Improvement of the settling properties of Anammox sludge in an SBR

Biological systems for the treatment of wastewater have to provide optimum sludge retention to achieve high removal efficiencies. In the case of slow‐growing micro‐organisms, such as anaerobic ammonia‐oxidizing (Anammox) bacteria, episodes of flotation involving biomass wash‐out are especially critical. In this study a strategy based on the introduction of a mix period in the operational cycle of the Anammox Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) was tested for its effects on biomass retention and nitrite removal. Using this new cycle distribution the biomass retention inside the reactor improved as the solids concentration in the effluent of the SBR decreased from 20–45 to 5–10 mg VSS dm^?3 and the biomass concentration inside the reactor increased from 1.30 to 2.53 g VSS dm^?3 in a period of 25 days. A decrease of the sludge volume index (SVI) from 108 to 60 cm³ g VSS^?1 was also observed. Complete depletion of nitrite was achieved in the reactor only with the new cycle distribution treating nitrogen loading rates (g N‐NO₂^? + g N‐NH₄⁺ dm^?3 d^?1) up to 0.60 g N dm^?3 d^?1. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Determination of potential methane production capacity of a granular sludge from a pilot‐scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor using a specific methanogenic activity test

A 450 dm³ pilot‐scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was used for the treatment of a fermentation‐based pharmaceutical wastewater. The UASB reactor performed well up to an organic loading rate (OLR) of 10.7 kg COD m^?3 d^?1 at which point 94% COD removal efficiency was achieved. This high treatment efficiency did not continue, however and the UASB reactor was then operated at lower OLRs for the remainder of the study. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) tests were, therefore, carried out to determine the potential loading capacity of the UASB reactor. For this purpose, the SMA tests were carried out at four different initial acetate concentrations, namely 500 mg dm^?3, 1000 mg dm^?3, 1500 mg dm^?3 and 2000 mg dm^?3 so that substrate limitation could not occur. The results showed that the sludge sample taken from the UASB reactor (OLR of 6.1 kg COD m^?3 d^?1) had a potential acetoclastic methane production (PMP) rate of 72 cm³ CH₄ g^?1 VSS d^?1. When the PMP rate was compared with the actual methane production rate (AMP) of 67 cm³ CH₄ g^?1 VSS d^?1 obtained from the UASB reactor, the AMP/PMP ratio was found to be 0.94 which ensured that the UASB reactor was operated using its maximum potential acetoclastic methanogenic capacity. In order to achieve higher OLRs with desired COD removal efficiencies it was recommended that the UASB reactor should be loaded with suitable OLRs pre‐determined by SMA tests. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Performance assessment of a UASB–anoxic–oxic system for the treatment of tomato‐processing wastes

An upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)–anoxic–oxic system was used to achieve biochemical oxygen demand, NH₄ and total suspended solids (TSS) criteria of 15, 1 and 15 mg dm^?3 at 1.17 days of system hydraulic retention time during treatment of tomato‐processing waste. The incorporation of an anoxic tank was found to affect the improvement in sludge‐settling characteristics, as reflected by about 25–33% reduction in the sludge volume index, along with final effluent TSS and soluble biochemical oxygen demand concentrations of 13 and 9 mg dm^?3, respectively, which met the discharge criteria. Despite incomplete denitrification, sludge settleability was very good (sludge volume index < 60 cm³ g^?1) owing to reduction in volatile suspended solids/TSS ratio from 0.75 to 0.6 as a result of higher alkalinity in the UASB effluent. Also in this study, phosphorus release was observed in the anoxic tank, predominantly due to abundance of acetic acid in the UASB effluent. A phosphate release of 5.4 mg P dm^?3 was observed in the anoxic tank with subsequent P uptake in the following aerobic stage. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Granulation of a mixture of suspended anaerobic and aerobic cultures under alternating anaerobic/microaerobic/aerobic conditions: a preliminary study

