC analysis. Dechlorination efficiencies were high (> 70%) in all the cases, and more than 90% efficiencies were observed in chloride mass balance. Bigger flow rates and solution temperature fixed at 20 degrees C without pH adjustment greatly enhanced 2,4-D mineralization. These results can be an important basis in applying the treatment method for dioxin-contaminated water and wastewater.     

Determination of reaction rate constants for phenol oxidation using SnO2/Ti anodes coupled with activated carbon adsorption in the presence of TiO2 as catalyst

Series of experiments for phenol degradation with assistance of TiO2 catalyst at pH of 6.5 and temperature of 25 degrees C were conducted using a lab-scale electrochemical reactor constructed in our laboratory. According to the results, at the presence of the TiO2 catalyst the removal of phenol was increased and first-order kinetics could describe the evolution of phenol concentration. For inspecting the relationship between rate constants and dosage of TiO2, two possible kinetics were proposed in this study. Contrasted to the abundant experimental data, a reasonable kinetics was obtained for the estimation of phenol concentration effluent during continuous flow of raw wastewater, especially when the TiO2 dosage was less than 0.5g L(-1). The model obtained from these experiments could employed for the calculation of rate constants at different TiO2 dosage and the necessary dosage of catalyst when a discharge standard was designed.     

ANAMMOX工艺在生活污水深度处理中的应用研究

随着水环境质量的恶化,高能低耗的污水深度处理技术成为当前研究热点,尤其是对于低C/N比的城市生活污水脱氮技术的研究。试验以城市生活污水的二级出水为研究对象,采用ANAMMOX下向流生物滤池,当二级出水NH3-N=15-35mg/L,CODCr=25-45mg/L,TOC=9-12mg/L,水温=25-28℃时,ANAMMOX下向流生物滤池脱氨率达80%-100%,不仅适用于处理高氨废水,也可用于城市生活污水深度处理中。试验发现pH可以用来指示ANAMMOX反应的进行,同时也可以用来指示ANAMMOX反应进程的快慢。试验中还发现,厌氧氨氧化反应速率与NO2--N含量有关,原水中NO2--N含量的增多有利于ANAMMOX工艺处理效果。