Including greenhouse gas emissions during benchmarking of wastewater treatment plant control strategies

The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate how greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be quantified during the evaluation of control strategies in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). A modified version of the IWA Benchmark Simulation Model No 2 (BSM2G) is hereby used as a simulation case study. Thus, the traditional effluent quality index (EQI), operational cost index (OCI) and time in violation (TIV) used to evaluate control strategies in WWTP are complemented with a new dimension dealing with GHG emissions. The proposed approach is based on a set of comprehensive models that estimate all potential on-site and off-site sources of GHG emissions. The case study investigates the overall performance of several control strategies and demonstrates that substantial reductions in effluent pollution, operating costs and GHG emissions can be achieved when automatic control is implemented. Furthermore, the study is complemented with a scenario analysis that examines the role of i) the dissolved oxygen (DO) set-point, ii) the sludge retention time (SRT) and iii) the organic carbon/nitrogen ratio (COD/N) as promoters of GHG emissions. The results of this study show the potential mechanisms that promote the formation of CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O when different operational strategies are implemented, the existing synergies and trade-offs amongst the EQI, the OCI and TIV criteria and finally the need to reach a compromise solution to achieve an optimal plant performance.     

An examination of the mechanisms for stable foam formation in activated sludge systems

Screening pure cultures of 65 mycolic acid producing bacteria (Mycolata) isolated mainly from activated sludge with a laboratory based foaming test revealed that not all foamed under the conditions used. However, for most, the data were generally consistent with the flotation theory as an explanation for foaming. Thus a stable foam required three components, air bubbles, surfactants and hydrophobic cells. With non-hydrophobic cells, an unstable foam was generated, and in the absence of surfactants, cells formed a greasy surface scum. Addition of surfactant converted a scumming population into one forming a stable foam. The ability to generate a foam depended on a threshold cell number, which varied between individual isolates and reduced markedly in the presence of surfactant. Consequently, the concept of a universal threshold applicable to all foaming Mycolata is not supported by these data. The role of surfactants in foaming is poorly understood, but evidence is presented for the first time that surfactin synthesised by Bacillus subtilis may be important.     

晶种对水泥基材料中耐碱玻璃纤维损伤的影响

研究分析了晶种对水泥基材料中耐碱玻璃纤维损伤的影响。试验研究表明:晶种的掺加,促进了纤维水泥浆界面区Ca(OH)2晶体的生长,使得耐碱玻璃纤维所受到的Ca(OH)2板状晶体的物理刻蚀作用更加显著,不利于耐碱玻璃纤维在水泥基材料中的长期增韧作用。采用热养护预测砂浆长期性能。     

2种河涌淤泥无害化处理技术在广州的应用

广州市在峨眉沙岛进行的河涌淤泥无害化处理、资源化利用项目,采用了淤泥管道搅拌固化工艺(日本工艺)和一体式底泥脱水干化工艺(美国工艺)。着重阐述了日本工艺的固化工艺过程、主要化学反应和对装置的要求;介绍了美国工艺的淤泥生物除臭、淤泥脱水、淤泥固化和尾水处理的4个阶段。经项目的实践,解决了广州约500×104m3河涌底泥的出路问题。     

河道疏浚淤泥固化处理设备、流程及应用

河道疏浚中产生的淤泥如采取抛弃处理会造成资源浪费。介绍一种淤泥固化系统,可对城市污泥、淤泥、隧洞和建筑工程等产生的污泥在工地现场进行瞬间造粒后固化。以图示方式简单描述了淤泥投入、固化出料及养护的处理流程。根据强度试验结果,经系统固化后改良土的强度达到第3类工程用土。总结了淤泥固化系统具有体积小、高机动性、无副产物和处理数据自动记录等特点。介绍了该系统在日本应用的工程实例。最后指出,污泥固化处理成本取决于污泥特性、产物用途及环境指标等因素。     

Role of mass transfer in overall substrate removal rate in a sequential aerobic sludge blanket reactor treating a non-inhibitory substrate

A laboratory study was undertaken to explore the role of mass transfer in overall substrate removal rate and the subsequent kinetic behavior in a glucose-fed sequential aerobic sludge blanket (SASB) reactor. At the organic loading rates (OLRs) of 2-8 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/m³-d, the SASB reactor removed over 98% of COD from wastewater. With an increase in OLR, the average granule diameter (d_p = 1.1-1.9 mm) and the specific oxygen utilization rate increased; whereas biomass density of granules and solids retention time decreased (13-32 d). The intrinsic and apparent kinetic parameters were evaluated using break-up and intact granules, respectively. The calculated COD removal efficiencies using the kinetic model (incorporating intrinsic kinetics) and empirical model (incorporating apparent kinetics) agreed well with the experimental results, implying that both models can properly describe the overall substrate removal rate in the SASB reactor. By applying the validated kinetic model, the calculated mass transfer parameter values and the simulated substrate concentration profiles in the granule showed that the overall substrate removal rate is intra-granular diffusion controlled. By varying different d_p within a range of 0.1-3.5 mm, the simulated COD removal efficiencies disclosed that the optimal granular size could be no greater than 2.5 mm.     

