Performance of intermittently aerated up-flow sludge bed reactor and sequencing batch reactor treating industrial estate wastewater: a comparative study

Concurrent removal of carbon and nutrients in a one-stage dual internal circulation airlift A2O bioreactor from milk processing industrial wastewater: Process optimization, sludge characteristics and operating cost evaluation

In this work, a one-stage dual internal circulation airlift anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (DCAL-A2O) bioreactor was continuously operated for concurrent removal of nutrients and organics from milk processing wastewater (MPW). Special configuration of the airlift A2O bioreactor created possibility of the formation of desired anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic zones in a single unit. The process functionality of the bioreactor was examined under three influential operating variables i.e. hydraulic retention time (HRT; 7-15 h), air flow rate (AFR; 1-3 L/min) and aerobic volume ratio (AVR; 0.324-0.464). The optimum region was identified at HRT of 13h, AFR of 2L/min and AVR of 0.437, leading to TCOD, TN and TP removal efficiency of 94.5 %, 59.6 %, and 62.2 %, respectively, and effluent turbidity of 8 NTU. The impact of feed biodegradability on the process performance of the bioreactor treating the MPW, soft drink wastewater (SDW) and soybean oil plant wastewater (SOW) was also assessed. From the results, the feed characteristics affected significantly the nutrients removal. Moreover, the feeding location played an effective role in the nutrient removal while treating the MPW at optimum operating conditions. In this study, the change in residual organic matters as soluble microbial products (SMP) was monitored at various operating conditions. In addition, the impact of SMP extracted from sludge, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) comprising of loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) was analyzed on sludge characteristics as bio-flocculation and settleability properties. According to the obtained data, the increase in operating variables led to the reduction in contents of effluent SMP, sludge SMP, LB-EPS, turbidity, and SVI, thereby, the enhancement in the sludge characteristics. Meanwhile, analysis of microbial communities verified the presence of various functional bacterial species. The cost operating evaluation confirmed the cost effectiveness of the airlift A2O bioreactor in reduction of energy consumption for the MPW treatment.

Treatment capacity of a novel flexible fibre biofilm bioreactor treating high-strength milk processing wastewater

This study was focused on the capacity investigation of a novel multistage flexible fibre biofilm reactor (MS-FFBR) to treat milk processing wastewater (MPW) with high organic loading (OLR). The MS-FFBR performance was evaluated at four intermediate stages separately, and also the final effluent quality of the overall system with an influent chemical oxygen demand (COD_in) ranged from 1500 ± 20 to 6000 ± 50 mg/L and hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 8, 12, and 16 h. By comparting the bioreactors into the four stages effectively enhanced the bioreactor's performance. The maximum TCOD removal efficiency was achieved at the first stage, which was about 89 ± 20, 82 ± 20, and 78 ± 20% at HRTs of 16, 12, 8 h, and low COD_in of 1600 ± 20, 1590 ± 20, and 1673 ± 20 mg/L, respectively. However, the first stage had less contribution to TCOD removal at high COD_in concentrations, reported to be about 42 ± 4%, 46 ± 4%, and 25 ± 4% at COD_in of 5960 ± 40, 5830 ± 40, and 5870 ± 40 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the MS-FFBR was effective in removing total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity. The bioreactor has reduced the effluent turbidity to 9.0 ± 0.2, 20.0 ± 0.6, and 16.1 ± 0.5 NTU at low COD_in concentrations of 1600 ± 20, 1590 ± 20, and 1670 ± 20 mg/L and HRTs of 16, 12, and 8 h, respectively. The bioreactor revealed a high COD removal rate increased from 2.3 ± 0.1 to 12.2 ± 0.4 kg TCOD/m³d by increasing the OLR from 2.4 ± 0.1 to 17.6 ± 0.4 kg TCOD/m³d, confirming high reactor capacity for treatment of high-strength wastewater. Kinetic studies confirmed that the biomass yield was low at various HRTs ranging from 0.1 to 0.2 gVSS/gCOD.

