Anoxic sulfide oxidation in wastewater of sewer networks.

Investigations on anoxic sulfide oxidation in wastewater under sewer conditions are presented. Batch tests were designed and conducted to study both chemical and biological sulfide oxidation by nitrate in the water phase. Oxidation at pH 7.0 and 8.5 was performed in parallel and wastewater with anaerobic storage period of 0, 3, 4, 6 days was used. Initial sulfide concentrations at a level of 0-4.1 g S m(-3) were applied by either addition or sulfate reduction. Results showed that wastewater in sewers was capable of biological, but not chemical, sulfide oxidation under anoxic conditions. Elemental sulfur was the end-product during the experiment. Nitrite accumulates in wastewater as an intermediate. The anoxic oxidation rates for fresh wastewater was 0.48 g S m(-3) h(-1) at pH 7.0 and 0.62 g S m(-3) h(-1) at pH 8.5, which accounted for less than 30% of the potential aerobic oxidation rates. A long-term anaerobic adaptation of the wastewater was found to inhibit the oxidation process.     

Simulation of sulfide buildup in wastewater and atmosphere of sewer networks.

A model concept for prediction of sulfide buildup in sewer networks is presented. The model concept is an extension to--and a further development of--the WATS model (Wastewater Aerobic-anaerobic Transformations in Sewers), which has been developed by Hvitved-Jacobsen and co-workers at Aalborg University. In addition to the sulfur cycle, the WATS model simulates changes in dissolved oxygen and carbon fractions of different biodegradability. The sulfur cycle was introduced via six processes: 1. sulfide production taking place in the biofilm covering the permanently wetted sewer walls; 2. biological sulfide oxidation in the permanently wetted biofilm; 3. chemical and biological sulfide oxidation in the water phase; 4. sulfide precipitation with metals present in the wastewater; 5. emission of hydrogen sulfide to the sewer atmosphere and 6. adsorption and oxidation of hydrogen sulfide on the moist sewer walls where concrete corrosion may take place.     

A data-driven model for maximization of methane production in a wastewater treatment plant

A data-driven approach for maximization of methane production in a wastewater treatment plant is presented. Industrial data collected on a daily basis was used to build the model. Temperature, total solids, volatile solids, detention time and pH value were selected as parameters for the model construction. First, a prediction model of methane production was built by a multi-layer perceptron neural network. Then a particle swarm optimization algorithm was used to maximize methane production based on the model developed in this research. The model resulted in a 5.5% increase in methane production.     

Increased biogas production in a wastewater treatment plant by anaerobic co-digestion of fruit and vegetable waste and sewer sludge - a full scale study

Anaerobic digestion is a well established technology for the reduction of organic matter and stabilization of wastewater. Biogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, is produced as a useful by-product of the process. Current solid waste management at the city of Prince George is focused on disposal of waste and not on energy recovery. Co-digestion of fresh fruit and vegetable waste with sewer sludge can improve biogas yield by increasing the load of biodegradable material. A six week full-scale project co-digesting almost 15,000 kg of supermarket waste was completed. Average daily biogas production was found to be significantly higher than in previous years. Digester operation remained stable over the course of the study as indicated by the consistently low volatile acids-to-alkalinity ratio. Undigested organic material was visible in centrifuged sludge suggesting that the waste should have been added to the primary digester to prevent short circuiting and to increase the hydraulic retention time of the freshly added waste.     

Size fractionation of COD in urban wastewater from a combined sewer system.

The objective of this work was to determine the partitioning of the pollutant load in urban wastewater in order to improve the conventional sewage treatment. In addition to settling tests, physical fractionation of COD in the degritted influent of Roma-Nord sewage treatment plant was performed via sequential filtration through sieves and membrane filters of the following pore size: 150-100-50-25-1-0.2 microm, and 100 kD (about 0.02 microm). Biodegradability studies were also performed on the different size fractions. Size fractionation showed that COD in Roma-Nord sewage is predominantly associated with settleable and supracolloidal (> 1 microm) particles, each size range including about 40% of total COD. Biodegradability tests indicated that the large fraction of COD associated with supracolloidal particles, which are not removed in the primary treatment, is characterised by slow degradability. This suggests that removal of these particles prior to biological treatment may greatly improve the overall treatment scheme. Preliminary pilot plant coagulation tests with lime at pH 9 showed that lime-enhanced primary treatment may increase COD removal efficiencies from typical 30-35% up to 65-70%, by inducing almost complete removal of the COD fraction associated with supracolloidal particles.     

