scholarly journals Nitrogen removal from wastewater in an anoxic–aerobic biofilm reactor

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. Hamoda ◽  
R. A. Bin-Fahad

A pilot plant, using a four-compartment reactor packed with Biolace media, was operated in the anoxic/aerobic submerged fixed-film (A/ASFF) and the aerobic (ASFF) modes at loadings 0.03 to 0.3 g BOD. g−1 BVS. d−1, 0.01 to 0.11 g NH3. g−1 BVS d−1, HRTs 0.7 to 8 h, C/N of 6, and 28 ± 2 °C. The system proved to be very effective in treating municipal wastewater, achieving removals up to 98% for biological oxygen demand (BOD), 75% for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 97% for ammonia. Performance was not adversely affected by a 10-fold increase in loading rate. Both modes of operation showed high specific nitrification rates up to 96 mg N. g−1 BVS d−1, but the A/ASFF was more stable and efficient at higher loadings. Its anoxic stage removed more than 90 and 60% for BOD and COD, respectively. The A/ASFF reactor also achieved denitrification, which eliminated 3.35 mg BOD (or 6.6 mg COD) versus 1 mg denitrified NO3-N, that resulted in higher organic removals. Denitrification rate increased linearly with the TON (total oxidised nitrogen) loading applied, and specific substrate removal reached up to 114 mg TON. g−1 BVS. d−1.

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed F. Hamoda ◽  
Hamed A. Al-Sharekh

Wastewater effluents from the sugar industry contain high concentrations of organic materials which are sometimes discharged into the municipal wastewater collection system and processed in wastewater treatment plants along with domestic wastewater. This study examined the performance of a four-compartment, fixed-film system in which the biofilm is attached to submerged ceramic tiles under diffused aeration, known as the aerated submerged fixed-film (ASFF) process. Field experiments were conducted using four ASFF units each of about 100 1 capacity operated at different hydraulic loading rates to provide hydraulic residence time (HRT) of 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours. Process performance was evaluated under both normal operation with domestic wastewater and under pulse and prolonged organic shock loads with sugar wastewater. The influent and effluent of the process was analyzed for solids, BOD, COD, and nitrogen forms to determine both carbonaceous and nitrogenous substrate removal. The ASFF process was found to be able to handle continuous severe organic loads increasing from about 5 to 120 g BOD/m2.d with slight decrease in organic removal efficiency from 97.9% to 88.5% for BOD and from 73.6 to 67.8% for COD. Nitrification was similarly decreased but at higher rates. The system was also able to cope with pulse injection of sugar wastewater and recovery to normal steady-state COD values was achieved in 10 hours for the 200 g COD/l spikes. An increase in the organic loading rate was accompanied by an increase in biofilm specific oxygen uptake rate until reaching a maximum which determines the optimum loading rate for process operation. Substrate removal rates were evaluated for process design.


2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Watari ◽  
Trung Cuong Mai ◽  
Daisuke Tanikawa ◽  
Yuga Hirakata ◽  
Masashi Hatamoto ◽  
...  

Conventional aerated tank technology is widely applied for post treatment of natural rubber processing wastewater in Southeast Asia; however, a long hydraulic retention time (HRT) is required and the effluent standards are exceeded. In this study, a downflow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor was installed as post treatment of anaerobic tank effluent in a natural rubber factory in South Vietnam and the process performance was evaluated. The DHS reactor demonstrated removal efficiencies of 64.2 ± 7.5% and 55.3 ± 19.2% for total chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen, respectively, with an organic loading rate of 0.97 ± 0.03 kg-COD m−3 day−1 and a nitrogen loading rate of 0.57 ± 0.21 kg-N m−3 day−1. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis of the sludge retained in the DHS also corresponded to the result of reactor performance, and both nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria were detected in the sponge carrier. In addition, anammox bacteria was found in the retained sludge. The DHS reactor reduced the HRT of 30 days to 4.8 h compared with the existing algal tank. This result indicates that the DHS reactor could be an appropriate post treatment for the existing anaerobic tank for natural rubber processing wastewater treatment.


