Floc size distribution and bacterial activities in membrane separation activated sludge processes for small-scale wastewater treatment/reclamation

1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boran Zhang ◽  
Kazuo Yamamoto ◽  
Shinichiro Ohgaki ◽  
Naoyuki Kamiko
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Membrane Separation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nitrification Rate ◽  
Floc Size ◽  
Denitrification Activity ◽  
Concentration Changes ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes

Activated sludges taken from full-scale membrane separation processes, building wastewater reuse system (400m3/d), and two nightsoil treatment plants (50m3/d) as well as laboratory scale membrane separation bioreactor (0.062m3/d) were analyzed to characterize membrane separation activated sludge processes (MSAS). They were also compared with conventional activated sludges(CAS) taken from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Specific nitrification activity in MSAS processes averaged at 2.28gNH4-N/kgMLSS.h were higher than that in CAS processes averaged at 0.96gNH4-N/kgMLSS.h. The denitrification activity in both processes were in the range of 0.62-3.2gNO3-N/kgMLSS.h without organic addition and in the range of 4.25-6.4gNO3-N/kgMLSS.h with organic addition. The organic removal activity in nightsoil treatment process averaged at 123gCOD/kgMLSS.h which was significantly higher than others. Floc size distributions were measured by particle sedimentation technique and image analysis technique. Flocs in MSAS processes changed their sizes with MLSS concentration changes and were concentrated at small sizes at low MLSS concentration, mostly less than 60 μm. On the contrary, floc sizes in CAS processes have not much changed with MLSS concentration changes and they were distributed in large range. In addition, the effects of floc size on specific nitrification rate, denitrification rate with and without organic carbon addition were investigated. Specific nitrification rate was decreased as floc size increased. However, little effect of floc size on denitrification activity was observed.

Application of immersed-type membrane separation activated sludge process to municipal wastewater treatment

2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 295-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Murakami ◽  
J. Usui ◽  
K. Takamura ◽  
T. Yoshikawa
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Pilot Plant ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Membrane Separation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Production Ratio ◽  
Significant Difference

Pilot plant studies were carried out using actual wastewater to investigate the applicability of a membrane separation activated sludge (MSAS) process to municipal wastewater treatment. A small-scale pilot plant (6.7 m3/day) with immersed flat sheet membrane was operated at the flux of 0.4 m3/m2/day. Continuous operation for 140 days without chemical cleaning was possible. Average Sludge production ratio was about 0.6. No significant difference was observed in the dewaterability between membrane separation activated sludge and conventional activated sludge at the CST test. Large-scale pilot plants (30–70 m3/day) with five types of membrane were also operated. In these plants nitrogen removal by nitrification and denitrification, and phosphorus removal by coagulant addition were carried out. Stable operation with HRT of six hours, flux of 0.4–0.8 m3/m2/day was possible, the average nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency being more than 80 and 95%, respectively.

The limits and ultimate possibilities of technology of the activated sludge process

2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 1671-1677 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. van Nieuwenhuijzen ◽  
A. G. N. van Bentem ◽  
A. Buunnen ◽  
B. A. Reitsma ◽  
C. A. Uijterlinde
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Activated Sludge Process ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes

The (low loaded) biological nutrient removing activated sludge process is the generally accepted and applied municipal wastewater treatment method in the Netherlands. The hydraulical and biological flexibility, robustness and cost efficiency of the process for advanced removal of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus without (too much) chemicals results in a wide application of the activated sludge process within Dutch waterboards. Presumably, wastewater treatment plants will have to contribute to the improvement of the quality of the receiving surface waters by producing cleaner effluent. In this perspective, the Dutch research organisation STOWA initiated a research project entitled “The Boundaries of the Activated Sludge Process” to investigate the possibilities and limitations of activated sludge processes to improve the effluent quality. It is concluded that the activated sludge process as applied and operated at WWTP's in the Netherlands has the potential to perform even better than the current effluent discharge standards (10 mg Ntotal/l and 1 mg Ptotal/l). Reaching the B-quality effluent (<5mg Ntotal/l and <0.3 mg Ptotal/l) will be possible at almost all WWTPs without major adjustments under the conditions that:   the sludge load is below 0.06 kg BOD/kg TSS.d   the internal recirculation is above 20   the BOD/N ratio of the influent is above 3. Complying with the A-quality effluent (<2.2 Ntotal/l and <0.15 mg Ptotal/l) seems to be difficult (but not impossible) and requires more attention and insight into the activated sludge process. Optimisation measures to reach the A-quality effluent are more thorough and are mostly only achievable by additional construction works (addition of activated sludge volume, increasing recirculation capacity, etc.). It is furthermore concluded that the static HSA-results are comparable to the dynamic ASM-results. So, for fast determinations of the limits of technology of different activated sludge processes static modelling seems to by sufficient.

