Post-Treatment of Kennel Wastewater With Different Aeration Strategies

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the introduction of a complementary aerobic treatment composed of a submerged aerated biological filter (SABF) with a secondary clarifier (SC), followed by horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (CWs), after anaerobic units, on the ability to remove pollutants in different aeration phases (Ph1, Ph2, and Ph3) at the effluent treatment station of the Parque Francisco de Assis (PFA) dog shelter. Ph1 and Ph2 had 7 and 5 hours of daily aeration, respectively, and Ph3 had intermittent aeration every 2 hours. The phases were monitored regarding the removal efficiency of organic matter, solids, nutrients (N, P), coliforms, and detection of Giardia and Cryptosporidium. It was found that post-treatment provided greater removal efficiencies and that the aeration strategy of Ph3 showed mean efficiencies of 71% for COD removal and 77% for BOD removal, being similar or statistically higher, even with less biodegradable effluent, than those of Ph1 and Ph2. The SABF and SC removed N by nitrification and denitrification, leaving a total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) concentration in the effluent of 18 mg L−1. The CW showed potential for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND), in addition to solid filtration. The system did not satisfactorily remove thermotolerant coliforms (ThermC) (1 ± 0 log). PCR suggested the presence of the pathogens Giardia and Cryptosporidium in all post-treatment units in Ph1 and Ph2.