2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 137-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Kantawanichkul ◽  
P. Neamkam ◽  
R.B.E. Shutes

Pig farm wastewater creates various problems in many areas throughout Thailand. Constructed wetland systems are an appropriate, low cost treatment option for tropical countries such as Thailand. In this study, a combined system (a vertical flow bed planted with Cyperus flabelliformis over a horizontal flow sand bed without plants) was used to treat settled pig farm wastewater . This system is suitable for using in farms where land is limited. The average COD and nitrogen loading rate of the vegetated vertical flow bed were 105 g/m2.d and 11 g/m2.d respectively. The wastewater was fed intermittently at intervals of 4 hours with a hydraulic loading rate of 3.7 cm/d. The recirculation of the effluent increased total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency from 71% to 85%. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) removal efficiencies were 95% and 98%. Nitrification was significant in vertical flow Cyperus bed, and the concentration of nitrate increased by a factor of 140. The horizontal flow sand bed enhanced COD removal and nitrate reduction was 60%. Plant uptake of nitrogen was 1.1 g N/m2.d or dry biomass production was 2.8 kg/m2 over 100 days.


2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 1566-1575 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Rathnaweera ◽  
B. Rusten ◽  
K. Korczyk ◽  
B. Helland ◽  
E. Rismyhr

Abstract A pilot-scale CFIC® (continuous flow intermittent cleaning) reactor was run in anoxic conditions to study denitrification of wastewater. The CFIC process has already proven its capabilities for biological oxygen demand removal with a small footprint, less energy consumption and low cost. The present study focused on the applicability for denitrification. Both pre-denitrification (pre-DN) and post-denitrification (post-DN) were tested. A mixture of primary treated wastewater and nitrified wastewater was used for pre-DN and nitrified wastewater with ethanol as a carbon source was used for post-DN. The pre-DN process was carbon limited and removal rates of only 0.16 to 0.74 g NOx-N/m²-d were obtained. With post-DN and an external carbon source, 0.68 to 2.2 g NO3-Neq/m²-d removal rates were obtained. The carrier bed functioned as a good filter for both the larger particles coming with influent water and the bio-solids produced in the reactor. Total suspended solids removal in the reactor varied from 20% to 78% (average 45%) during post-DN testing period and 9% to 70% (average 29%) for pre-DN. The results showed that the forward flow washing improves both the DN function and filtration ability of the reactor.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-527
Author(s):  
L. Desa ◽  
P. Kängsepp ◽  
L. Quadri ◽  
G. Bellotti ◽  
K. Sørensen ◽  
...  

Abstract Many wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in touristic areas struggle to achieve the effluent requirements due to seasonal variations in population. In alpine areas, the climate also determines a low wastewater temperature, which implies long sludge retention time (SRT) needed for the growth of nitrifying biomass in conventional activated sludge (CAS). Moreover, combined sewers generate high flow and dilution. The present study shows how the treatment efficiency of an existing CAS plant with tertiary treatment can be upgraded by adding a compact line in parallel, consisting of a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR)-coagulation-flocculation-disc filtration. This allows the treatment of influent variations in the MBBR and a constant flow supply to the activated sludge. The performance of the new 2-step process was comparable to that of the improved existing one. Regardless significant variations in flow (10,000–25,000 m3/d) and total suspended solids (TSS) (50–300 mg/L after primary treatment) the effluent quality fulfilled the discharge requirements. Based on yearly average effluent data, TSS were 11 mg/L, chemical oxygen demand (COD) 27 mg/L and total phosphorus (TP) 0.8 mg/L. After the upgrade, ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) dropped from 4.9 mg/L to 1.3 mg/L and the chemical consumption for phosphorus removal was reduced.


