Improved Biological Phosphorus Removal Resulting from the Enrichment of Reactor Feed with Fermentation Products

1992 ◽  
Vol 26 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 943-953 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. H. Lötter ◽  
A. R. Pitman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Phosphate Removal ◽  
Biodegradable Materials ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Fermentation Products ◽  
Biological Phosphorus

Research in South Africa has highlighted the dependence of biological phosphate removal mechanisms on the presence of certain minimum concentrations of some readily biodegradable materials including interalia volatile fatty acids. Successful generation of these compounds has been achieved at recently commissioned facilities at three of Johannesburg' activated sludge plants. Elutriation of the volatile fatty acids from the sludge was achieved by recycling sludge to the influent sewage stream. Significant improvements in phosphate removal were observed, thus reducing the demand for chemical dosing to achieve the phosphate standard. In this paper the effect of altering the feed sewage characteristics on biological phosphorus removal is discussed.

Excess biological phosphorus removal in the activated sludge process using primary sludge fermentation

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Rabinowitz ◽  
W. K. Oldham
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Phosphorus Release ◽  
Activated Sludge Process ◽  
Removal Mechanism ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Primary Sludge ◽  
Biological Phosphorus

This paper examines the role of short-chain volatile fatty acids in the excess biological phosphorus removal mechanism of the activated sludge process. The effectiveness of various substrate additions in inducing phosphorus removal was investigated through a series of laboratory and pilot-scale experiments. Phosphorus release and substrate uptake both take place in the anaerobic zone of the process and there appears to be an exchange phenomenon that occurs between the two molecules. The system phosphorus removal of the process is improved by the addition of sodium acetate to the anaerobic zone. It is important that the zone receives no incoming nitrate, as the added substrate will be oxidized in the denitrification reaction, rendering it unavailable for the phosphorus removal mechanism. Acetate and propionate, the two substrates that are most effective in inducing anaerobic phosphorus release, can be generated on-site at a treatment plant by primary sludge fermentation in concentrations sufficient to significantly enhance the phosphorus removal characteristics of the process. Key words: biological phosphorus removal, short-chain volatile fatty acids, phosphorus release, substrate utilization, primary sludge fermentation.

Enhancing biological phosphorus removal with glycerol

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 1837-1843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Yuan ◽  
R. Sparling ◽  
P. Lagasse ◽  
Y. M. Lee ◽  
D. Taniguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Waste Activated Sludge ◽  
Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
External Carbon Source ◽  
Biological Phosphorus

An enhanced biological phosphorus removal process (EBPR) was successfully operated in presence of acetate. When glycerol was substituted for acetate in the feed the EBPR process failed. Subsequently waste activated sludge (WAS) from the reactor was removed to an off-line fermenter. The same amount of glycerol was added to the WAS fermenter which led to significant volatile fatty acids (VFA) production. By supplying the system with the VFA-enriched supernatant of the fermentate, biological phosphorus removal was enhanced. It was concluded that, if glycerol was to be used as an external carbon source in EBPR, the effective approach was to ferment glycerol with waste activated sludge.

Fermentation of Raw Sludge and Elutriation of Resultant Fatty Acids to Promote Excess Biological Phosphorus Removal

1992 ◽  
Vol 25 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 185-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Pitman ◽  
L. H. Lötter ◽  
W. V. Alexander ◽  
S. L. Deacon
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Phosphate Removal ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Sludge Treatment ◽  
Primary Sludge ◽  
Treatment Facilities ◽  
Biological Phosphorus

Research in South Africa has highlighted the dependence of biological phosphate removal mechanisms on the presence of certain minimum concentrations of some readily biodegradable materials including interalia volatile fatty acids. Generation of these compounds was achieved on an experimental basis at the Johannesburg Northern Works by the fermentation of primary sludge either in primary settling tanks or off-line in high rate “acid” digesters. Elutriation of the volatile fatty acids from the sludge was achieved by recycling the sludge to the influent sewage stream. Significant improvements in phosphate removal were observed and it was decided to design primary sludge treatment facilities to specifically generate the volatile fatty acids. This paper describes the design philosophy adopted and discusses the preliminary results obtained from the recently commissioned plant at the Johannesburg Northern Works and Bushkoppie plants.