Simultaneous Removal of Organic Matter and Nutrients from High Strength Organic Wastewater Using Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR)

Industrial wastewater discharges often contain high levels of organic matter and nutrients, which can lead to eutrophication and constitute a serious hazard to receiving waters and aquatic life. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of using a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to treat high-strength organic wastewater for the removal of both chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). At a constant COD concentration of approximately 1000 mg/L, the effects of cycle time (3 and 9 h) and various C:N:P ratios (100:5:2, 100:5:1, 100:10:1, and 100:10:2) were investigated using four identical SBRs (R1, R2, R3, and R4). According to experimental data, a significant high removal, i.e., 90%, 98.5%, and 84.8%, was observed for COD, NH3-N, and PO43−-P, respectively, when C:N:P was 100:5:1, at a cycle time of 3 h. Additionally, when cycle time was increased to 9 h, the highest levels of COD removal (95.7%), NH3-N removal (99.6%), and PO43−-P removal (90.31%) were accomplished. Also, in order to comprehend the primary impacts and interactions among the various process variables, the data was statistically examined using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a 95% confidence level, which revealed that the interaction of cycle time and C/N ratio, cycle time and C/P ratio is significant for COD and NH3-N removal. However, the same interaction was found to be insignificant for PO43−-P removal. Sludge volume index (SVI30 and SVI10) and sludge settleability were studied, and the best settling was found in R3 with SVI30 of 55 mL/g after 9 h. Further evidence that flocs were present in reactors came from an average ratio of SVI 30/SVI 10 = 0.70 after 9 h and 0.60 after 3 h.

Aeration and non-aeration cycles (AE/NA) time: influence in combined organic matter and nitrogen removal and features of biofilm

This research aimed the performance evaluation of a structured bed reactor with different cycles of Intermittent Aeration (IA)(SBRRIA) in the municipal sewage treatment and the verification of the effect of IA cycles on the total nitrogen (TN) removal and organic matter (COD). Three IA cycles were evaluated: phase I (4 h AE (aeration on) - 2 h NA (aeration off)); II (2 h AE-1 h NA) and III (2 h AE-2 h NA), with Hydraulic Retention Time of 16 h. The best nitrogen removal was obtained during phase II, with the lowest non-aeration time: efficiency of nitrification, denitrification, TN and COD removal of 80 ± 15%, 82 ± 12%, 67 ± 6% and 94 ± 7%, respectively. The mean cell residence time was 19, 26 and 33 d in phases I, II and III, respectively. The statistical analysis applied to the AE/NA profiles showed that the time of AE and NA in the cycles did not influence nitrogen and organic matter removal. Thus, this indicates the recirculation and the gradient formed in the support material facilitate the process of Simultaneous Nitrification and Denitrification. The lowest concentration of nitrifying and denitrifying microorganisms was obtained in effluent and sludge at the end of phase III. From the TP (Total Proteins)/TPS (Total Polysaccharides) ratio obtained (0.8 ± 0.1, 1.3 ± 0.1 e 1.5 ± 0.1 in phases I, II and III), it was possible to conclude that the biofilm in phase I was more porous, with a thin layer if compared to that in phase II and III.

Municipal wastewater sludge rheology: Impact of temperature, solid content, and settling solids

The analysis of the rheological properties of the sludge produced in biological purification plants is paramount for the design of equipment (pumping, mixing, conditioning, aeration, filtration, etc.) and the management of these plants. In particular, solid content in the sludge plays a significant role in the rheological quantities. In this study, an investigation of the sludge rheology produced in different sectors of an activated sludge plant (aerated sludge, recirculation sludge, and thickened sludge) has been performed. Specifically, for each sludge sample, various physical-chemical parameters have been analyzed, and rheological tests have been performed at different temperatures (10°C, 20°C, 30°C, and 40°C ± 0.1). The sludge was considered as a non-Newtonian Bingham fluid. Viscosity and critical stress were determined, and their dependence at different temperatures, on some physical parameters, such as solid content and settling solids, has been studied. Results evidenced that viscosity and critical stress increase with increasing solid concentration. Moreover, at the same concentration, as the temperature increases, the viscosity decreases, whereas the critical stress decreases until temperature values of about 30°C and then increases again. PRACTITIONER POINTS: An investigation of the sludge rheology produced in different sectors of an activated sludge plant has been performed. For each sludge sample, various physical-chemical parameters have been analyzed, and rheological tests have been performed at different temperatures. Viscosity and critical stress were determined, and their dependence at different temperatures, on some physical parameters, has been studied. Results evidenced that viscosity and critical stress increase with increasing solid concentration.