Hydrogen sulfide emission in sewer networks: a two-phase modeling approach to the sulfur cycle.

Wherever transport of anaerobic wastewater occurs, potential problems associated with hydrogen sulfide in relation to odor nuisance, health risk and corrosion exist. Improved understanding of prediction of hydrogen sulfide emission into the sewer atmosphere is needed for better evaluation of such problems in sewer networks. A two-phase model for emission of hydrogen sulfide along stretches of gravity sewers is presented to estimate the occurrence of both sulfide in the water phase and hydrogen sulfide in the sewer atmosphere. The model takes into account air-water mass transfer of hydrogen sulfide and interactions with other processes in the sulfur cycle. Various emission scenarios are simulated to illustrate the release characteristics of hydrogen sulfide.     

低地坪高潮位地区的雨水管道淹没出流计算

根据水力学理论,阐述了重力流雨水管道淹没出流的水力计算方法,并结合工程实例,介绍了低地坪高潮位地区雨水管道淹没出流的简化计算方法。提出低地坪高潮位地区的重力流雨水管道应优先采用小坡降、低流速、大管径系统,以尽可能降低水位壅高对管道的不利影响。     

Monitoring of carbamazepine concentrations in wastewater and groundwater to quantify sewer leakage.

Monitoring of carbamazepine concentrations in wastewater and groundwater enables us to identify and quantify sewer exfiltration. The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine is hardly removed in wastewater treatment plants and not or just slightly attenuated during bank infiltration and subsoil flow. Concentrations in wastewater are generally 1000 times higher than the limit of quantification. In contrast to . many other wastewater tracers carbamazepine is discharged to the environment only via domestic wastewater. The results from this study carried out in Linz, Austria indicate an average exfiltration rate of 1%, expressed as percentage of the dry weather flow that is lost to the groundwater on the city-wide scale. This rate is lower than sewage losses reported in most other studies which attempted to quantify exfiltration on the basis of groundwater pollution. However, it was also possible to identify one area with significantly higher sewage losses. This method seems to be very suitable for the verification of leakage models used to assess sewer exfiltration on a regional scale.     

重庆地区合流制排水区域污水主干管截流倍数的选择

合流制排水系统截流倍数的选择是关系到工程投资的关键参数。以重庆市主城区和涪陵区排水系统为例,采用污水量折算成基准降雨强度的简要方法,分析系统截流倍数的变化对污染物溢流的影响规律,从而确定合理的截流倍数。介绍了详细的计算方法以及截流倍数选择时应注意的问题。     

污水处理厂甲醇加药间设计探讨

目前,南方大多城市污水处理厂普遍存在进水氮磷浓度高,缺乏碳源的特点。需要通过投加甲醇等外加碳源来提高常规脱氮工艺的反硝化水平。通过工程实例,介绍污水处理厂中甲醇加药间的设计要点和注意事项,为今后完善甲醇加药间的设计方法提供借鉴。     

Impact of dimension uncertainty and model calibration on sewer system assessment.

Assessments of sewer performance are usually based on a single computation of CSO (combined sewer overflow) volumes using a time series of rainfall as system loads. A shortcoming of this method is that uncertainties in knowledge of sewer system dimensions are not taken into account. Moreover, sewer models are rarely calibrated. This paper presents the impacts of database errors and model calibration on return periods of calculated CSO volumes. The impact of uncertainties is illustrated with two examples. Variability of calculated CSO volumes is estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that calculated CSO volumes vary considerably due to database errors, especially uncertain dimensions of the catchment area. Furthermore, event-based calibration of a sewer model does not result in more reliable predictions because the calibrated parameters have low portability. However, it enables removal of database errors harmonising model predictions and 'reality'.     