The Influence of Nitrogen on Phosphorus Removal in Activated Sludge Plants

1982 ◽  
Vol 14 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 31-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
J L Barnard
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Phosphate Removal ◽  
Electron Donors ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Anaerobic Conditions ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Biological Phosphorus

This paper discusses the need for anaerobiases as a pre-requisite for phosphorus removal in activated sludge plants and the effect of nitrates on the anaerobic conditions. If the plant could be operated to avoid nitrification, biological phosphorus removal presents no problems. When nitrification is required, the nitrates must be reduced to a low level through internal denitrification. If sufficient carbon is available to ensure complete removal of the nitrates and anaerobic conditions in a specific zone in the plant, good phosphate removal can be ensured. Below COD : TKN ratios of 10 : 1 it is becoming more difficult to control the plant and special care should be taken to determine not only the quantity of organic carbon available as electron donors for removal of the nitrates but also the form in which it arrives at the plant.

Saving phosphorus removal at the Henderson NV plant

2012 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 1318-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Barnard ◽  
D. Houweling ◽  
H. Analla ◽  
M. Steichen
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Case Histories ◽  
Mixed Liquor ◽  
Removal Process ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Anaerobic Zone ◽  
Biological Phosphorus

While the mechanism of biological phosphorus removal (BPR) and the need for volatile fatty acids (VFA) have been well researched and documented to the point where it is now possible to design a plant with a very reliable phosphorus removal process using formal flow sheets, BPR is still observed in a number of plants that have no designated anaerobic zone, which was considered essential for phosphorus removal. Some examples are given in this paper. A theory is proposed and then applied to solve problems with a shortage of VFA in the influent of the Henderson NV plant. Mixed liquor was fermented in the anaerobic zone, which resulted in phosphorus removal to very low levels. This paper will discuss some of the background, and some case histories and applications, and present a simple postulation as to the mechanism and efforts at modelling the results.

Biological Phophorus Removal: Study of the Main Parameters

1984 ◽  
Vol 16 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 173-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Malnou ◽  
M Meganck ◽  
G M Faup ◽  
M du Rostu
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Bacterial Strain ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Organic Substances ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Batch Tests ◽  
Microbiological Examination ◽  
Biological Phosphorus ◽  
Phosphorus Storage

The biological phosphorus removal phenomenon has been studied in a modified “Phoredox” type pilot plant. The interpretation of the results obtained was facilitated by batch tests on the sludge. The influence of the duration of anaerobiosis, the presence of nitrates and various organic substances in the anaerobic zone were thus studied successively. The results obtained tend to confirm the hypothesis that biological phosphorus removal is due primarily to the bacterial strain Acinetobacter. Microbiological examination of the sludge has revealed the presence of these bacteria and that of acidogenic bacteria producing volatile fatty acids promoting the growth of Acinetobacter. Pure culture tests have confirmed the possibility of a greater phosphorus storage capability of Acinetobacter.

Analysis of microbial community that performs enhanced biological phosphorus removal in activated sludge fed with acetate

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 145-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Onuki ◽  
H. Satoh ◽  
T. Mino
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Batch Reactor ◽  
Phosphate Removal ◽  
Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Dominant Band ◽  
Biological Phosphorus

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) activated sludge was operated in a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed with acetate as the sole carbon source. The microbial community of the sludge was analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) method for about 2 months of start-up period. As a result, the number of major bands decreased during the enrichment, indicating that the microbial community structure was getting simpler. Since the phosphate removal activity was maintained at a high level, the bacteria which still remained at the end can be considered as the important bacteria playing key roles in the present EBPR sludge, maybe polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs). The dominant band in the last sample on the DGGE gel was excised and the DNA recovered from it was sequenced. The sequence was closely related to one of the putative PAOs group which Crocetti et al. (2000) and Hesselmann et al. (1999) have proposed. This PAOs group is closely related to the Rhodocyclus group (b-Proteobacteria). The fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method with the probe specific for this PAOs group and the DAPI staining at a phosphate-probing concentration indirectly showed that these Rhodocyclus related bacteria really accumulated polyphosphate.

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