Symbiotic algal bacterial wastewater treatment: effect of food to microorganism ratio and hydraulic retention time on the process performance

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (11) ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Medina ◽  
U. Neis

Algal incorporation into the biomass is important in an innovative wastewater treatment that exploits the symbiosis between bacterial activated sludge and microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris sp. Hamburg). It allows a good and easy algae separation by means of clarification. The effect of process parameters food to microorganisms ratio (F/M) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the process performance, evaluated by settleability, microalgae incorporation to biomass and nutrient removal, was studied. HRT hinted at a significant influence in the growth rate of algae, while F/M turned out to be important for stability when algae are incorporated into the biomass. This parameter also affects the total nitrogen removal of the treatment. Stable flocs with incorporated algae and supernatants with low free swimming algae concentrations were obtained at high HRT and low F/M values.

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Donghan Kang ◽  
Keugtae Kim

Algal–bacterial consortium is a promising technology, combined with wastewater treatment plants, because algae produce molecular oxygen for nitrification and organic removal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However, algal–bacterial consortia based on suspended growth require a relatively long hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 4 d to 6 d for removal of organic matter and nutrients. For the algal–bacterial consortia in a photobioreactor (PBR) containing a moving bed, the organic matter and nutrient removal and the community structure of algal–bacterial consortia were investigated to determine the performance under a relatively short HRT of 2.5 d. Moving media containing algal–bacterial consortia enhanced the photosynthetic oxygen concentration (0.2 mg dissolved oxygen (DO)·L−1 to 5.9 mg DO·L−1), biochemical oxygen demand removal (88.0% to 97.2%), ammoniacal nitrogen removal (33.8% to 95.3%), total nitrogen removal (61.6% to 87.7%), total phosphate removal (66.4% to 88.7%), algal growth (149.3 mg algae·L−1 to 285.4 mg algae·L−1), and settleability (algae removal efficiency of 20.6% to 71.2%) compared with those of a PBR without moving media (SPBR). Although biomass uptake was the main mechanism for nutrient removal in the SPBR, both biomass uptake and denitrification were the main mechanisms in the PBR with moving media (MBPBR). The bacterial community also changed under the moving media condition. This study shows that moving media might be an essential parameter for PBRs with a short HRT to enhance nutrient removal and settleability.


1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 135-142
Author(s):  
E. Görgün ◽  
N. Artan ◽  
D. Orhon ◽  
R. Tasli

Effective nitrogen removal is now required to protect water quality in sensitive coastal areas. This involves a much more difficult treatment process than for conventional domestic sewage as wastewater quantity and quality exhibits severe fluctuations in touristic zones. Activated sludge is currently the most widely used wastewater treatment and may be upgraded as a predenitrification system for nitrogen removal. Interpretation of nitrification and denitrification kinetics reveal a number of useful correlations between significant parameters such as sludge age, C/N ratio, hydraulic retention time, total influent COD. Nitrogen removal potential of predenitrification may be optimized by careful evaluation of wastewater character and the kinetic correlations.


1992 ◽  
Vol 26 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 461-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. E. Albertson ◽  
P. Hendricks

A 1630 L/s activated sludge plant at Phoenix was limited to an average rate of 1050 L/s and operated, at 400-600 mg/L MLSS and 0.8-1.3 day solids retention time (SRT) due to bulking sludge and limited clarification capacity. Higher SRTs also produced uncontrolled Nocardia foaming and low dissolved oxygen due to partial nitrification. The City retained the services of a team of consultants to resolve these problems as well as to upgrade the plant to provide nitrification and total nitrogen removal. An anoxic selector design was implemented within the existing basin and the clarifiers were modified to improve inlet design and sludge transport. The modified advanced wastewater treatment (AWT) plant operating at 1450 L/s has averaged an effluent of 7.6 mg/L BOD5, 8.2 mg/L TSS, 1.3 mg/L NH4N, 4.1 mg/L NO3N and 2.9 mg/L TP. Oxygen transfer efficiency has increased about 80% in the nitrification-denitrification (NdeN) mode. The cost of modification/upgrading to AWT was approximately $730,000 and a 400 L/s increase in hydraulic capacity was realized. Upgrading costs were $5.63/m3 ($0.02/gal.)


REAKTOR ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-25
Author(s):  
Ariani Dwi Astuti ◽  
Dewi Intania Ayu

Tofu which is made by grinding soy bean, generates huge amount of wastewater and thus considered as one of the most polluted food-industrial effluent owing to its high values of organic contents. The small industries of tofu preparation process release the wastewater directly into the water body without being treated first. Prior to discharge this wastewater into the waterbody, the wastewater must be treated to reduce the possibility of negative impact and the contamination of the waterbody. For these small industries, the best alternative of wastewater treatment is one which has the following criteria: easy in operation, low cost operation, low volumes of sludge produced, and can be used in high concentration wastewater. In this research, bioreactor anaerobic-aerobic with media bioball is used. The highest removal efficiency of COD took place in anaerobic zones. Bioreactors were operated with the variations of retention time at 24 hours, 18 hours, and 12 hours. The COD removal efficiency for Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) of 24 hours, 18 hours and 12 hours were found 90.3% (organic loading rate is 15.1 kg COD/m3.day), 84.4% and 76.3% respectively. The experiment showed that the longer of the hydraulic retention time (HRT), the higher the removal efficiency could be achieved. These occurred because a longer HRT will extend the contact time between wastewater and microorganisms attached. Therefore, microorganisms have a longer time to degrade organic matter in wastewater. Although the removal efficiency in these three-HRT was found high, the effluent of the reactor was still above the effluent standard based on regulation of Ministry of Environmental Permen LH No. 5/2014. Kinetics using Eckenfelder Equation results R2 equal to 0.9991, n equal to 0.293 and K equivalent to 7.3577 mg/L. Keywords: tofu wastewater, anaerobe, aerobe, bioball, wastewater, treatment, attached growth


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Whitton ◽  
Martina Santinelli ◽  
Marc Pidou ◽  
Francesco Ometto ◽  
Rita Henderson ◽  
...  

Abstract Immobilising microalgal cells has been proposed as a process solution to overcome the barriers associated with the implementation of microalgae for wastewater remediation. This work evaluated the performance and remediation mechanisms of immobilised microalgae for continuous wastewater treatment under varying hydraulic retention times (HRT). Three domestic secondary wastewaters with differing concentrations of orthophosphate (PO4-P), ammonium (NH4-N) and nitrate (NO3-N) were treated by Scenedesmus obliquus immobilised within 2% calcium alginate. Trials were run in continuous operation at HRTs of 3, 6, 12 and 20 h. Removal rates for PO4-P improved with increasing HRT, with minimum residual concentrations of 0.3–3.1 mg·L−1 observed at 3 h and 0.01–0.2 mg·L−1 at 20 h. Ammonium remediation was not linked to HRT or NH4+ concentration with minimum residual concentrations of <0.001 mg·L−1. Reduction in NO3-N improved with increasing HRT, with minimum residual concentrations of ≤19.3 at 3 h and ≤0.4 mg·L−1 at 20 h. Remediation was achieved through a combination of mechanisms including biological uptake and precipitation as a by-product of photosynthesis and nutrient metabolism. As such, immobilised microalgae have been proven to be an effective alternative solution for PO43− and NH4+ remediation of wastewater effluents at HRTs of 6–12 h.


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