A PCR-DGGE approach to evaluate the impact of wastewater source on the antibiotic resistance diversity in treated wastewater effluent

Increased incidence of antibiotics in human-affected environments is raising concerns about increase in acquired antibiotic resistance by environmental bacteria. Wastewater collection and treatment systems are likely significant anthropogenic sinks and vectors for antibiotics and associated antibiotic resistance. Typical municipal treatment plants collect wastewaters of various sources, including well-established antibiotic resistance reservoirs such as hospitals, intensive care units and nursing homes, and integrate them with sources not commonly identified as major sources of antibiotic resistance, such as residential or industrial sources. A comprehensive PCR-DGGE diversity analysis of wastewater antibiotic-resistant bacteria was performed to evaluate the role of various wastewater sources in the discharge of antibiotic resistance by a municipal treatment plant. Wastewater sources are clearly inducing resistance in the final effluent but the role of each source type is highly variable, likely as a function of variable environmental conditions or water use patterns. Comparisons between primary treatment and secondary treatment stages indicate a strong role of the intensity of the wastewater treatment in the diversity profiles of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. While pervasiveness of antibiotic resistance in the system impedes clear discrimination between sources in the tested system, there are indications of specific source type related impacts.     

城镇污水处理厂项目环境影响评价重点的研究

城镇污水处理厂作为一项环境保护工程,在发挥环境效益的同时,运行过程中排放的尾水、产生的恶臭和污泥等污染物对环境将产生不利影响。在进行污水处理厂项目环境影响评价时,应识别评价重点,目的是使环境影响预测和评价具有针对性,以发挥更大的环境效益。根据污水处理厂的工程特性,结合江门市江海污水处理厂工程环境影响评价的实践经验,提出污水处理厂环境影响评价应重点关注厂址环境合理性分析、污水处理工艺比选、尾水排放对水环境影响、恶臭对大气环境影响、污泥处置对环境影响等问题。     

Periphyton contribution to nitrogen dynamics in the discharge from a wastewater treatment plant

To evaluate the importance of periphyton to nitrogen dynamics in the discharge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), we examined changes in total and inorganic nitrogen content downstream from a WWTP on the Kurose River in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. At 0.7 km downstream of the WWTP (point A), NH₄⁺?N was the dominant form of inorganic nitrogen, but concentrations decreased rapidly to 5 km downstream (point B). In contrast, no significant change in the [NO₂^?+ + NO₃^?]?N concentration was observed between the two points. Total nitrogen (TN) load decreased significantly between the two points, suggesting that sorption and/or denitrification occurred in the river channel. Potential rates of nitrogen sorption and transformation by periphyton were determined in a loboratory experiment in which changes in the nitrogen content of river water were examined in an acrylic chamber with periphyton. Nitrification and nitrogen removal occurred mainly in the periphyton. The contributions of periphyton activity to TN and NH₄⁺?N decrease in the field, as estimated from the results of the laboratory experiments, were 6–18% and 23–72%, respectively. These results suggest that periphyton plays an important role in decreasing NH₄⁺?N concentration in the discharge from wastewater treatment plants.     

对我国污水处理污染物排放标准的思考

"十五"其间,针对国民经济、社会发展和国家安全的需求,国家实施"人才、专利和技术标准"三大战略."十一五"期间,科技部将"关键技术标准推进工程"列为"十一五"国家科技支撑计划重大项目,其中包括"环境污染物排放关键技术标准研制".国家对技术标准如此重视,足以看出我国技术标准远落后于社会发展的需求,污水处理排放标准也同样存在很多问题,亟待修改完善.     

Integrated modelling of sewer system and wastewater treatment plant for investigating the impacts of chemical dosing in sewers

Chemicals are often dosed to control the production and accumulation of hydrogen sulfide in sewers. The biological and/or chemical actions of these chemicals have profound impacts on the composition of wastewater entering a WWTP, thereby affecting its performance. In this paper, an integrated modelling methodology for simultaneously investigating the effects of dosing of chemicals in sewer network and N and P removal at the downstream WWTP is reported. The sewer system is modelled using a sewer model (SeweX), and the WWTP is modelled using ASM2d model with some modifications. The importance of integrated modelling in sewer management is also demonstrated.     

