A predictive model for N2O production in anammox-granular sludge reactors: Combined effects of nitrite/ammonium ratio and organic matter concentration

Once the use of anammox reactors has been increasing on a global scale, it is important to understand the mechanisms of N₂O emissions and how to minimise the emissions by optimising the operating conditions. In this study, the influence of chemical oxygen demand (COD) (from 0 mgO₂ L^-1 to 100 mgO₂ L^-1) and nitrite/ammonium ratio from 0.79 to 2.21 (maintaining ammonium at 100 mgN L^-1 and varying nitrite from 79 mgN L^-1 to 221 mgN L^-1) in the N₂O emissions from anammox-granular sludge reactor was investigated in two steps. Step 1 consisted of batch tests, using central composite design, and Step 2, long-term operation of a 6.5 L continuous up-flow reactor. The results showed that the N₂O emissions were minimized by controlling, in the influent, the NO₂^--N/NH₄⁺-N ratio from 1.1 to 1.3 and maintaining the COD concentration below 100 mgO₂ L^-1. TN removal efficiencies were higher than 70% in all conditions tested".

Poultry slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plant for high quality effluent

This paper assesses a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) regarding the technology used, as well as organic matter and nutrient removal efficiencies aiming to optimize the treatment processes involved and wastewater reclamation. The WWTP consists of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) system, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, an aerated-facultative pond (AFP) and a chemical-DAF system. The removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD) (97.9 ± 1.0%), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (98.6 ± 1.0%) and oil and grease (O&G) (91.1 ± 5.2%) at the WWTP, the nitrogen concentration of 17 ± 11 mg N-NH3 and phosphorus concentration of 1.34 ± 0.93 mg PO4(-3)/L in the final effluent indicate that the processes used are suitable to comply with discharge standards in water bodies. Nitrification and denitrification tests conducted using biomass collected at three AFP points indicated that nitrification and denitrification could take place in the pond.

Post-treatment of anaerobic effluent by ozone and ozone/UV of a kraft cellulose pulp mill

Pulp and paper mill effluents represent a challenge when treatment technologies are considered, not only to reduce organic matter, but also to reduce the toxicological effects. Although anaerobic treatment has shown promising results, as well as advantages when compared with an aerobic system, this process alone is not sufficient to reduce recalcitrant compounds. Thus, an advanced oxidation process was applied. This experiment was performed to determine the effect of ozone and ozone/UV treating a horizontal anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor effluent from a kraft cellulose pulp mill for 306 days with an organic volumetric load of 2.33 kgCOD/m³/day. The removal of organic compounds was measured by the following parameters: adsorbable organically bound halogens (AOX), total phenols, chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved organic carbon and absorbance values in the UV-visible spectral region. Moreover, ecotoxicity and genotoxicity tests were conducted before and after treatment with ozone and ozone/UV. At an applied ozone dosage of 0.76 mgO₃/mgCOD and an applied UV dosage of 3.427 Wh/m(3), the organochlorine compounds measured as AOX reached removal efficiencies of 40%. Although the combination of ozone/UV showed better results in colour (79%) and total phenols (32%) compared with only ozone, the chronic toxicity and the genotoxicity that had already been removed in the anaerobic process were slightly increased.

Biodegradability and toxicity assessment of bleach plant effluents treated anaerobically

As part of an experimental project on the treatment of bleach plant effluents the results of biodegradability and toxicity assessment of effluents from a bench-scale horizontal anaerobic immobilized bioreactor (HAIB) are discussed in this paper. The biodegradability of the bleach plant effluents from a Kraft pulp mill treated in the HAIB was evaluated using the modified Zahn-Wellens test. The inoculum came from a pulp mill wastewater treatment plant and the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was used as the indicator of organic matter removal. The acute and chronic toxicity removal during the anaerobic treatment was estimated using Daphnia similis and Ceriodaphnia silvestrii respectively. Moreover, the evaluation of chromosome aberrations (CA), micronucleus frequencies (MN) and mitotic index (IM) in Allium cepa cells were used as genotoxicity indicators. The results indicate that the effluents from the anaerobic reactor are amenable to aerobic polishing. Acute and chronic toxicity were reduced by 90 and 81%, respectively. The largest CA and MN incidence in the meristematic cells of A. cepa were observed after exposure to the raw bleach plant effluent. The HAIB was able to reduce the acute and chronic toxicity as well as chromosome aberrations and the occurrence of micronucleus.

Toxicity and recalcitrant compound removal from bleaching pulp plant effluents by an integrated system: anaerobic packed-bed bioreactor and ozone

Effluents originated in cellulose pulp manufacturing processes are usually toxic and recalcitrant, specially the bleaching effluents, which exhibit high contents of aromatic compounds (e.g. residual lignin derivates). Although biological processes are normally used, their efficiency for the removal of toxic lignin derivates is low. The toxicity and recalcitrance of a bleached Kraft pulp mill were assessed through bioassays and ultraviolet absorption measurements, i.e. acid soluble lignin (ASL), UV(280), and specific ultraviolet absorption (SUVA), before and after treatment by an integrated system comprised of an anaerobic packed-bed bioreactor and oxidation step with ozone. Furthermore, adsorbable organic halides (AOX) were measured. The results demonstrated not only that the toxic recalcitrant compounds can be removed successfully using integrated system, but also the ultraviolet absorption measurements can be an interesting control-parameter in a wastewater treatment.

