Impacts of a participatory approach to assess sustainable sewage treatment technologies for urban fringe of Surat city in India

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 1957-1962 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. N. Vashi ◽  
N. C. Shah

This paper describes the assessment of the sustainability of a number of different sewage treatment technologies by means of a multi-criteria, participatory method for a scattered settlement of urban fringe of Surat. The special efforts have been made for the broad participation to achieve stronger democracy, better quality of the end product, and a more effective process. The mere participation of technocrats and bureaucrats certainly lead to the greater efficiency in working methods. However, the ultimate goal of sustainable developments of such technologies could not be reached in absence of democratic participation and social learning. Keeping this important aspect in view for assessment of sustainability, the detailed study was conducted in the presence of policy makers and stakeholders, academicians, technical experts, finance managers and NGO, to find out sustainability criteria and indicators for three different sewage treatment technologies: (A) Conventional Activated Sludge Process (B) Extended Aeration System, and (C) Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactor followed by Aerated Lagoon and Polishing Pond. Technologies were compared according to four criteria subdivided into twenty operational indicators. Criteria and indicators were evaluated as in a weighted-scale matrix. In India, sustainability criteria used in this type of comparisons are often restricted to a limited set of environmental impacts and financial costs but in this study additional criteria were evaluated including economic, social, and technical aspects. Based on the values assigned by the panel, the Sustainability Index (SI) was calculated for each technology. According to the SI and a predefined scale, sustainability was medium for options A and B, whereas high for option C. The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for the selection of a particular technology based on a rational and democratic assessment of its contribution to sustainability in the local and global context.

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (9) ◽  
pp. 1951-1960 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Cabral ◽  
A. L. Sanson ◽  
R. J. C. F. Afonso ◽  
C. A. L. Chernicharo ◽  
J. C. Araújo

Abstract Two bioreactors were investigated as an alternative for the post-treatment of effluent from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating domestic sewage, aiming at dissolved sulfide and methane removal. The bioreactors (R-control and R-air) were operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRT; 6 and 3 h) with or without aeration. Large sulfide and methane removal efficiencies were achieved by the microaerated reactor at HRT of 6 h. At this HRT, sulfide removal efficiencies were equal to 61% and 79%, and methane removal efficiencies were 31% and 55% for R-control and R-air, respectively. At an HRT of 3 h, sulfide removal efficiencies were 22% (R-control) and 33% (R-air) and methane removal did not occur. The complete oxidation of sulfide, with sulfate formation, prevailed in both phases and bioreactors. However, elemental sulfur formation was more predominant at an HRT of 6 h than at an HRT of 3 h. Taken together, the results show that post-treatment improved the anaerobic effluent quality in terms of chemical oxygen demand and solids removal. However, ammoniacal nitrogen was not removed due to either the low concentration of air provided or the absence of microorganisms involved in the nitrogen cycle.


2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. von Sperling

This paper presents a comparison between three simple sewage treatment lines involving natural processes: (a) upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor–three maturation ponds in series–coarse rock filter; (b) UASB reactor–horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetland; and (c) vertical-flow constructed wetlands treating raw sewage (first stage of the French system). The evaluation was based on several years of practical experience with three small full-scale plants receiving the same influent wastewater (population equivalents of 220, 60 and 100 inhabitants) in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The comparison included interpretation of concentrations and removal efficiencies based on monitoring data (organic matter, solids, nitrogen, phosphorus, coliforms and helminth eggs), together with an evaluation of practical aspects, such as land and volume requirements, sludge production and handling, plant management, clogging and others. Based on an integrated evaluation of all aspects involved, it is worth emphasizing that each system has its own specificities, and no generalization can be made on the best option. The overall conclusion is that the three lines are suitable for sewage treatment in small communities in warm-climate regions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 680-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Walia ◽  
P. Kumar ◽  
I. Mehrotra

In India, recently, upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) based sewage treatment plants (STPs) have come up in a big way. Sequence adopted: screens- grit chambers- UASB reactors followed by one-day detention ponds (DP). Performance of DPs located at five STPs (27–70 ML/d) was evaluated over a period of one year from July 2004 to July 2005. The installation of these non-algal ponds reduced land requirement, but from treatment point of view it at best offered only removal of solids washed out of the UASB reactor. Total coliform count in the effluent from ponds ranging from 106 to 109 MPN/100 mL is more than the maximum permissible limit of 10,000 MPN/100 mL. A need has, therefore, been felt to evaluate the possibility of aerating the effluent from UASBR. During aeration, ORP and DO increase, whereas COD and BOD decrease. In a continuous aeration ~50% reduction in COD and nearly 50% increase in DO saturation (DO/DOs) can be achieved by increasing ORP from −100 to 122 mV. Regression equation established between ORP and COD/CODi & DO/DOs may find wide application.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 177-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek A. Elmitwalli ◽  
Marcel H. Zandvoort ◽  
Grietje Zeeman ◽  
Harry Bruning ◽  
Gatze Lettinga

