A study of NH3-N and P refixation by struvite formation in hybrid anaerobic reactor.

This research is concerned with the removal of ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus in foodwaste by crystallization. Reductions have been achieved by struvite formation after the addition of magnesium ions (Mg2+). Magnesium ions used in this study were from magnesium salts of MgCl2. The results of our analysis using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed that the amount of struvite in precipitated sludge grew enough to be seen with the naked eye (600-700 microm). EDX analysis also showed that the main components of the struvite were magnesium and phosphorus. NH3-N removal efficiency using MgCl2 was 67% while PO4-P removal efficiency was 73%. It was confirmed that nitrogen and phosphorus could be stabilized and removal simultaneously through anaerobic digestion by Mg, NH3 and PO4-P, which were necessary for struvite formation.     

Biological nutrient removal in membrane bioreactors: denitrification and phosphorus removal kinetics.

The impact of including membranes for solid liquid separation on the kinetics of nitrogen and phosphorus removal was investigated. To achieve this, a membrane bioreactor (MBR) biological nutrient removal (BNR) activated sludge system was operated. From batch tests on mixed liquor drawn from the MBR BNR system, denitrification and phosphorus removal rates were delineated. Additionally the influence of the high total suspended solids concentrations present in the MBR BNR system and of the limitation of substrate concentrations on the kinetics was investigated. Moreover the ability of activated sludge in this kind of system to denitrify under anoxic conditions with simultaneous phosphate uptake was verified and quantified.The denitrification rates obtained for different mixed liquor (ML) concentrations indicate no effect of ML concentration on the specific denitrification rate. The denitrification took place at a single specific rate (K(2)) with respect to the ordinary heterotrophic organisms (OHOs, i.e. non-PAOs) active mass. Similarly, results have been obtained for the P removal process kinetics: no differences in specific rates were observed for different ML or substrate concentrations. From the P removal batch tests results it seems that the biological phosphorus removal population (PAO) consists of 2 different sets of organisms denitrifying PAO and aerobic PAO.     

Modeling ammonia removal in aerated facultative lagoons.

A mechanistic model has been developed to model ammonia removal in aerated facultative lagoons. Flow is modeled through the water column by a continuously stirred tank reactor and exchanges between the sludge layer and the water column are simulated by a solids separator. The biological model is based on an activated sludge model with reactions added for anaerobic bacterial growth and degradation of inert organic material. Results show that the model is able to predict seasonal variation in ammonia removal as well as sludge accumulation in the lagoons.     

The assessment of different operating strategies for minimising activated sludge deflocculation under temperature transient conditions.

Three operating strategies were tested for decreasing activated sludge deflocculation due to temperature shifts from 30 degrees to 45 degrees C: magnesium sludge enrichment, increased sludge retention time (33 d), and spikes of an easily degradable substrate (methanol). The temperature shifts were conducted sequentially in 4 parallel lab-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) treating kraft pulp mill effluent. Three SBRs operated at an SRT = 20 days, and in one of them the sludge was not manipulated, thus, serving as a reference SBR. The temperature shift was associated with decreased soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) removals, decreased sludge settleability and substrate removal capacity, and increased effluent suspended solids (ESS) and turbidity levels. The shift also increased the sludge specific respiration rates and reduced the sludge substrate removal capacity. Sludge deflocculation was assessed as floc solubilisation (increased effluent SCOD levels) and floc fragmentation (increase in effluent solids smaller than 50 microm). Mg enrichment of the sludge and methanol spikes reduced the ESS levels (in 9 and 25%), and the three operating strategies decreased effluent turbidity (in 22-35%) compared to the maximum levels from the non-manipulated reactor (44 mg ESS/L). The stronger sludge floc structure achieved by magnesium enrichment and a high sludge age of 33 days was unsuccessful in significantly decreasing deflocculation. The mechanisms involved in sludge deflocculation require further fundamental research.     

Comparison between ozone and ferrate in oxidising geosmin and 2-MIB in water.