Evaluation of the anaerobic degradation of black liquor from a Kraft pulp plant with addition of organic co-substrates

The purpose of this study was to assess the anaerobic degradation of black liquor with and without additional carbon sources. Batch experiments were conducted using black liquor, from an integrated pulp and paper mill adding ethanol, methanol and nutrients. The PCR/DGGE technique was used to characterize the structure of the microbial community. The addition of extra sources of carbon did not significantly influence the degradation of black liquor under the conditions evaluated and the microbial community was similar in all experiments. It was observed an increase in some members of the archaeal in reactors that had the best efficiencies for removal of black liquor (around 7.5%). Either ethanol or methanol can be used as co-substrates because the produce the same quantitative and qualitative effect.

Preliminary evaluation of the electrochemical and chemical coagulation processes in the post-treatment of effluent from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor

The main objective of this paper was to perform a preliminary comparative study between chemical and electrochemical coagulation processes, both followed by flocculation and sedimentation of an effluent from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating simulated wastewater from an unbleached Kraft pulp mill. The electrochemical treatment removed up to 67% (with aluminum electrodes) and 82% (with stainless-steel electrodes) of the remaining chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 84% (stainless steel) and 98% (aluminum) of the color in the wastewater. These efficiencies were achieved with an energy consumption ranging from 14 to 20 Wh l(-1). The coagulation-flocculation treatment with ferric chloride and aluminum sulfate removed up to 87% and 90% of COD and 94% and 98% of color, respectively. The addition of a high molecular weight cationic polymer enhanced both COD and color removal efficiencies. The two post-treatment processes proved to be technically feasible; however the economical feasibility could not be assessed since the experiments were performed with small reactors that could distort scale factors.

Moisture adsorption and desorption behavior of sludge powder

In this work, the moisture adsorption and desorption isotherms were determined with the aim of defining the range of moisture content for storage of sludge powder. Equilibrium moisture content provides the basis for information not only on how much water has been taken out of a system but also on how fast drying is taking place (drying rate). Once the drying process is accomplished, the main concern rests on the storage of the dried final product. Still, the equilibrium moisture content is valuable information in that it has a major effect on the product physical and chemical properties. The present work also addresses the problem of selecting the best fit for equilibrium moisture content of sludge powder out of six well-known correlations for moisture sorption isotherms of solids: Henderson, Henderson-Thompson, Chung-Pfost, Chen-Clayton, Modified Halsey and Oswin. The equilibrium moisture content was determined by the static method (saturated salt solutions), in which the atmosphere surrounding the product is in equilibrium with the product without mechanical movement of the air or the product. Experiments were carried out under isothermal conditions at 20 and 40 degrees C. By calculating the regression coefficient, the residuals and the bias measure of Box for the equilibrium moisture content, the study showed that the Oswin Model was the most suitable. The range enclosed within the adsorption isotherm at 40 degrees C and the desorption isotherm at 20 degrees C defines the moisture extremes for storage in most tropical areas of the world.

Evaluation of a upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor with partial recirculation of effluent used to treat wastewaters from pulp and paper plants

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a UASB reactor treating diluted black liquor from a Kraft pulp mill, which simulates an unbleached Kraft plant wastewater, under different operational conditions, including partial recycling of the effluent. The reactor's performance was evaluated from the standpoint of COD, pH, volatile acid concentration, alkalinity, concentration of methane in the biogas, and microbiological examinations of the sludge. Without recirculation the reduction of the HRT from 36 to 30h did not significantly affect the average COD removal efficiency. The parameter displaying the greatest variation was the average concentration of effluent volatile acids, which increased by 16%. With recirculation the reduction of the HRT from 30 to 24h increased the average COD removal efficiency from 75% to 78%. In this case, the average effluent alkalinity also showed an increase. The use of partial recirculation of the effluent did not improve significantly the COD removal under the operational conditions tested in this work, but it was possible to operate the reactor with lower hydraulic retention time without disintegration of the granules.

Use of electrochemical oxidation process as post-treatment for the effluents of a UASB reactor treating cellulose pulp mill wastewater

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the electrochemical oxidation process as a post-treatment for the effluents of a bench-scale UASB reactor treating simulated wastewater from an unbleached pulp plant. The oxidation process was performed using a single compartment cell with two plates as electrodes. The anode was made of Ti/Ru0.3Ti0.7O2 and the cathode of stainless steel. The following variables were evaluated: current density (75, 150 and 225 mA cm(-2)) and recirculation flow rate in the electrochemical cell (0.22, 0.45 and 0.90 L h(-1)). The increase in current density from 75 to 225 mA cm(-2) did not increased the color removal efficiency for the tested flow rates, 0.22, 0.45 and 0.90 L h(-1), however the energy consumption increased significantly. The results indicated the technical feasibility of the electrochemical treatment as post-treatment for UASB reactors treating wastewaters from pulp and paper plants.