The treatment of sewage at a temperature of 13°C was investigated in three reactors (each 3.84 litre) a UASB and two anaerobic hybrid (AH) reactors with small sludge granules with an average diameter of 0.73 mm. The media used in the AH reactors were vertical polyurethane foam sheets. The reactors were operated at a HRT of 8 h. The use of small sludge granules and operating the reactors at low upflow velocity (1.8 m/d) improved suspended COD removal efficiencies for the UASB reactor. Moreover, the use of sheets in the AH reactors significantly increased suspended COD removal efficiencies as compared to the UASB and reached to 87% for pre-settled sewage treatment. The treatment of pre-settled sewage instead of raw sewage in AH reactors significantly increased colloidal and dissolved COD removal efficiencies with 13% and 12% respectively and colloidal COD removal efficiency for the UASB reactor with 13%. At ‘steady state’ for pre-settled sewage treatment, the AH reactors removed 64% of the total COD which is significantly higher by 4% than the UASB reactor. Therefore, the anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature can be improved by treating pre-settled sewage in shallow AH reactors containing small sludge granules.


1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 189-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Franci Gonçalves ◽  
Vera Lúcia de Araújo ◽  
Carlos Augusto L. Chernicharo

This paper presents exploratory results on the association of an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket - UASB reactor (46 L) and a submerged aerated biofilter – BF (6.3 L) for domestic sewage treatment. The experimental period extended for 322 days, during which the hydraulic and organic loads were gradually increased in both reactors. Having the UASB as a reference, the following hydraulic loads were tested: 0.4 m3/m2.h (θ = 16 h); 0.6m3/m2.h (θ = 10h); 0.8 m3/m2.h (θ = 8 h); 1.0 m3/m2.h (θ = 6 h) and 1.45 m3/m2.h (θ = 4h). During the experiments carried out with the UASB reactor operating at a hydraulic detention time of 6 hours, related to a θ < 11′ in the granular media of the BF, the mean removal efficiency in terms of SS, BOD5 and COD, in both reactors, were respectively 94%, 96% and 91%. The final effluent, related to the BF effluent, presented the following mean characteristics: SS = 10 mg/L, BOD5 = 9 mg/L and COD = 38 mg/L. The results obtained in the last phase of the experiments, when the hydraulic load in the UASB reactor reached 1.45 m3/m2.h (θ = 4h), were similar to those obtained in the previous phase. These results demonstrate that submerged aerated biofilters can be considered a viable alternative for the post-treatment of effluents from UASB reactors treating domestic sewage. These reactors are capable of being operated with very short hydraulic detention times.


2011 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 1959-1966 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Syutsubo ◽  
W. Yoochatchaval ◽  
I. Tsushima ◽  
N. Araki ◽  
K. Kubota ◽  
...  

In this study, continuous operation of a pilot-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor for sewage treatment was conducted for 630 days to investigate the physical and microbial characteristics of the retained sludge. The UASB reactor with a working volume of 20.2 m3 was operated at ambient temperature (16–29 °C) and seeded with digested sludge. After 180 days of operation, when the sewage temperature had dropped to 20 °C or lower, the removal efficiency of both total suspended solids (TSS) and total biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) deteriorated due to washout of retained sludge. At low temperature, the cellulose concentration of the UASB sludge increased owing to the rate limitation of the hydrolytic reaction of suspended solids in the sewage. However, after an improvement in sludge retention (settleability and concentration) in the UASB reactor, the process performance stabilized and gave sufficient results (68% of TSS removal, 75% of total BOD removal) at an hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 9.7 h. The methanogenic activity of the retained sludge significantly increased after day 246 due to the accumulation of Methanosaeta and Methanobacterium following the improvement in sludge retention in the UASB reactor. Acid-forming bacteria from phylum Bacteroidetes were detected at high frequency; thus, these bacteria may have an important role in suspended solids degradation.