A new anti-fouling polysulphone nanofiltration membrane blended by amine-functionalized MCM-41 for post treating waste stabilization pond's effluent

Developing an effective and stable separation membrane for water treatment is of much interest while challenging because of the restrictions of membrane fouling and water flux reduction. To minimize this problem, in this work, highly porous and hydrophilic nanostructure of NH₂-modified MCM-41 (NH₂-MCM-41) was embedded successfully into the nanofiltration (NF) membrane body via commonly used phase inversion method. The unmodified and modified nanofiller was analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-Ray powder diffractometry (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. Furthermore, the modified membranes were characterized through surface and cross section FE-SEM images, the membrane surface roughness, hydrophilicity, antifouling properties and dye rejection. Benefiting from porous networks and enhanced hydrophilicity, the mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) revealed more prominent hydrophilic property as well as higher pure water flux (PWF) compared with naked membrane. The polysulphone (PSf) membrane modified with NH₂-MCM-41-1.0 exhibited the highest pure water flux (PWF) of 65.43 kg/m².h and superior antifouling characteristics with a flux recovery ratio (FRR) of around 97.0% and an irreversible fouling resistance (R_ir) of 3.2%. Furthermore, the optimal membrane possessed high dye rejection (100%) and antifouling capacity (FRR of 97%) while filtering a field sample, effluent from a local stabilization pond treating municipal wastewater. The fabricated membrane in this study is believed to pave pathways for constructing NF membranes with superior effectiveness for other municipal and industrial wastewaters treatment.

Combined UMBAF-MBAF process treating detergent wastewater

A combined process of the upflow multimedium biological aerated filter (UMBAF) and the multimedia biological aerated filter (MBAF) treating detergent wastewater was investigated in this study. Results showed that the optimal filtration rate of the combined system was 1.4 m/hr while the optimized performance was observed at air to water ratio of 2:1. The average removal rate of chemical oxygen demand (COD), linear alkyl benzene sulfonate sodium (LAS), and total phosphate (TP) was up to 91.4%, 88.5%, and 40%, respectively, while the average effluent concentrations of COD, LAS, and TP under stable operation states were 35.0 mg/L, 7.0 mg/L, and 4.4 mg/L, respectively. UMBAF played a major role in TP removal; the removal of COD in the combined UMBAF and MBAF process was consistent with the general formula C = C₀ e ^{-(ah + b)} , while the kinetic model of LAS removal in the combined UMBAF and MBAF process could be expressed by L = L₀ e^{-(mh + n)} . The combined UMBAF-MBAF process provides a promising technology for the treatment of detergent wastewater. The kinetic model of LAS removal in the UMBAF and MBAF units is helpful for the prediction of the treatment efficiency of organic pollutants. PRACTITIONER POINTS: A novel UMBAF-MBAF process was developed treating detergent wastewater. The average removal rate of COD, LAS, and TP by the combined process was up to 91.4%, 88.5%, and 40%, respectively. Kinetic models for the UMBAF-MBAF process were investigated.

Carbon-nitrogen removal in a structured-bed reactor (SBRRIA) treating sewage: Operating conditions and metabolic perspectives

The present study evaluated the efficiency of a structured-bed reactor subjected to recirculation and intermittent aeration (SBRRIA) to promote nitrogen and carbon removal from domestic sewage. The intermittent aeration and the recycling rate of 3 keeps the desired mixing degree inside the SBRRIA. Four different operational conditions were tested by varying the hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 12 to 8 h and aerated and non-aerated periods (A/NA) from 2 h/1 h and 3 h/1 h. At the THD of 8 h and A/NA of 2 h/1 h there was a decrease in the nitrification process (77.5%) due to the increase of organic matter availability, affecting the total-N removal performance. However, by increasing the aerated period from 2 h to 3 h, the nitrification efficiency rose to 91.1%, reaching a total-N removal efficiency of 79%. The system reached a maximum total-N loading removed of 0.117 kgN.m^-3.d^-1 by applying an HRT of 8 h and an intermittent aeration cycle of 3 h, aerated and 1 h non-aerated. The simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) process was related to a complex interplay among microorganisms affiliated mostly to Acidovorax sp., Comamonas sp., Dechloromonas sp., Hydrogenophaga sp., Mycobacterium sp., Rhodobacter sp., and Steroidobacter sp.