UASB performance for bleached and unbleached kraft pulp synthetic wastewater treatment

This paper presents the performance of two bench scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactors (UASB) used for the treatment of synthetic substrates that simulate bleached and unbleached cellulose pulp plant wastewaters. The control reactor was fed with diluted black liquor and the treatment reactor with the same substrate plus a mixture of chlorinated organics. The total concentration of the chlorinated compounds was gradually increased from 2.5 mg l-1 to 15.0 mg l-1. The average COD removal efficiency during the last phase of the experiment was 81% in the control reactor and 76% in the treatment reactor. These results indicate the capability of UASB reactors to treat this kind of wastewater and the low impact of the chlorinated organics on COD removal efficiency. The minimum overall chlorinated organics removal efficiency was 71% and the maximum was 99.7%. The experiment indicates that under the conditions used in this research the presence of chlorinated organics does not negatively impact the treatment process.

Assessment of electrochemical and chemical coagulation as post-treatment for the effluents of a UASB reactor treating cellulose pulp mill wastewater

This paper presents results from exploratory experiments to test the technical feasibility of electrolytic treatment and coagulation followed by flocculation and sedimentation as post-treatment for the effluent of an UASB reactor treating simulated wastewater from an unbleached Kraft pulp mill. The electrolytic treatment provided up to 67% removal of the remaining COD and 98% of color removal. To achieve these efficiencies the energy consumption ranged from 14 Wh x l(-1) to 20 Wh x l(-1). The coagulation-flocculation treatment followed by settling required 350-400 mg x l(-1) of aluminium sulfate. The addition of a high molecular weight cationic polymer enhanced both COD and color removal. Both post-treatment processes are technically feasible.

The influence of thermal stratification on the hydraulic behavior of waste stabilization ponds

Thermal stratification, which is characterized by a high vertical thermal gradient, is usually observed in deep lakes. However, although waste stabilization ponds have small depths, their high turbidity provides favorable conditions for the occurrence of this phenomenon, mainly during summer. During that time of the year, the layers nearest to the surface concentrate a larger amount of thermal energy compared to the deeper layers, which results in a temperature difference between the surface and the bottom of the pond. As a consequence a density profile appears, with the less dense layers located at the surface of the pond and the densest ones close to the bottom. This stratification in the water column induces alterations in the flow pattern and a decrease of the useful volume of the pond. This paper presents a mathematical model developed to forecast the conditions of thermal stratification in waste stabilization ponds and the volume actually used for wastewater treatment. With these values it is possible to correct the average residence time of the liquid in the pond. The theoretical results were compared with experimental observations, and maximum differences of 15% between the calculated and observed temperature profiles were found.

Use of lysis and recycle to control excess sludge production in activated sludge treatment: bench scale study and effect of chlorinated organic compounds

The most widely used treatment system in the pulp and paper industry--the activated sludge--produces high quantities of sludge which need proper disposal. In this paper a modified activated sludge process is presented. A synthetic wastewater, prepared to simulate the effluent of bleached and unbleached pulp and paper plant wastewater, was submitted to treatment in a bench scale aerobic reactor. The excess sludge was lysed in a mechanical mill--Kaddy mill--and totally recycled to the aeration tank. In the first phase the synthetic wastewater, without the chlorinated compounds, was fed to the reactor. In the second phase increasing dosages of the chlorinated compounds were used. Total recycle of excess sludge after disintegration did not produce adverse effects. During the first phase average COD removal efficiency was 65% for the control unit, which operated in a conventional way, and 63% for the treatment unit, which operated with total recycle. During the second phase the COD removal efficiency increased to 77% in the control unit and 75% in the treatment unit. Chlorinated organics removal was 85% in the treatment unit and 86% for the control unit. These differences are not significant.

Phylogenetic relationships among Brazilian Biomphalaria species (Mollusca: Planorbidae) based upon analysis of ribosomal ITS2 sequences

In spite of their abundance, widespread distribution and medical importance, the phylogenetic relationships among Biomphalaria snails have received relatively little attention. We have collected and studied 29 populations of snails obtained from different localities from Brazil. We have sequenced the ribosomal DNA second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) from the following Biomphalaria species: B. glabrata, B. tenagophila tenagophila, B. occidentalis, B. straminea, B. peregrina, B. kuhniana, B. schrammi, B. amazonica, B. oligoza, B. intermedia and an outgroup species Helisoma duryi. The sequence from each species is unique. Three different methods of phylogenetic reconstruction were used (distance, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood). The resulting phylogenetic trees obtained by these methods basically support current systematic relationships based on morphological characters alone. This study demonstrates that the ITS2 region contains markers useful for identification and determination of relationships among Biomphalaria species.