1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Augusto L. Chernicharo ◽  
Marcílio dos Reis Cardoso

This paper presents the development and field evaluation of a partitioned UASB reactor, conceived for the treatment of domestic sewage from small villages and areas with large variation of the daily flowrate. In such situations, conventional single compartment UASB reactors are submitted to very extreme hydraulic conditions, that can disturb the behaviour of the treatment system. In the partitioned reactor, which is constituted of three digestion compartments, three gas separation devices and a single settler compartment, an adequate distribution of the variable incoming wastewater into one, two or three digestion chambers, allows the establishment of more stable up flow velocities and less occurrence of dead zones. As a result, a better contact between substrate and biomass can be achieved and an improved performance of the system can be expected. The partitioned UASB reactor was evaluated during a period of 16 months of continuous operation. The system presented a vary good performance during most of the operational period, showing very high efficiencies when the reactor was operated at a HRT of 7.5 hours. In this phase, the unit presented COD removal efficiencies around 80% and an average SS concentration in the final effluent of 32 mgSS/L. The research is still going on, focussing on the evaluation of the system under higher hydraulic loads and on the assessment of sludge activity and dehydration potential. Due to the operational simplicity and low cost of the system, it is believed that this type of reactor can become a very attractive alternative for domestic sewage treatment in small villages, particularly in Brazil where the number of rural areas with wastewater treatment is negligible.


1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. T. de Sousa ◽  
E. Foresti

Domestic sewage treatment in up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors has presented significant results in tropical regions. This reactor configuration has proven to be efficient in removing organic matter and total suspended solids as well as in producing smaller amounts of excess sludge than conventional aerobic reactor. On the other hand, its effluent often requires to be post-treated in order to achieve the emission standards. This paper is concerned with the alternative proposed here for treating domestic sewage in a combined anaerobic-aerobic system composed of an UASB reactor followed by sequencing batch aerobic reactors (SBR). In such a system, the UASB reactor removes considerable fraction of the influent organic matter, while the SBRs oxidize part of the remaining organic matter and ammonium nitrogen. A proper system operation would also permit the removal of nutrients (N and P). In order to investigate on the performance of this system for sewage treatment, a bench scale installation fed with synthetic substrate simulating domestic sewage was operated continuously during 38 weeks. The results permit to confirm the hypothesis proposed, since the system has consistently produced high quality effluents (BOD5 and VSS lower than 10 mg.L-1). The results also indicate that such combined anaerobic-aerobic system compete favorably with conventional aerobic systems in three essential cost features: energy consumption, excess sludge production and nutrient removal.


1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 147-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Frassinetti ◽  
Cavalcanti Catunda ◽  
Adrianus C. van Haandel

Traditionally waste stabilisation ponds (WSPs) are built as flow-through systems with an anaerobic, a facultative and one or more maturation ponds in series. The anaerobic pond can be substituted with great advantage by an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. The practical advantages are that the required volume for the UASB reactor is much smaller than the anaerobic pond (20 to 30 times) and that the biogas in the UASB reactor is captured, so that odour problems can be eliminated. The UASB reactor is neighbour friendly and can be used in densely populated areas. The UASB reactor is more efficient than the anaerobic pond, so that the residual organic load is small and the subsequent pond configuration can be designed with the specific purpose of eliminating pathogens. By adopting a plug flow regime, the required area for a particular hygienic effluent quality can be greatly reduced. Also, since the UASB effluent has good transparency, photosynthesis in the ponds is intense and pH increases due to biological carbon dioxide consumption, accelerating the death rate of pathogens and opening the possibility of reducing nutrients: Nitrogen by desorption of gaseous NH3 and phosphorus by phosphate precipitation. The fact that an odour free system with a high quality effluent can be produced in relatively small system composed by a UASB reactor + maturation ponds, increases the applicability of this system for sewage treatment in urban areas. As operation of both UASB and ponds is very simple, several small treatment plants instead of one large central unit may be constructed. Thus a very significant of the sewerage network may be achieved.


2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 2829-2839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Shi Cao ◽  
Chee Meng Ang

A laboratory-scale system consisting of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor followed by a modified Ludzack-Ettinger (MLE) activated sludge process was adopted to investigate COD and nitrogen removals in municipal sewage treatment in warm climate. The COD, SCOD, acetic acid (HAc), NH4+-N and PO43−-P conversions in the UASB reactor were investigated. A 35% reduction in volatile suspended solid (VSS) was achieved in the UASB process. The net methane (CH4) production was 0.06 l (g CODremoved)−1. Acids accumulation was not observed. In the MLE activated sludge process, nitrification was almost complete while denitrification was modest. Little excess sludge was produced as the bulk of the COD was removed in the UASB reactor, which reduced the COD mass load to the activated sludge process. The average COD and SCOD of the final effluent of the activated sludge process were 51 and 25 mg l−1, respectively and the average NH4+-N concentration of the final effluent was 3.1 mg N l−1. The results illustrated that the coupled process is feasible for COD and nitrogen removals in municipal sewage treatment in warm climate. However, the low pH of the final effluent (<6 on average) remains an issue to be solved.


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