Treatment of municipal sewage with low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio via simultaneous partial nitrification, anaerobic ammonia oxidation, and denitrification (SNAD) in a non-woven rotating biological contactor

In this study, a non-woven rotating biological contactor was evaluated for the treatment of municipal sewage via simultaneous partial nitrification, anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox), and denitrification (SNAD). Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed that the dominant bacterial group in the aerobic outer layer of the biofilm was ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (65.13%), whereas anammox (47.17%) and denitrifying (38.91%) bacteria were present in the anaerobic inner layer. Response surface methodology was applied to develop mathematical models for the interaction between C/N and dissolved oxygen (DO) for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) removal. Results showed that the optimum region for SNAD was at C/N = 1.4-2.3 and DO = 0.2-0.8 mg/L. The most optimal operating condition was determined at C/N = 2.3 and DO = 0.2 mg/L, with actual removal rates of COD and TN were 83.12% and 79.13%, respectively, which are in close model consistency with model prediction (84% and 80%).

Enhancement of anaerobic digestibility of waste activated sludge using photo-Fenton pretreatment

Biological treatments, such as activated sludge process, are common methods to treat municipal and industrial wastewaters. However, they produce huge amounts of waste activated sludge (WAS). The excess sludge treatment and disposal are a challenge for wastewater treatment plants due to economic, environmental, and regulatory factors. In this study, photo-Fenton pretreatment (oxidation using hydrogen peroxide and iron catalyst aided with UV light) was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) to determine the effects of three operating parameters (H₂O₂ dosage, H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ molar ratio, and irradiation time) on disintegration and dewaterability of WAS. MLVSS removal, capillary suction time (CST) reduction, sCOD, and EPS were obtained as 70%, 25%, 12,000 mg/L, and 500 mg/L, respectively, at the optimal conditions, i.e., 725 g H₂O₂/kg TS, H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ molar ratio 80, and irradiation time 40 min. Two batch-fed completely mixed mesophilic anaerobic digesters were then operated at 15-day solid retention time (SRT) and 37 ± 0.5 °C to compare the digestibility of untreated and photo-Fenton pretreated sludge in terms of volatile solids (VS) reduction, COD removal, and biogas production at steady-state operations. Photo-Fenton pretreatment followed by anaerobic digestion of WAS was very effective and yielded 75.7% total VS reduction, 81.5% COD removal, and 0.29-0.31 m³/kg VS_fed·d biogas production rate, compared to 40.7% total VS solid reduction, 54.7% COD removal, and 0.12-0.17 m³/kg VS_fed·d biogas production rate for control. Thus, photo-Fenton can be a useful pretreatment step in sludge management.

Rheology and Microbiology of Sludge from a Thermophilic Aerobic Membrane Reactor

A thermophilic aerobic membrane reactor (TAMR) treating high-strength COD liquid wastes was submitted to an integrated investigation, with the aim of characterizing the biomass and its rheological behaviour. These processes are still scarcely adopted, also because the knowledge of their biology as well as of the physical-chemical properties of the sludge needs to be improved. In this paper, samples of mixed liquor were taken from a TAMR and submitted to fluorescent in situ hybridization for the identification and quantification of main bacterial groups. Measurements were also targeted at flocs features, filamentous bacteria, and microfauna, in order to characterize the sludge. The studied rheological properties were selected as they influence significantly the performances of membrane bioreactors (MBR) and, in particular, of the TAMR systems that operate under thermophilic conditions (i.e., around 50°C) with high MLSS concentrations (up to 200 gTS L−1). The proper description of the rheological behaviour of sludge represents a useful and fundamental aspect that allows characterizing the hydrodynamics of sludge suspension devoted to the optimization of the related processes. Therefore, in this study, the effects on the sludge rheology produced by the biomass concentration, pH, temperature, and aeration were analysed.