scholarly journals Unwanted mainstream nitritation-denitritation causing massive N2O emissions in a continuous activated sludge process

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kuokkanen ◽  
K. Blomberg ◽  
A. Mikola ◽  
M. Heinonen
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Activated Sludge Process ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes

Abstract Nitrous oxide emissions can contribute significantly to the carbon footprint of municipal wastewater treatment plants even though emissions from conventional nitrogen removal processes are assumed to be moderate. An increased risk for high emissions can occur in connection with process disturbances and nitrite (NO2−) accumulation. This work describes the findings at a large municipal wastewater treatment plant where the levels of NO2− in the activated sludge process effluent were spontaneously and strongly increased on several activated sludge lines which was suspected to be due to shortcut nitrogen removal that stabilized for several months. The high NO2− levels were linked to a dramatic increase in nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. As much as over 20% of the daily influent nitrogen load was emitted as N2O. These observations indicate that highly increased NO2− levels can occur in conventional activated sludge processes and result in high nitrous oxide emissions. They also raise questions concerning the risk of increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the nitritation-denitritation processes – although the uncontrolled nature of the event described here must be taken into consideration – and underline the importance of continuous monitoring and control of N2O emissions.

scholarly journals Influence of road salt thawing peaks on the inflow composition and activated sludge properties in municipal wastewater treatment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Tauber ◽  
B. Flesch ◽  
V. Parravicini ◽  
K. Svardal ◽  
J. Krampe
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Road Salt ◽  
Volume Index ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Floc Size ◽  
Floc Structure ◽  
Autotrophic Biomass

Abstract Operational data over 2 years from three large Austrian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with design capacities of 4 million, 950,000 and 110,000 population equivalent (PE) were examined. Salt peaks, due to thawing road salt were detected and quantified by electrical conductivity, temperature and chloride measurement in the inflow of the WWTPs. Daily NaCl inflow loads up to 1,147 t/d and PE-specific loads of 0.26–0.5 kg NaCl/(PE · y) were found. To mimic the plants' behaviour in a controlled environment, NaCl was dosed into the inflow of a laboratory-scale activated sludge plant. The influence of salt peaks on important activated sludge parameters such as sludge volume index, settling velocity and floc size were investigated. Influent and effluent were sampled extensively to calculate removal rates. Respiration measurements were performed to quantify activated sludge activity. Particle size distributions of the activated sludge floc sizes were measured using laser diffraction particle sizing and showed a decrease of the floc size by approximately two-thirds. The floc structure was examined and documented using light microscopy. At salt concentrations below 1 g/L, increased respiration was found for autotrophic biomass, and between 1 and 3 g NaCl/L respiration was inhibited by up to 30%.

Nitrification and mass balance with a membrane bioreactor for municipal wastewater treatment

1996 ◽  
Vol 34 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 129-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Xiao-Jun ◽  
Vincent Urbain ◽  
Yi Qian ◽  
Jacques Manem
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Membrane Bioreactor ◽  
Suspended Solids ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Rate Coefficients ◽  
Nitrification Rate ◽  
Municipal Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Effluent Quality

The overall performance of the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) process for municipal wastewater treatment was studied to determine the characteristics of activated sludge under different Sludge Retention Times (SRT) and Hydraulic Retention Times (HRT). The experiment lasted over a period of 300 days, which included 4 runs. The effluent quality of the MBR process in terms of COD and suspended solids, was excellent under all conditions tested. Specific nitrification rates of the activated sludge were measured at steady state in each run. Similar maximum nitrification rate values were obtained through batch experiments with either only NH4Cl or raw wastewater as substrate. Mass balances of the process in terms of COD, nitrogen and inorganic suspended solids were made, and it was found that 28%, 42%, and 48% of influent COD were converted into activated sludge at SRTs of 20, 10, and 5 days, respectively. The COD/VSS ratio of the activated sludge seems to be dependent on mass loading rate. The estimated true yield and decay rate coefficients of the activated sludge were 0.61 kgCOD/kgCOD and 0.050 d−1, respectively. In the completely aerobic system, nitrogen balances were always close to 100%.

