The sewer is a reactor for chemical and microbial transformations of wastewater. These in-sewer processes affect the quality of the wastewater and thereby the sewer itself, the subsequent treatment and the receiving water quality. The paper focuses on the interactions between the dry weather in-sewer chemical and microbial transformations of the wastewater and the corresponding processes in a downstream located treatment plant. A conceptual understanding of the sewer processes is crucial in this respect.
Characterization of wastewater for simulation of in-sewer transformations can be carried out by interpretation of oxygen uptake rate measurements in combination with a conceptual model of the microbial transformations involved. This interpretation can be done by iterative procedures by solving the differential equations constituting the model or by the application of a more “manual” method – the latter being the topic of this paper. Examples where different wastewaters are characterized illustrate the method.
Microbial Transformations of Uranium Complexed with Organic and Inorganic Ligands