Application of response surface methodology to optimize the operational parameters for enhanced removal efficiency of organic matter and nitrogen: moving bed biofilm reactor

An attempt of response surface methodology (RSM) has been made for more effective utilization and optimization for considerable reduction of operational conditions such as reaction time, aeration time, energy consumption, etc. for municipal wastewater treatment process using moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). A mathematical-statistical model was developed for the second-order response surface through the fit of a polynomial function and a central composite design (CCD) in the form of a full factorial design. CCD was employed to assess the interactive effects of the three main independent operational parameters, including biocarrier filling rate (0-70 %), aeration rate (0.21-0.42 m(3) h(-1)), and reactor run time (1-15 days), on the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). Analysis of variance expressed a high coefficient of determination (R (2) = 0.84-0.95), thereby indicating that the model is significant. Using a desirability function for the highest COD (93 %), BOD (96 %), and TKN (69 %) removal, the optimum carrier filling rate, aeration rate, and reactor run time were identified to be 40 %, 0.21 m(3) h(-1), and 7 days, respectively. It shows that RSM can be a suitable method to optimize the operational parameters of MBBR with enhanced removal efficiency and less power consumption.

Removal of COD and nitrogen from animal food plant wastewater in an intermittently-aerated structured-bed reactor

This study evaluated the performance of a continuous flow structured-bed reactor in the simultaneous removal of total nitrogen (TN) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the effluent from an animal food plant. The reactor had an intermittent aeration system; hydraulic retention time (HRT) of one day; temperature of 30 °C; and recirculation ratio of five times the flow. An experimental central composite rotational delineation (CCRD) type design was used to define the aeration conditions and nitrogen load (factors) to be studied. Response surface methodology was used to analyse the influence of the factors above the results, the removal of TN and COD. It was observed that the aeration factor showed the greatest significance for the results and that the affluent TKN concentration did not have a significant effect, at a 95% level of confidence, on COD removal. Throughout the experiment, the COD/N ratio remained between 3.2 and 3.8. The best results for COD and TN removal, 80% and 88%, respectively, were obtained with 158 min of aeration on a cycle of 180 min and 255 mg L(-1) of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) in the substrate.

High rate CNP removal from a milk processing wastewater in a single ultrasound augmented up-flow anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic bioreactor

Simultaneous removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (CNP) in a single bioreactor is of high significance in terms of reactor volume and energy consumption. Therefore, in this study, an innovative up-flow anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic bioreactor (UAAASB) augmented by ultrasound was developed as a high rate single bioreactor for the simultaneous removal of nutrients from a milk processing wastewater. The ultrasonic irradiation used in this work was in the range of high frequency (1.7 MHz). The central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were applied to design the experimental conditions, model obtained data, and optimize the process. The effects of three independent variables, i.e. hydraulic retention time (HRT), aeration mode and mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration on 10 process responses were investigated. The results prove that the ultrasonic irradiation has a positive effect on the sludge settling velocity and effluent turbidity. The optimum conditions were determined as 12-15 h, 4000-5000 mg/l and 1.5-2 for HRT, MLSS concentration and aeration mode, respectively, based on removal efficiency of sCOD ⩾ 90%, TN and TP ⩾ 50%.

Determination of optimum conditions for dairy wastewater treatment in UAASB reactor for removal of nutrients

In this study, the granular sludge was generated for simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal (SNDPR) and studied on a laboratory scale. Analyzing the nutrients removal percentages from wastewater were scrutinized by using an optimization of the variables, i.e., COD:N:P ratio, OLR, aeration time, MLSS, F:M and HRT. These 6 interrelated parameters were evaluated as the process response. Microscopic observations of the performance of the SNDPR process revealed that the granules included Bacillus sp. in the bacterial community. According to these results, the UAASB system produced an effluent that lends dairy wastewater suitable for land irrigation and that this an attractive process of using granular sludge is appropriate for achieving carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal from nutrient-rich wastewater by a biological method.

Rheology of a primary and secondary sewage sludge mixture: dependency on temperature and solid concentration

The main objective of this study was to investigate the rheology of mixed primary and secondary sludge and its dependency on solid content and temperature. Results of this study showed that the temperature and solid concentration are critical parameters affecting the mixed sludge rheology. It was found that the yield stress increases with an increase in the sludge solid content and decreases with increasing temperature. The rheological behaviour of sludges was modelled using the Herschel-Bulkley model. The results of the model showed a good agreement with experimental data. Depending on the total solid content, the average error varied between 3.25% and 6.22%.