This paper focuses on a new granulation study area where a mixture of suspended anaerobic and aerobic cultures was used as seed. Mixed suspended anaerobic and aerobic cultures exposed to alternating anaerobic/microaerobic/aerobic conditions developed granulates up to 2.5 mm in size. The granules developed displayed both oxygen uptake (3.83–8.75 mg dissolved oxygen g^?1 volatile suspended solids h^?1) and methanogenic activities (7.5 cm³ CH₄ d^?1) comparable to those of aerobic and anaerobic control cultures, respectively. Oxygen doses of 60, 100 and 120% of the total chemical oxygen demand added (23, 38 and 45 cm³) and ethanol (among ethanol, glucose, acetic acid, and glucose + acetic acid) resulted in the largest and the most stable granules. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Enrichment of Anammox biomass from municipal activated sludge: experimental and modelling results

Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidising (Anammox) biomass was enriched from sludge collected at a municipal wastewater treatment plant, employing a Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR). After 60 days Anammox activity started to be detected, by consumption of stoichiometric amounts of NO₂^? and NH₄⁺ in the system. Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation analysis confirmed the increase of Anammox bacteria concentration with time. A final concentration of enriched biomass of 3–3.5 gVSS dm^?3 was obtained, showing a Specific Anammox Activity of 0.18 gNH₄⁺‐N gVSS^?1 d^?1 The reactor was able to treat nitrogen loading rates of up to 1.4 kgN m^?3 d^?1, achieving a removal efficiency of 82 %. On the other hand, the start‐up and operation of the Anammox SBR reactor were consequentially modelled with the Activated Sludge Model nr 1, extended for Anammox. The simulations predicted quite well the experimental data in relation to the concentrations of nitrogenous compounds and can be used to estimate the evolution of Anammox and heterotrophic biomass in the reactor. These simulations reveal that heterotrophs still remain in the system after the start‐up of the reactor and can protect the Anammox microorganisms from a negative effect of the oxygen. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Study of saline wastewater influence on activated sludge flocs through automated image analysis

BACKGROUND: In activated sludge systems, sludge settling ability is considered a critical step in effluent quality and determinant of solid–liquid separation processes. However, few studies have reported the influence of saline wastewater on activated sludge. This work aims the evaluation of settling ability properties of microbial aggregates in a sequencing batch reactor treating saline wastewaters of up to 60 g L^?1 NaCl, by image analysis procedures. RESULTS: It was found that the sludge volume index (SVI) decreased with salt content up to 20 g L^?1, remaining somewhat stable above this value. Furthermore, it was found that between the first salt concentration (5 g L^?1) and 20 g L^?1 aggregates suffered a strong deflocculation phenomenon, leading to a heavy loss of aggregated biomass. Regarding SVI prediction ability, a good correlation coefficient of 0.991 between observed and predicted SVI values was attained. CONCLUSION: From this work the deflocculation of aggregated biomass with salt addition due to pinpoint floc formation, dispersed bacteria growth and protozoa absence could be established. With respect to SVI estimation, and despite the good correlation obtained, caution is advisable given the low number of SVI data points. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

The use of 3,3′,4′,5‐tetrachlorosalicylanilide as a chemical uncoupler to reduce activated sludge yield

To determine whether chemical additions can be used to reduce sludge production in biological wastewater treatment, 3,3′,4′,5‐tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCS) was added to activated sludge cultures as a metabolic uncoupler. Batch tests confirmed that TCS is an effective chemical uncoupler in reducing the sludge yield at concentrations greater than 1.0 mg dm^?3; a TCS concentration of 1.0 mg dm^?3 reduced sludge yield by approximately 50%. Substrate removal capability and effluent nitrogen concentration were not affected adversely by the presence of TCS when dosed every other day in a range of 2.0–3.6 mg dm^?3 during the 40‐day operation of activated sludge batch cultures. Such sludge growth reduction was associated with the enhancement of microbial activities in terms of the specific oxygen uptake rate and dehydrogenase activity. Sludge settleability of the treated and control samples was qualitatively comparable and not significantly different. Filamentous bacteria continued to grow in sludge flocs only in the control reactor at the end of the 40‐day trial. These results suggest that TCS treatment of activated sludge systems may reduce excess sludge yield. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of Ferric Chloride on the Properties of Biological Sludge in Co-precipitation Phosphorus Removal Process