Among the chemicals causing taste and odour (T&O) in drinking water, the most commonly identified and problematic ones are geosmin and 2-MIB (2-methylisoborneol). Since the reported odour thresholds of geosmin and 2-MIB are as low as 4 and 8.5 ng/L, respectively, they are not readily removed by conventional water treatment processes. In this study, ozone (O3) and ferrate (Fe(VI)) were applied to oxidise geosmin and 2-MIB. Their performances were compared in terms of removal efficiency of geosmin and 2-MIB. In the case of O3, removal efficiency of geosmin and 2-MIB ozonation at different initial O3 doses, H2O2/O3 ratios and water temperatures were evaluated. The oxidation rates of geosmin and 2-MIB by Fe(VI) were measured within pH 6-8. The effect of H2O2 addition was also evaluated. In summary, O3, especially with H2O2, could almost completely oxidise geosmin and 2-MIB, while Fe(VI) could not oxidise them more than 25% at any pH that was considered in this study. This was attributed to the structure of the organics and high reaction selectivity of Fe(VI). Further study should be conducted to find the reason of inhibition of oxidation by Fe(VI).     

生物接触氧化流化床处理氨氮污水的实验研究

为了提高生物接触氧化流化床处理氨氮污水的脱氮效果,采用生物接触氧化流化床在自然温度下处理人工配制模拟生活污水实验的方法,研究了氨氮污水脱氮处理的可行性、方法与效果。实验结果表明:氨氮被氧化成硝酸可由两类独立的细菌分别催化完成;反应的适宜温度为20~35℃;亚硝酸菌的最适pH值为7~8.5之间,硝酸菌为6~7.5;亚硝酸菌和硝酸菌溶解氧质量浓度在0.5 mg/L以上才能取得较好的硝化效果。反应器内填料粒径在10 mm左右有利于提高氨氮的去除效率;间歇式进水方式使活性污泥具有良好的沉降性,可为氨氮的去除提供良好的环境条件。     

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.     

Phosphorus removal from synthetic and municipal wastewater using spent alum sludge.

In the present study, phosphorus removal was studied using as coagulant spent alum sludge from a water treatment plant of EYDAP (Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company) and compared to alum (Al2(SO4)3.18H2O), iron chloride (FeCl3.7H2O), iron sulfate (Fe2(S04).10H2O) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) at a constant pH (equal to 6).The comparison was based on their efficiency to remove phosphorus in synthetic wastewater consisting of 10 mg/L P as potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 50 mg/L N as ammonium chloride, The experiments were carried out using a jar-test apparatus and the measurements were performed according to the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Pure alum, iron chloride and iron sulfate were much more efficient in phosphorus removal than the spent alum sludge but in the case of calcium hydroxide, phosphorus removal was very low in pH = 6. Specifically, orthophosphate were totally removed by alum using 15 mg/L as Al, by alum sludge using 75 mg/L as Al and by FeCl3.7H2O or Fe2(SO4).10H2O using 30 mg/L of Fe while in the case of calcium hydroxide P removal was actually zero. pH measurements showed that the uptake of phosphates is associated to the release of OH ions in the solution and that the end of P uptake is accompanied by the stabilization of pH. Finally this spent alum sludge was tested on municipal wastewater and proved to be effective as apart from phosphorus it was shown to remove turbidity and COD.     

Concentration of nutrients from urine and reject water from anaerobically digested sludge.

Experiments with concentration of nutrients from source separated urine and reject water from digestion of sludge in sewage treatment plants (STP) have been performed in laboratory and pilot scale. The methods tested were membrane filtration with reverse osmosis (RO), evaporation, and precipitation of phosphorus and distillation of ammonia. In membrane filtration, pre-filtration with particle separation at 5-10 microm was enough to avoid clogging of the membranes. Separation of phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) was almost 100%, while separation of nitrogen (N) was dependent on pH. The capacity of flux increased with temperature and pressure. In evaporation, all P, K and S were still in the concentrate, while pH had to be decreased to 4.5 to avoid significant loss of N. In precipitation and distillation, about 90% of P could be recovered from urine as magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) just by adding MgO. For the reject water pH was first increased by aeration to remove CO2. Ammonium can be distilled from the water phase after precipitation of MAP, without further increase of pH. At least 80-90% of N can be distilled in 5-10% of the total volume. The article also discusses the quality of different products, cost of separation, and energy and chemical demand.     