Biodegradation potential of bulking agents used in sludge bio-drying and their contribution to bio-generated heat

Straw and sawdust are commonly used bulking agents in sludge composting or bio-drying. It is important to determine if they contribute to the biodegradable volatile solids pool. A sludge bio-drying process was performed in this study using straw, sawdust and their combination as the bulking agents. The results revealed that straw has substantial biodegradation potential in the aerobic process and sawdust has poor capacity to be degraded. The temperature profile and bio-drying efficiency were highest in the trial that straw was added, as indicated by a moisture removal ratio and VS loss ratio of 62.3 and 31.0%, respectively. In separate aerobic incubation tests, straw obtained the highest oxygen uptake rate (OUR) of 2.14 and 4.75 mg O₂ g⁻¹VS h⁻¹ at 35 °C and 50 °C, respectively, while the highest OUR values of sludge were 12.1 and 5.68 mg O₂ g⁻¹VS h⁻¹ at 35 °C and 50 °C and those of sawdust were 0.286 and 0.332 mg O₂ g⁻¹VS h⁻¹, respectively. The distribution of biochemical fractions revealed that soluble fractions in hot water and hot neutral detergent were the main substrates directly attacked by microorganisms, which accounted for the initial OUR peak. The cellulose-like fraction in straw was transformed to soluble fractions, resulting in an increased duration of aerobic respiration. Based on the potential VS degradation rate, no bio-generated heat was contributed by sawdust, while that contribution by straw was about 41.7% and the ratio of sludge/straw was 5:1 (w/w, wet basis).     

Gravity drainage of activated sludge: new experimental method and considerations of settling velocity, specific cake resistance and cake compressibility

A laboratory scale setup was used for characterization of gravitational drainage of waste activated sludge. The aim of the study was to assess how time of drainage and cake dry matter depended on volumetric load, SS content and sludge floc properties. It was demonstrated that activated sludge forms compressible cakes, even at the low pressures found in gravitational drainage. The values of specific cake resistance were two to three orders of magnitude lower than those obtained in pressure filtration. Despite the compressible nature of sludge, key macroscopic parameters such as time of drainage and cake solid content showed simple functional dependency of the volumetric load and SS of a given sludge. This suggests that the proposed method may be applied for design purposes without the use of extensive numerical modeling. The possibilities for application of this new technique are, among others, the estimation of sludge drainability prior to mechanical dewatering on a belt filter, or the application of surplus sludge on reed beds, as well as adjustments of sludge loading, concentration or sludge pre-treatment in order to optimize the drainage process.     

Biodegradation of sulfamethazine by Trametes versicolor: Removal from sewage sludge and identification of intermediate products by UPLC-QqTOF-MS

Degradation of the sulfonamide sulfamethazine (SMZ) by the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor was assessed. Elimination was achieved to nearly undetectable levels after 20 h in liquid medium when SMZ was added at 9 mg L^− 1. Experiments with purified laccase and laccase-mediators resulted in almost complete removal. On the other hand, inhibition of SMZ degradation was observed when piperonilbutoxide, a cytochrome P450-inhibitor, was added to the fungal cultures. UPLC-QqTOF-MS analysis allowed the identification and confirmation of 4 different SMZ degradation intermediates produced by fungal cultures or purified laccase: desulfo-SMZ, N⁴-formyl-SMZ, N⁴-hydroxy-SMZ and desamino-SMZ; nonetheless SMZ mineralization was not demonstrated with the isotopically labeled sulfamethazine-phenyl-¹³C₆ after 7 days. Inoculation of T. versicolor to sterilized sewage sludge in solid-phase systems showed complete elimination of SMZ and also of other sulfonamides (sulfapyridine, sulfathiazole) at real environmental concentrations, making this fungus an interesting candidate for further remediation research.     

反硝化聚磷体系中颗粒污泥的特性生研究

为了考察反峭化聚磷颗粒污泥的形成过程,利用SBR在厌氧/好氧/缺氧(A/0/A)运行方式下、以人工配水培养驯化颗粒污泥,研究了颗粒污泥在形成过程中的特性变化.结果表明,在培养初期污泥呈褐色絮体,结构松散,污泥活性较差;在第二阶段,颗粒污泥开始出现,粒径范围为0.13～1.63 mm,沉降速率逐渐变大,SVI值下降,MLSS值上升;至第三阶段末,颗粒污泥呈致密的球形或椭球形,粒径范围为0.6～3.0 mm,沉降速率基本在0.5～1.5 cm/s,沉降速率与粒径的关系大致符合斯托克斯定律,MLSS值达到2 500 mg/L,SVI值约为90 mL/g,此时的颗粒污泥沉降性能良好、活性较强、生物量较大.