This paper studied the effect of ferric chloride on waste sludge digestion, dewatering and sedimentation under the optimized doses in co-precipitation phosphorus removal process. The experimental results showed that the concentration of mixed liquid suspended solid (MLSS) was 2436 mg稬^-1 and 2385 mg稬^-1 in co-precipitation phosphorus removal process (CPR) and biological phosphorous removal process (BPR), respectively. The sludge reduction ratio for each process was 22.6% and 24.6% in aerobic digestion, and 27.6% and 29.9% in anaerobic digestion, respectively. Due to the addition of chemical to the end of aeration tank, the sludge content of CPR was slightly higher than that of BPR, but the sludge reduction rate for both processes had no distinct difference. The sludge volume index (SVI) and sludge specific resistance of BPR were 126 ml穏^-1 and 11.7?10¹² m穔g^-1, respectively, while those of CPR were only 98 ml穏^-1 and 7.1?10¹² m穔g^-1, indicating that CPR chemical could improve sludge settling and dewatering.     

Trivalent chromium removal by electrocoagulation and characterization of the process sludge

Removal of chromium compounds from wastewater is a known pollution control challenge for environmental engineers. In this present work Cr³⁺ was removed from wastewater by electrocoagulation (EC) using Al electrodes in a batch cell. Results indicate that EC with an Al electrode can reduce Cr³⁺ concentration below 2.0 mg L^?1, its discharge limit. At higher stirrer speed, Cr³⁺ removal increases owing to enhanced contact with the Al³⁺ species. Cell current density controls the rate of Al dissolution and solution pH that affects the Cr³⁺ removal significantly. pH elevation during EC is due to accumulation of OH^? ions forming a supersaturated solution of Al³⁺ species. Supersaturation with respect to Al(OH)₃(s) is attributed to incomplete precipitation of aluminum hydroxide in the dynamic (transient) state and subsequent precipitation when cell current is stopped. Sludge produced in the process can be classified as non‐hazardous according to the European Waste Catalogue. Disposal cost of this dried sludge is estimated to be $ 0.144 (INR 7.20) per m³ of tannery effluent treating an initial solution of 1000 mg L^?1 Cr³⁺ to about 2.0 mg L^?1 Cr³⁺. Batch gravity settling characteristics of the electrocoagulated metal hydroxide sludge (EMHS) at different initial sludge loadings (as generated at different current density) is also investigated. Batch sedimentation flux is reported from experimental settling velocity and concentration of sludge. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Pilot plant biosorption in an integrated contact–settling system: application to Cu(II) removal by anaerobically digested sludge

Surplus biological sludge can be used as a low‐cost adsorbent in the removal of heavy metal from wastewater. A three‐zone contact–settling pilot plant was designed and operated to maintain continuous sludge–metal solution contact and subsequent separation of solid–liquid phases, all in the same vessel. Mild agitation was used to ensure good contact between Cu(II) and sludge without impairing solid–liquid separation. Heavy metal removal efficiency was largely unaffected by an increase in the Cu/sludge feed ratio as long as metal binding sites in the sludge remained unsaturated. Maximum metal uptake (75 mg Cu(II) g^?1 of total solids in the sludge) was found for Cu/sludge feed ratios ≥ 90 mg Cu(II) g^?1 of total solids. Pilot plant metal sorption uptake at different operational conditions correlated well with the calculated values from batch equilibrium adsorption isotherms. The amount of Cu(II) adsorbed on sludge influenced the degree of clarification due to the flocculating effect of Cu(II). Under operational conditions, a high degree of heavy metal removal and efficient clarification were achieved. Pilot plant operation at a Cu/sludge feed ratio around 90 mg Cu(II) g^?1 of total solids allowed efficient use of the biosorbent and high heavy metal removal efficiency in addition to a good quality metal‐free effluent in terms of low total suspended solids content. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of coagulant‐flocculant reagents on aerobic granular biomass