Bioassay for glycogen determination in biological phosphorus removal systems

Glycogen plays an important role in biological phosphorus removal from wastewaters. Existing measurement techniques often overestimate the glycogen content of the biomass due to the presence of glucose and/or other carbohydrates than glycogen in the cell material. As an alternative to conventional methods a bioassay for glycogen determination in biological phosphorus removal systems was developed. The bioassay is based on the strict stoichiometric coupling between anaerobic acetate uptake and glycogen consumption. In other words, the glycogen concentration of the sludge was determined indirectly by measuring the maximal total acetate uptake by the activated sludge in anaerobic batch tests. The bioassay was successfully tested for the determination of glycogen content of the sludge taken from the lab-scale, acetate-fed, anaerobic-aerobicsettling sequencing batch reactor operating at pH 7±0.1 and temperature of 20'C. This determination of glycogen requires that glycogen (not poly-P) is the limiting factor for anaerobic acetate uptake. A method to verify this assumption based on the effect of pH on phosphate/acetate ratio is proposed and used. The bioassay is easy to apply and gives a direct measure of the glycogen content of bio-P bacteria, but its reliability still needs to be verified at full-scale biological P-removal plants.     

The effect of oxidants on 2-MIB concentration with the presence of cyanobacteria.

In this study, the effect of three oxidants, sodium hypochlorite, potassium permanganate, and ozone, were tested for the removal of 2-MIB with presence of cyanobacteria. Algae in water samples from the source water of Feng-Shen waterworks (FSW), Taiwan were cultivated at 30 degrees C with continuous light at an intensity between 2,500 and 3,400 lux. During the cultivating process, water samples were analyzed for nutrients, light absorbance at 665 nm (A665), and 2-MIB concentration. The 2-MIB concentrations within the incubated samples increased to as high as 1,000 ng/L to 2,000 ng/L, although no extra nutrients were added to the raw water. After 2 to 3 days incubation, the intracellular 2-MIB concentration was as high as 70% of the total 2-MIB in the samples. The algae that developed were mainly cyanobateria, and more than 90% belonged to the Genus Oscillatorias. An almost 100% removal of both 2-MIB and geosmin in the raw water was observed after ozonation for 10 minutes at a dosing rate of 0.91 mg/l-min. Chlorine and permanganate were much less effective, both removing only about 11% of the 2-MIB within 60 minutes at oxidant concentration of 10 mg/l. Oxidation of the cultivated samples showed that chlorine and permanganate may damage algae cells causing them to release intracellular 2-MIB. During the 60 minutes of reaction time, the total 2-MIB concentrations (intracellular plus dissolved) varied by no more than 10%, however, the ratios between dissolved and total 2-MIB concentrations increased. Two effects of ozonation on the 2-MIB concentration in the cultivated samples were observed when the algae were young, namely 2-MIB release from damaged cells and 2-MIB oxidization. The rates of 2-MIB release and 2-MIB destruction were similar. However, old algae cells were more easily damaged. As a result, intracellular 2-MIB was released faster, and the soluble 2-MIB was destroyed more quickly by ozonation.     

Nitrogen removal from pharmaceutical manufacturing wastewater with high concentration of ammonia and free ammonia via partial nitrification and denitrification.

In this study, laboratory-scale experiments were conducted applying a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) activated sludge process to a wastewater stream from a pharmaceutical factory. Nitrogen removal can be achieved via partial nitrification and denitrification and the efficiency was above 99% at 23 degrees C+/-1. The experimental results indicated that the nitrite oxidizers were more sensitive than ammonia oxidizers to the free ammonia in the wastewater. The average accumulation rate of nitrite was much higher than that of nitrate. During nitrogen removal via the nitrite pathway, the end of nitrification and denitrification can be exactly decided by monitoring the variation of pH. Consequently, on-line control for nitrogen removal from the pharmaceutical manufacturing wastewater can be achieved and the cost of operation can be reduced.     