scholarly journals Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Wastewater Streams Using Membrane Bioreactors: A Review

Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Arijit Sengupta ◽  
Mahmood Jebur ◽  
Mohanad Kamaz ◽  
S. Ranil Wickramasinghe
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Emerging Contaminants ◽  
Treatment Process ◽  
Membrane Separation ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Membrane Bioreactors ◽  
Size Exclusion ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Process ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes

Water is a very valuable natural resource. As the demand for water increases the presence of emerging contaminants in wastewater has become a growing concern. This is particularly true when one considers direct reuse of wastewater. Obtaining sufficient removal of emerging contaminants will require determining the level of removal for the various unit operations in the wastewater treatment process. Membrane bioreactors are attractive as they combine an activated sludge process with a membrane separation step. They are frequently used in a wastewater treatment process and can operate at higher solid loadings than conventional activated sludge processes. Determining the level of removal of emerging contaminants in the membrane bioreactor step is, therefore, of great interest. Removal of emerging contaminants could be by adsorption onto the biomass or membrane surface, biotransformation, size exclusion by the membrane, or volatilization. Given the fact that most emerging contaminants are low molecule weight non-volatile compounds, the latter two methods of removal are usually unimportant. However, biotransformation and adsorption onto the biomass are important mechanisms of removal. It will be important to determine if the microorganisms present at given treatment facility are able to remove ECs present in the wastewater.

Treatment of municipal wastewater in a hybrid process using a new suspended carrier with large surface area

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 207-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Christensson ◽  
T. Welander
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Pilot Plant ◽  
Suspended Solids ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Large Surface Area ◽  
Hybrid Process ◽  
Nitrification Rate ◽  
Suspended Carrier ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes

An activated sludge/biofilm hybrid process treating municipal wastewater was studied in pilot plant trials. A new type of suspended carrier, with large effective surface area, was employed in the process with the aim of enhancing nitrification. The pilot plant was operated for 1.5 years in five different configurations including pre-denitrification in all five and enhanced biological phosphorus removal in the final two. The wastewater temperature ranged between 11°C and 20°C, and the nominal dissolved oxygen (DO) level was 5-6 mg/L. The nitrification rate obtained on the new carrier within the hybrid stage was in the range of 0.9-1.2 g NH4-N/m2/d corresponding to a volumetric rate of 19-23 g NH4-N/m3/h (total nitrification including nitrification in the suspended solids). More than 80% of the total nitrification took place on the carrier (and the remainder in the suspended solids). The nitrification rate was shown to correlate with DO, decreasing when the DO was decreased. The results supported the idea of using the new carrier as a tool to upgrade plants not having nitrification today or improve nitrification in activated sludge processes not reaching necessary discharge levels. The large surface area present for nitrification makes it possible to obtain high nitrification rates within limited volumes. The possibility to keep the total suspended solid content low (<3 g/L) and avoiding problems with the filament Microthrix parvicella, are other beneficial properties of the hybrid process.

scholarly journals The potential of denitrification for the stabilization of activated sludge processes affected by low alkalinity problems

2007 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heike Hoffmann ◽  
Tatiana Barbosa da Costa ◽  
Delmira Beatriz Wolff ◽  
Christoph Platzer ◽  
Rejane Helena Ribeiro da Costa
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Ammonia Concentration ◽  
Denitrification Rate ◽  
Activated Sludge Reactor ◽  
Denitrification Activity ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes

In this study, the problems provoked by nitrification of wastewater with low alkalinity were analyzed in a pilot sequencing batch activated sludge reactor (SBR). Decrease in pH resulted in disappearence of protozoa. De-flocculation of the activated sludge floc started below pH 6.5, resulting in enhanced effluent turbidity and loss of bacteria. Nitrification efficiency was affected below pH 6.2. The denitrification activity was not sufficient to keep up the pH, due to a low C/N ratio of the wastewater. Based on alkalinity and ammonia concentration of the wastewater and the necessary denitrification rate to prevent operational problems, was developed a prognostic diagram. The applicability of this diagram was tested for the SBR with excellent results. The diagram could be applied to optimize the operation of wastewater treatment plants affected by problems with low alkalinity wastewater.

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