BACKGROUND: Technologies based on aerobic granular biomass are presented as a new alternative application to wastewater treatment due to its advantages in comparison with the conventional activated sludge processes. However, the properties of the aerobic granules can be influenced by the presence of residual amounts of coagulant‐flocculant reagents, frequently used as pre‐treatment before the biological process. In this work the effect of these compounds on aerobic granular biomass development was tested. RESULTS: The presence of coagulant‐flocculant reagents led to a worse biomass retention capacity with a lower VSS concentration compared with a control reactor (4.5 vs. 7.9 g VSS L^?1) and with a higher SVI (70 vs. 40 mL [g TSS]^?1) and diameter (5.0 vs. 2.3 mm). These reagents also caused a decrease in the maximum oxygen consumption rate, but the removal efficiencies of organic matter (90%) and nitrogen (60%) achieved were similar to those in the control reactor. CONCLUSION: The continuous presence of residual levels of coagulant‐flocculant reagents from the pre‐treatment unit negatively affected the formation process and the physical properties of the aerobic granules; however, the removal of organic matter and nitrogen were not affected. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Formaldehyde biodegradation and its inhibitory effect on nitrification

The simultaneous removal of formaldehyde and ammonium in aerobic cultures and the inhibitory effect of formaldehyde on ammonium oxidation were investigated. The influence of a co‐substrate, methanol, on formaldehyde biodegradation and on the nitrification process was also evaluated. Formaldehyde was completely removed at all concentrations tested (30–3890 mg dm^?3) in assays with that compound as the single carbon source and in the presence of methanol as co‐substrate. An initial formaldehyde biodegradation rate of 4.6 g CH₂O g^?1 VSS d^?1 was obtained for 2000 mg CH₂O dm^?3 as single carbon source compared with a rate of 7.3 g CH₂O g^?1 VSS d^?1 when methanol was added. Formaldehyde was inhibitory to the nitrification process at initial concentrations higher than 350 mg dm^?3. Increasing the initial formaldehyde concentration or adding a co‐substrate such as methanol resulted in a longer lag phase before ammonium oxidation and caused a decrease in the degree of nitrification. Nitrification was completely inhibited at initial formaldehyde concentrations higher than 1500 mg dm^?3. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Enhanced lipid and biodiesel production from glucose‐fed activated sludge: Kinetics and microbial community analysis

An innovative approach to increase biofuel feedstock lipid yields from municipal sewage sludge via manipulation of carbon‐to‐nitrogen (C:N) ratio and glucose loading in activated sludge bioreactors was investigated. Sludge lipid and fatty acid methyl ester (biodiesel) yields (% cell dry weight, CDW) were enhanced via cultivation in activated sludge bioreactors operated at high initial C:N ratio (≥40:1) and glucose loading (≥40 g L^?1). Under C:N 70, 60 g L^?1 glucose loading, a maximum of 17.5 ± 3.9 and 10.2 ± 2.0% CDW lipid and biodiesel yields, respectively, were achieved after 7 d of cultivation. The cultured sludge lipids contained mostly C₁₆? C₁₈ fatty acids, with oleic acid consistently accounting for 40–50% of the total fatty acids. Microbial composition in activated sludge exposed to C:N 70 shifted toward specific gammaproteobacteria, suggesting their relevance in lipid production in wastewater microbiota and potential value in biofuel synthesis applications. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012     

Start up of a pilot scale aerobic granular reactor for organic matter and nitrogen removal