沉淀池生物污泥回流工艺生物强化作用的研究

利用生物预处理出水中携带的硝化细菌和异养细菌等微生物,在后续沉淀单元产生生物延伸效应,并通过采取沉淀池生物污泥回流强化措施,使沉淀池在去除浊度的同时,产生类似活性污泥法的作用,强化生物净化作用.在增加生物污泥回流前、后,沉淀池出水CODMn平均分别为4.16mg/L、2.72 mg/L,沉淀池出水相对生物预处理出水CODMn的平均去除率由4.65%提高至31.4%,去除效果显著提高.同时,增加生物污泥回流后,对浊度和氨氮的去除也得到进一步的改善.     

Start up of deammonification process in one single SBR system.

A process for autotrophic nitrogen removal named aerobic/anoxic deammonification wherein NH4+ is oxidized by nearly 50% to NO2- and subsequently the ammonia is converted together with the nitrite to molecular nitrogen (N2 gas), has come to full-scale application within the last few years. In this research, sludge from a biological rotation disk located at a landfill leachate plant at Mechernich, Germany, which is capable of performing the deammonification process, was used as seed sludge for acclimating deammonification activities in laboratory scale batch-reactors. In parallel, the same tests were performed with normal activated sludge. Research results indicated that deammonification activities could be obtained from the seeded reactor and also, with limited performance, from normal activated sludge in a single SBR system after several months acclimation. It was also seen that oxygen is an important factor that influences the deammonification from both the acclimatization process and process running. Further results were approved that report an impact of nitrite as a process intermediate on the closely related process of anaerobic ammonia oxidation ("Anammox"). However, limiting concentrations on a bacteria population performing deammonification were found to be different to those reported for a pure Anammox-culture. Also the influence of another intermediate, hydrazine, was tested for speeding up the acclimating process by inducing the deammonification activities and recovering the activities of deammonification from nitrite inhibition.     

Biological treatment of sludge digester liquids.

Nitrogen removal in side stream processes offers a good potential for upgrading wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that need to meet stricter effluent standards. Removing nutrients from these internal process flows significantly reduces the N-load to the main treatment plant. These internal flows mainly result from the sludge processing and have a high temperature and a high concentration of ammonia. Therefore, the required reactor volumes as well as the required aerobic SRT are small. Generally, biological treatment processes are more economical and preferred over physical-chemical processes. Recently, several biological treatment processes have been introduced for sludge water treatment. These processes are available now on the activated sludge market (e.g. SHARON, ANAMMOX and BABE processes). The technologies differ in concept and in the limitations guiding the application of these processes for upgrading WWTPs. This paper reviews and compares different biological alternatives for nitrogen removal in side streams. The limitations for selecting a technology from the available ones in the activated sludge market are noted and analysed. It is stressed that the choice for a certain process is based on more aspects than pure process engineering arguments.     

Removal of humic acid foulant from ultrafiltration membrane surface using photocatalytic oxidation process.

The experimental results indicated that without the TiO2 particles and PCO treatment, the permeate flux of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane declined to 40% of the initial permeate flux after 8 hours filtration. Feeding the humic acid solution with TiO2 particles dosage of 1 g/L with calcium ions into UF membrane, after the same filtration time and PCO reaction at 120 minutes, the permeate flux was increased to about 90% of the initial permeate flux. At longer PCO reaction times, a better water quality of UF permeate was observed. It has been found that with the coexistence of calcium ions in humic acid solution, the smaller molecular fragments of humic acid (HA) generated by PCO reaction may be transferred to the surface of TiO2 by means of adsorption. The humic acid adsorption by TiO2 in the presence of Ca2+ is also pH dependent. The adsorption rates were 21.0, 14.9 and 10.8 ppmTOC/gTiO2 for pH value of 4, 7 and 10 respectively. The combination of effects of PCO mineralization of humic acid into CO2 and adsorption of humic acid by TiO2 through the forming of HA-Ca(2+)-TiO2 aggregate particles were responsible for the removal of humic acid foulant from UF membrane surface.     

