Sludge production in membrane bioreactors under different conditions

2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 251-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Wagner ◽  
K-H. Rosenwinkel

With membrane bioreactors, the production of surplus sludge is lower than with conventional activated sludge systems, a fact that has been confirmed in a large number of analyses. There is, however, no consensus about the dimension of the reactions and their respective causes. In order to examine these, at the University of Hanover a pilot plant with a capacity of 220 l was run for one year without any extraction of surplus sludge. The plant was started with 2 g MLSS/l; after one year, this value had risen to approximately 18 g MLSS/l. In order to be able to set the plant for different sludge loads (0.04 to 0.2 kg COD/(kg MLSS · d)), the wastewater was artificially stocked up. The emerging result was that in contrast to conventional systems the sludge growth was lower, but still continuously existing. Then, comparisons with theoretical approaches were run – among others with the ASM1-Model – which confirmed the findings. One possible reason could be the different biocoenoses, which was assumed to be the cause after several microscopic examinations had been run.

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 203-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.-H. Chen ◽  
S. Saby ◽  
M. Djafer ◽  
H.-K. Mo

This paper presents three new approaches to reduce excess sludge production in activated sludge systems: 1) modification of conventional activated sludge process with insertion of a sludge holding tank in the sludge return line; 2) chlorination of excess sludge so as to minimize excess sludge production; and 3) utilization of a metabolic uncoupler, 3, 3′, 4′, 5-Tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCS) to maximize futile activity of sludge microorganisms thereby leading to a reduction of sludge growth. Pilot study was carried out to evaluate this modified activated sludge process (OSA). It has been confirmed that the OSA process is effective in reducing excess sludge; particularly when the ORP level in the sludge holding tank was kept at -250 mV, more than 50% of the excess sludge was reduced. This process can maintain the effluent quality and even perform with a better sludge settleability than a conventional system. Experimental work on the second approach showed that chlorination treatment of excess sludge at a chlorine dose of 0.066 g Cl2/g MLSS reduced the excess sludge by 60%, while concentration of THMS was found below 200 ppb in the treated sludge. However, such sludge chlorination treatment sacrificed sludge settleability. Thus, it is not feasible to introduce the chlorination step to a conventional system. The third approach confirmed that addition of TCS could reduce sludge growth effectively if the TCS concentration is greater than 0.4 ppm. A 0.8-ppm concentration of TCS actually reduced excess sludge by 45%. It was also experimentally demonstrated that presence of TCS increases the portion of active sludge microorganisms over the entire microbial population.


2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 219-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. De Wever ◽  
S. Van Roy ◽  
C. Dotremont ◽  
J. Müller ◽  
T. Knepper

The potential of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a conventional activated sludge (CAS) system to remove polar micropollutants was evaluated using linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) as model components. Removal efficiencies over 97% were achieved in both reactor systems. The appearance of biological breakdown metabolites and the respirometric response of the sludges to LAS addition indicated that LAS removal was due to biodegradation, rather than sorption phenomena. The effect of operational variables, such as hydraulic retention time, LAS composition and hydrophobicity of the membrane used in the MBR, was negligible in the range tested. A stepwise increase in LAS influent concentration resulted in higher residual effluent concentrations but did not change the procentual removal efficiency. Because an increase in LAS and SPC effluent concentration occurred to a larger extent in the CAS than in the MBR under similar operating conditions, MBRs may turn out to be be more robust with respect to biological degradation of micropollutants than CAS.


Processes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Bis ◽  
Agnieszka Montusiewicz ◽  
Adam Piotrowicz ◽  
Grzegorz Łagód

Membrane techniques constitute an interesting alternative to conventional activated sludge systems (CAS). In membrane bioreactors (MBR), the biomass separated on membranes is retained independently of sludge sedimentation properties. As a consequence, a high biomass concentration as well as low food to microorganisms ratio can be obtained. Moreover, the development of a characteristic activated sludge population is stimulated by the specific conditions prevailing in MBRs. In the study, the operation and treatment efficiency of the MBR and CAS processes were examined and compared. Simulation was performed with the use of GPS-X software. The effluent quality obtained for the MBR system was either better or comparable to that of CAS. The most significant difference concerned the elimination of total suspended solids, which amounted to 99.8% in the MBR. Regarding nutrients, a low concentration of total phosphorus in the effluent from CAS and MBR was obtained (0.67 gP m−3 and 0.50 gP m−3, respectively). Greater differences were achieved in the case of total nitrogen. Although almost complete nitrification took place in both systems, a lower concentration of nitrate in the effluent from MBR in comparison to CAS, i.e., 11.2 gN m−3 and 14.1 gN m−3, respectively, allowed us to obtain a higher removal of total nitrogen (80.8% and 76.1%, respectively).