Aerobic granulation is a promising technology for the removal of nutrients in wastewater. Since research to date is mainly focused at laboratory scale, a pilot‐scale sequencing batch reactor (100 L) was operated to obtain granular sludge in aerobic conditions grown on acetate as organic carbon substrate. Selective pressure created by means of decreasing settling time and increasing organic loading rate (OLR) enhanced the formation of aerobic granular sludge. Granules appeared after 6 days and reached an average diameter around 3.5 mm. The settling velocity value should be higher than 11 m h^?1 in order to remove flocculent biomass. The reactor treated OLRs varying between 2.5 and 6.0 g COD L^?1 d^?1 reaching removal efficiencies around 96%, which demonstrates the high activity and the ability of the system to withstand high OLR. Nevertheless, a rapid increase in the OLR produced a loss of biomass in the reactor due to breakage of the granules. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Simultaneous organic carbon and nitrogen removal in an SBR controlled at low dissolved oxygen concentration

Simultaneous organic carbon and nitrogen removal was studied in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed with synthetic municipal wastewater and controlled at a low dissolved oxygen (DO) level (0.8 mg dm^?3). Experimental results over a long time (120 days) showed that the reactor achieved high treatment capacities (organic and nitrogen loading rates reached as high as 2.4 kg COD m^?3 d^?1 and 0.24 kg NH₃‐N m³ d^?1) and efficiencies (COD, NH₃‐N and total nitrogen removal efficiencies were 95%, 99% and 75%). No filamentous bacteria were found in the sludge even though the reactor had been seeded with filamentous bulking sludge. Instead, granular sludge, which possessed high activity and good settleability, was formed. Furthermore, the sludge production rate under low DO was less than that under high DO. Significant benefits, such as low investment and less operating cost, will be obtained from the new process. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Treatment of green table olive waste waters by an activated‐sludge process

No purification procedure exists for treating the waste waters from the Spanish‐style green olive industry. This study shows that an activated sludge process can be used successfully, yielding a 75–85% COD reduction, due mainly to the removal of organic acids and ethanol present in the waste. In contrast, only a small proportion of polyphenols was consumed. These residual polyphenols can account for most of the remaining COD and the residual brown colour. Grau's model for substrate removal rate was applied to take account of the effect of influent‐substrate concentration on the effluent COD concentration. The constant value with this model (k) was 9.8 day⁻¹. Likewise, increasing the hydraulic retention time and temperature improved the sludge removal. Thus, a COD of 200–300 mg dm⁻³ in the effluent was routinely achieved. Concentrations of NaCl up to 3% did not affect the aerobic system although the sludge volume index was higher than 200 cm³ g⁻¹. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Comparison of the operational characteristics between a nitrifying membrane bioreactor and a pre-denitrification membrane bioreactor process

A single submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) for nitrification of ammonium and a pre-denitrification MBR process for total nitrogen (TN) removal were investigated in comparison. A single nitrifying MBR was fed with synthetic ammonium wastewater of up to 900 mgN/l without organics so that the MBR was maintained as a pure nitrifying system. A high nitrifying capacity around 1.8 kgNH₄-N/m³/day was achieved while keeping the ammonium oxidation rate above 98%. Sludge volume index (SVI) gradually decreased down to less than 50 indicating good settleability of nitrifying sludge. The increase of suction pressure was less than 5 cm Hg over 7-months of operation. TN removal efficiency was determined in a pre-denitrification configuration with an anoxic reactor. Synthetic wastewater of 1200 mgCOD/l and 200 mgN/l was fed to the system at loads of 2.4 kgCOD/m³/day and 0.4 kgN/m³/day, respectively. As the internal recycle ratio from aerobic to anoxic zone increased from 2 to 6, TN removal efficiency was enhanced from 70 ± 9 to 89 ± 3%. With the sludge concentration of around 12,000 mg/l, SVI was highly fluctuated from 60 to 350 indicating the partial deterioration of sludge settleability. The suction pressure after 8 months of operation increased to above 10 cm Hg which is higher than that in a single nitrifying MBR. The concentration of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), especially for carbohydrate content, was higher in the operation of a pre-denitrification MBR process than in a single nitrifying MBR. It is likely that the sludge characteristic such as settleability is related with membrane fouling but, further extensive study is needed. The performance of a pre-denitrification MBR process was also verified with real petrochemical nitrogen wastewater.     