2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (9) ◽  
pp. 1942-1948 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. A. Razafimanantsoa ◽  
L. Ydstebø ◽  
T. Bilstad ◽  
A. K. Sahu ◽  
B. Rusten

The purpose of this project was to investigate the effect of selective particle removal during primary treatment on downstream biological nutrient removal processes. Bench-scale Salsnes Filter fine mesh sieves were used as a primary treatment to obtain different organic fractions to test the effect on denitrification. Activated sludge and moving bed biofilm reactor anoxic tests were performed on municipal wastewater collected from two full-scale wastewater treatment plants located around the Oslo region (Norway). About 43% of the suspended solids in the wastewater was less than 18 μm, and 14% was between 18 and 150 μm. The effect of particulate chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal on denitrification rates was very minor.


2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 1840-1850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nitin Kumar Singh ◽  
Absar Ahmad Kazmi ◽  
Markus Starkl

The present study summarizes the start-up performance and lessons learned during the start-up and optimization of a pilot-scale plant employing integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) process treating actual municipal wastewater. A comprehensive start-up was tailored and implemented to cater for all the challenges and problems associated with start-up. After attaining desired suspended biomass (2,000–3,000 mg/L) and sludge age (∼7 days), the average biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removals were observed as 77.3 and 70.9%, respectively, at optimized conditions, i.e. hydraulic retention time (HRT), 6.9 h; return sludge rate, 160%. The influent concentrations of COD, BOD, total suspended solids, NH3-N, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were found to be in the range of 157–476 mg/L, 115–283 mg/L, 152–428 mg/L, 23.2–49.3 mg/L, 30.1–52 mg/L and 3.6–7.8 mg/L, respectively, and the minimum effluent concentrations were achieved as ∼49 mg/L, 23 mg/L, 35 mg/L, 2.2 mg/L, 3.4 mg/L and 2.8 mg/L, respectively, at optimum state. The present system was found effective in the removal of pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, 79%; Salmonella spp., 97.5%; Shigella spp., 92.9%) as well as coliforms (total coliforms, 97.65%; faecal coliforms, 80.35%) without any disinfection unit. Moreover it was observed that the time required for the stabilization of the plant was approximately 3 weeks if other parameters (sludge age, HRT and dissolved oxygen) are set to optimized values.


2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 1793-1801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Sabzali ◽  
Mahnaz Nikaeen ◽  
Bijan Bina

Bio-carriers are an important component of integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) processes. In this study, the capability of cigarette filter rods (CFRs) as a bio-carrier in IFAS processes was evaluated. Two similar laboratory-scale IFAS systems were operated over a 4-month period using Kaldnes-K3 and CFRs as IFAS media. The process performance was studied by using chemical oxygen demand (COD). The organic loading rate was in the range 0.5–2.8 kgCOD/(m3·d). The COD average removal efficiencies were 89.3 and 93.9% for Kaldnes-K3 (reactor A) and cigarette filters (reactor B), respectively. The results demonstrate that the performance of the IFAS reactor containing CFRs was comparable to the reactor using Kaldnes. The CFRs, which have a high porous surface area and entrapment ability for microbial cells, could be successfully used in biofilm reactors as a bio-carrier.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 1880-1886 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Seca ◽  
R. Torres ◽  
A. Val del Río ◽  
A. Mosquera-Corral ◽  
J. L. Campos ◽  
...  

An airlift reactor using zeolite particles as carrier material was used for the nitrification of effluents from the aquaculture industry. During the start-up the nitrogen concentration was kept around 100 mg NH4+-N/L to develop the nitrifying population. Later it was decreased down to around 3 mg NH4+-N/L and the dilution rate was increased up to 4.8 d−1 in order to simulate the conditions in a an aquaculture waster treatment system. A nitrogen loading rate (NLR) of 535 mg NH4+-N/m2 d was fully oxidized to nitrate. Higher values of NLRs caused nitrite accumulation. A second biofilm reactor was fed with a synthetic medium containing 50 mg NH4+-N/L which simulated the effluents from anaerobic units treating domestic wastewater. A nitrogen loading rate of 400 mg NH4+-N/L d was oxidized into nitrate with an efficiency of 60% at a dilution rate of 8 d−1. Both biofilm systems allowed the development of a nitrifying population to treat the studied types of wastewaters.


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