Upgrading wastewater treatment plants by the use of biofilm carriers,oxygen addition and pre-treatment in the sewer network

In upgrading of treatment plants for enhanced nitrification there are three strategies (1) the existing process may be optimised with respect to the biological activity, (2) the biological activity may be increased by changing to a process with a higher capacity, and (3) a combination of 1 and 2. The potential of the first strategy in a KMT moving bed biofilm process (the kaldnes process) is presented in this paper. The nitrification capacity was enhanced by using pure oxygen resulting in an increased oxygen concentration, and the specific biomass activity was increased by removing organic matter and sulphide in the sewer network by addition of nitrate to the wastewater. The results show that the nitrification capacity may be increased by 30–40% by pre-treatment of wastewater in the sewer network and increased by 40–50% by using an increased oxygen concentration in the first step of the nitrification reactor. Oxygen concentrations below 12 mg O₂/l and/or the amount of biomass were found to be the limiting factors at ammonium concentrations above 5–7 mg NH₄-N/l.     

Predicting fate of the contraceptive pill in wastewater treatment and discharge.

The risk of endocrine disrupters to humans and wildlife is to date poorly understood, although evidence of effects is now widespread. In understanding the risk, an important step is the determination of the partitioning, as well as chemical and biochemical transformation, of compounds in the environment, the water cycle and the food chain. This is a complex task and this paper is a first step towards estimating some of these factors from a largely theoretical approach. A chemical fate model is used to predict the fate of the contraceptive drug 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2). The example of the contraceptive pill is chosen to follow the journey of the drug from human ingestion and excretion to treatment in a sewage treatment plant (STP) using fugacity-based fate models, followed by discharge into a receiving river and eventually into the estuary/sea. The model predicts how EE2 will partition into the different compartments during each stage of this journey and thereby infiltrate into the food chain. The results suggest that a person would have to ingest more than 30,000 portions of fish to consume an equivalent to a single average dose of the contraceptive pill. While this scenario is highly unlikely, the biochemical consequence of the contraceptive pill is greatly significant. Furthermore, there are many identified similarly estrogenic compounds in the environment while this study only considers one. Cumulative effects of such compounds as well as degradation into other potent compounds may be anticipated. An important message in this paper is the interrelation of wastewater effluent discharge and eventual human exposure of marginally degradable and lipophilic chemicals. While at present the main concerns regarding endocrine disrupters appear to be the fear of their occurrence in drinking water sources, it is clear that the domains of wastewater treatment and discharge, water supply and contamination of food should not be treated as separate issues. The model suggests that exposure from food (contaminated by effluent) may be much more significant than from drinking water.     

Long term monitoring of sewer sediment accumulation and flushing experiments in a man-entry sewer.

This paper presents continuous field experiments carried out during 4 years in a man-entry egg-shaped combined sewer in Lyon, France in order to contribute to the knowledge and the modelling of sediment accumulation and sediment removal by means of a Hydrass flushing gate. The 250 microm sediments are mainly mineral, and their physical and chemical characteristics appear as rather stable in time and space. Long-term sediment monitoring reveals: (i) a regular asymptotic increase of both the sediment mass and the slope of its longitudinal profile, (ii) a clear correlation between local sediment profile irregularities and sewer ancillaries but without significant influence on the global and long term accumulation. Simple sediment accumulation modelling shows: (i) a good suitability of a three parameters conceptual model to reproduce asymptotic sediment volume accumulation, and (ii) a good suitability of the Velikanov model to reproduce sediment profiles. Both models reproduce observations with an acceptable margin of uncertainty for operational management purposes but are very sensitive to input data and parameter values. The Hydrass flushing gate is efficient and it appeared that the mass of sediments moves downstream linearly with the number of flushes.