一种新型反应器——生物气射流循环厌氧流化床的启动与运行特性

A novel anaerobic reactor, jet biogas inter-loop anaerobic fluidized bed （JBILAFB）, was designed and constructed. The start-up and performance of the reactor was investigated in the Process. of .artificial glucose wastewater treatment. With the wastewater recycle ratio of 2.5 ： 1, the recycled wastewater with biogas could mix sludge and wastewater in the JBILAFB reactor completely. The start-up of the JBILAFB reactor could be completed in less than 70 d through maintenance of hydraulic retention time （HR~I＂） and stepwise increase of feed total organic carbon （TOC） concentration. After the start-up, with the volumetric TOC loadings of 14.3 kg·m ^-3·d^-1, the TOC removal ratio, the effluent pH, and the volatile fatty acids （VFA）/alkalinity of the JBILAFB reactor were more than 80%, close to 7.0 and less than 0.4, respectively. Moreover, CH4 was produced at more than 70% of the theoretical value, The reactor exhibited high stability under the condition of high volumetric TOC loading. Sludge granules in the JBILAFB reactor were developed during the start-up and their sizes were enlarged with the stepwise increase of volumetric TOC loadings from 0.8 kg.m^-3.d ^-1 to 14.3 kg.m^-3.d^-1. Granules, an offwhite color and a similar spherical shape, were mainly comprised of global-like bacteria. These had good methanogenic activity and settleability, which were formed probably through adhesion of the bacteria. Some inorganic metal compounds such as Fe, Ca, Mg, Al, etc. were advantageous to the formation of the granules.     

The operational strategy of intermittent cycle extended aeration system in treating sewage

An Intermittent Cycle Extended Aeration System (ICEAS) offers advantages for treating sewage; such as easy operation, process flexibility, and low capital cost. A laboratory‐scale study was made with synthetic‐domestic wastewater (COD = 300 mg dm⁻³; BOD = 210 mg dm⁻³) to investigate appropriate conditions for reduced operating cost. The results from this study indicated that the maximum hydraulic loading and organic loading were 3.5 m³ m⁻³ d⁻¹ and 0.735 kg BOD m⁻³d⁻¹ respectively. The BOD and COD of effluent were 15.5 mg dm⁻³ and 29.6 mg dm⁻³ for the cycle time and aeration time of 3.4 h and 2.65 h. It was not necessary to supply external artificial substrates in the reactor to deal with low wastewater flow that caused the starvation of sludge. Specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) was used as the index of microbial activity. The study indicated that the microbial activity could be restored (SOUR = 20.5 mg g⁻¹ MLVSS h⁻¹) after 5–6 days of cultivation when the sludge was deprived of substrate for 17 days. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Parametric study of the factors influencing simultaneous denitrification and enhanced biological phosphorus removal

In this study, the effect of various factors such as C:N ratio, carbon source, percentage P content in the sludge influencing the simultaneous denitrification and enhanced biological phosphorus removal was investigated in batch tests on bean and tomato waste sludge from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor–anoxic/aerobic system and municipal sludge from a circulating fluidized bed bioreactor. A correlation between the change in redox potential and rate of P release was developed. Interestingly, maximum P release was observed at positive redox potential in some of the batch tests. Simultaneous denitrification and P release under anoxic conditions was observed during all the batch tests. Sludge acclimatization improved the efficiency of the sludge and proved independency of maximum specific denitrification rate and P content of sludges. The contribution of denitrifying PAOs to anoxic P uptake was determined through the denitrification control test at an initial level of PO₄‐P of 100–120 mg dm^?3. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry