Influent characterization and biosorption experiments were carried out with settled influent of seven wastewater treatment plants to study the influence of O2 in the selector in relation to the success of developing good settling properties of the sludge. In previous years working selectors were installed and/or pilot plant research was carried out at these wastewater treatment plants. Characterization of the influent was done with help of standard COD and BOD measurements with help of a coarse filter.
The research has elucidated that the presence of O2 in the selector, at initial sludge loadings of 3.5-6.5 kg BOD/kg MLSS.d, is important for producing good settling properties of the sludge when the sum of readily biodegradable COD and rapidly hydrolysable COD is greater than 40%. When the sum of sludge COD and slow hydrolysable COD is greater than 50% an unaerated selector can be used.
Greetings from the new Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plant Research 2021