Removal efficiency of 66 pharmaceuticals during wastewater treatment process in Japan.

Both biological treatment processes including conventional activated sludge (CAS) and biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes, and physico-chemical treatment processes including ozonation process and Title 22 process consisting of coagulation, sedimentation and filtration followed by UV or chlorination disinfection after the above biological processes, were compared from the viewpoint of removal efficiency. 66 pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, analgesics, psychoneurotic agents were measured with SPE-LC/MS/MS. 26 compounds out of 66 were detected in the influent ranging ng/L to microg/L order. Particularly, disopyramide, sulpiride, and dipyridamole that have been rarely detected before in the WWTP, occurred at concentration levels of more than 100 ng/L. The total concentration of the individual pharmaceuticals in the influent was efficiently removed by 80% during the biological treatment. But removal efficiencies of carbamazepine and crotamiton were less than 30%. The total concentration of the individual pharmaceuticals in the effluent from CAS process was 1.5 times higher than that from BNR process. Further, the total concentration of the individual pharmaceuticals in the discharge from WWTPs applying ozonation following activated sludge process was reduced to less than 20%. Physico-chemical treatment train called Title 22 treatment after CAS could not efficiently remove the pharmaceuticals. However, ozonation process followed by biological activated carbon process could efficiently reduce all the residual pharmaceuticals below their quantification limits.     

生物颗粒活性炭处理苯酚废水

研究了生物颗粒活性炭(BGAC)处理合成苯酚废水的效果和机理。结果表明,BGAC能够高效处理苯酚废水,处理效果优于活性污泥法和颗粒活性炭(GAC)吸附。BGAC、活性污泥和GAC分别对75 mg/L的苯酚废水连续处理,平均去除率分别为98%、60%和90%。通过苯酚出水pH值和反应器中溶解氧的变化情况分析,BGAC对苯酚废水的处理主要借助于活性炭的吸附和微生物降解的交替作用。     

Boosting nitrification by membrane-attached biofilm.

Nitrification is a key step for reliable biological nitrogen removal. In order to enhance nitrification in the activated sludge (AS) process, membrane-attached biofilm (MAB) was incorporated in a conventional activated sludge tank. Simultaneous organic carbon removal and nitrification of the MAB incorporated activated sludge (AS + MAB) process was investigated with continuous wastewater treatment. The effluent TOC concentration of AS and the AS + MAB processes were about 6.3 mg/L and 7.9 mg/L, respectively. The TOC removal efficiency of both AS and AS + MAB were above 95% during the wastewater treatment, indicating excellent organic carbon removal performance in both processes. Little nitrification occurred in the AS process. On the contrary, successful nitrification was obtained with the AS + MAB process with nitrification efficiency of about 90%. The volumetric and surface nitrification rates were about 0.14 g/Ld and 6.5 g/m2d, respectively. The results clearly demonstrated that nitrification in the conventional AS process was boosted by MAB. Furthermore, the microfaunal population in the AS + MAB process was different from that in the AS process. The high concentration of rotifers in the AS + MAB process was expected to decrease the generation of excess sludge in the process.     

Fenton高级氧化技术去除水中有机污染物2-MIB的影响因素研究

针对目前比较关注的致嗅物质污染问题,选用Fenton高级氧化技术研究了其对水中致嗅物质2-甲基异莰醇（2-MIB）的去除,探讨了Fenton反应对水中致嗅物质的去除效能及H2O2/Fenton摩尔比、Fe2＋浓度、反应时间和溶液pH值各因素对氧化反应的影响。提出了Fenton氧化反应去除2-MIB的最佳反应条件。实验结果表明：Fenton高级氧化能有效去除水中的2-MIB。在H2O2/Fenton摩尔比为3.0、Fe2＋浓度10 mg/L、反应时间10 min和溶液pH值为3.0时,去除效率达到97.9%。Fenton氧化反应的操作条件（浓度、pH值等）比较容易实现,因此Fenton氧化技术在实际污染处理中有很大的应用前景。