1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 609-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-J. Shao ◽  
David Jenkins

Laboratory and pilot plant experiments on anoxic selector activated sludge systems were conducted on two wastewaters in some cases supplemented with nitrate, acetate or glucose. To prevent bulking sufficient anoxic selector detention time and nitrate levels must be available to reduce selector effluent soluble COD to below 100 mg/l and to reduce readily metabolizable organic matter to virtually zero (< 1 mg/l). Soluble COD/NO3-N removal stoichiometry is in the range 6.0-6.7. Selector systems have elevated soluble substrate removal and denitrification rates compared to CSTR systems. These rates are not affected greatly by temperature (20-25°C) for CSTR sludges but are for selector sludges. Upon exhaustion of nitrate in a selector soluble COD leaks out of the activated sludge in significant amounts. Thiothrix sp. and type 021N denitrify only to NO2 and at much slower rates than Zoogloearamigera does to N2. A sequencing batch system provides an optimistic estimate of the SVI that can be obtained by an anoxic selector system.


2010 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1379-1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Song ◽  
Jiang Wenju ◽  
Tang Qiong ◽  
Li Yaozhong

This study investigated the effects of 2,4-dichlorophenol on reduction of activated sludge in membrane bioreactors. Significant inhibition on sludge growth and slight reduction in COD removal were observed at higher 2,4-dichlorophenol dosages. The deviation between relative specific COD removal rate (q/q0) and relative specific growth rate (μ/μ0) suggested that a minimum 2,4-dichlorophenol concentration was required for uncoupling of anabolism and catabolism. With the increase of the dosage of 2,4-dichlorophenol, stepwise improvement of biomass bioactivity and the reduction in activated sludge production were achieved simultaneously. Compared with the control bioreactor, the peak distribution of floc size in the 2,4-dichlorophenol added bioreactor shifted to a range of smaller floc size. Besides, addition of 2,4-dichlorophenol caused little variation of microorganism community structure and SVI value of the sludge. After 24-hour operation, the residue 2,4-dichlorophenol concentration in the bioreactors was reduced to a negligible level.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 1829-1838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chul Park ◽  
Dong-Hyun Chon ◽  
Aaron Brennan ◽  
Heonseop Eom

Activated sludge systems incorporating a 2 day anaerobic side-stream reactor (ASSR) show significantly decreased waste sludge production.


2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Manga ◽  
J. Ferrer ◽  
A. Seco ◽  
F. Garcia-Usach

A mechanistic mathematical model for nutrient and organic matter removal was used to describe the behavior of a nitrification denitrification enhanced biological phosphorus removal (NDEBPR) system. This model was implemented in a user-friendly software DESASS (design and simulation of activated sludge systems). A 484-L pilot plant was operated to verify the model results. The pilot plant was operated for three years over three different sludge ages. The validity of the model was confirmed with data from the pilot plant. Also, the utility of DESASS as a valuable tool for designing NDEBPR systems was confirmed.


1992 ◽  
Vol 25 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 427-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Schulze-Rettmer ◽  
S. S. Kim ◽  
S. S. Son

The two-stage activated sludge process (AB-process, i.e. adsorption activated sludge process) invented by Boehnke was successfully applied to several municipal and industrial wastewaters in Korea. The first large wastewater treatment plant for the combined effluents of 22 textile dyeing companies was constructed in Taegu and started operation in 1989. Two years earlier pilot plant runs were performed. The AB-process proved to be superior to any other activated sludge process. BOD was reduced from 1200 mg/l down to 24 mg/l. In the meantime in Korea several further AB-process treatment plants were constructed, the overall planning and constructing period being not longer than one year.


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