scholarly journals Novel Treatment of Sugar Mill Wastewater in a Coupled System of Aged Refuse Filled Bioreactors (ARFB): Full-Scale

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 516
Author(s):  
Rubén Fernando Gutiérrez-Hernández ◽  
Hugo Alejandro Nájera-Aguilar ◽  
Juan Antonio Araiza-Aguilar ◽  
Rebeca Isabel Martínez-Salinas ◽  
Carlos Manuel García-Lara ◽  
...  

Sugar is the most important food supplement of our daily diet. During the production, sugar mills use a large volume of water and produce a significant amount of wastewater polluted with high organic compounds. Therefore, it is necessary to treat the wastewater before their disposal. For this reason, this article presents the results obtained from the monitoring of a coupled system of aged refuse filled bioreactors (ARFB) in full scale to treat wastewater from a sugar mill. The coupled system consists of two bioreactors (a primary one -ARFB1- and a rectification one -ARFB2-) arranged in a series with identical geometries. The ARFB1-ARFB2 system was evaluated in two stages. The first stage (maintenance period) for 28 weeks, and second stage (Zafra season) for 29 weeks. The system was fed with sugar mill wastewater (SMW) with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 2787 ± 1552 mg/L and 2601 ± 722 mg/L, respectively. As results, we observed a rapid stabilization of the system over 2 months. In addition, we found the ARFB1-ARFB2 system achieved an average COD removal of 94.9%, with a final effluent (E2) concentration below the maximum permissible limits of Mexican and international regulations for all analyzed parameters. Finally, the results of this study show that the ARFB1-ARFB2 full-scale novel technology is an efficient process for removal of the main contaminants that affect the wastewater from the sugar mills.

Author(s):  
Sara Toja Ortega ◽  
Mario Pronk ◽  
Merle K. de Kreuk

Abstract Complex substrates, like proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, are major components of domestic wastewater, and yet their degradation in biofilm-based wastewater treatment technologies, such as aerobic granular sludge (AGS), is not well understood. Hydrolysis is considered the rate-limiting step in the bioconversion of complex substrates, and as such, it will impact the utilization of a large wastewater COD (chemical oxygen demand) fraction by the biofilms or granules. To study the hydrolysis of complex substrates within these types of biomass, this paper investigates the anaerobic activity of major hydrolytic enzymes in the different sludge fractions of a full-scale AGS reactor. Chromogenic substrates were used under fully mixed anaerobic conditions to determine lipase, protease, α-glucosidase, and β-glucosidase activities in large granules (>1 mm in diameter), small granules (0.2–1 mm), flocculent sludge (0.045–0.2 mm), and bulk liquid. Furthermore, composition and hydrolytic activity of influent wastewater samples were determined. Our results showed an overcapacity of the sludge to hydrolyze wastewater soluble and colloidal polymeric substrates. The highest specific hydrolytic activity was associated with the flocculent sludge fraction (1.5–7.5 times that of large and smaller granules), in agreement with its large available surface area. However, the biomass in the full-scale reactor consisted of 84% large granules, making the large granules account for 55–68% of the total hydrolytic activity potential in the reactor. These observations shine a new light on the contribution of large granules to the conversion of polymeric COD and suggest that large granules can hydrolyze a significant amount of this influent fraction. The anaerobic removal of polymeric soluble and colloidal substrates could clarify the stable granule formation that is observed in full-scale installations, even when those are fed with complex wastewaters. Key points • Large and small granules contain >70% of the hydrolysis potential in an AGS reactor. • Flocculent sludge has high hydrolytic activity but constitutes <10% VS in AGS. • AGS has an overcapacity to hydrolyze complex substrates in domestic wastewater. Graphical abstract


2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 211-218
Author(s):  
PK Kundu ◽  
TK Acharjee ◽  
MA Mojid

The possibility of using sugar mill’s wastewater/effluent in irrigation was evaluated by investigating the effects of wastewater on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Prodip). The experiment was conducted at North Bengal Sugar Mill site in Natore during December 2011 to March 2012. Three irrigation treatments (I1: irrigation with fresh/tubewell water, I2: irrigation with a mixture of fresh and wastewater at 1:1 ratio and I3: irrigation with wastewater) under a main factor and three fertilizer treatments (F0: no application of fertilizer, F1: half dose fertilizer and F2: full dose fertilizer) under a sub factor were evaluated. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications of the treatments. Wheat was grown with three irrigations totaling 14 cm applied at 4, 26 and 43 days after sowing (DAS). Important growth and yield data of the crop were recorded. The highest grain yield of 1.829 t/ha was obtained under mixed water irrigation and the lowest grain yield of 1.469 t/ha was obtained under wastewater irrigation. The three irrigation treatments, however, provided statistically similar (p = 0.05) grain yield. For the interaction between irrigation and fertilizers, mixed water irrigation and full dose fertilizer application (I2F2) provided significantly higher grain yield (2.757 t/ha) than all other treatment combinations. The second highest yield, produced under freshwater irrigation and full dose fertilizer (I1F2), was statistically similar to the yield under wastewater irrigation and full dose fertilizer (I3F2). Results of this experiment thus exposed good prospects of irrigating wheat by sugar mills’ wastewater.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/pa.v24i1-2.19174 Progress. Agric. 24(1&2): 211 - 218, 2013


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Fatima ◽  
S. Jamal Khan

In this study, the performance of wastewater treatment plant located at sector I-9 Islamabad, Pakistan, was evaluated. This full scale domestic wastewater treatment plant is based on conventional activated sludge process. The parameters which were monitored regularly included total suspended solids (TSS), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). It was found that the biological degradation efficiency of the plant was below the desired levels in terms of COD and BOD. Also the plant operators were not maintaining consistent sludge retention time (SRT). Abrupt discharge of MLSS through the Surplus Activated sludge (SAS) pump was the main reason for the low MLSS in the aeration tank and consequently low treatment performance. In this study the SRT was optimized based on desired MLSS concentration between 3,000–3,500 mg/L and required performance in terms of BOD, COD and TSS. This study revealed that SRT is a very important operational parameter and its knowledge and correct implementation by the plant operators should be mandatory.


2017 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanjun Mao ◽  
Xie Quan ◽  
Huimin Zhao ◽  
Yaobin Zhang ◽  
Shuo Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract The activated sludge (AS) process is widely applied in dyestuff wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs); however, the nitrogen removal efficiency is relatively low and the effluent does not meet the indirect discharge standards before being discharged into the industrial park's WWTP. Hence it is necessary to upgrade the WWTP with more advanced technologies. Moving bed biofilm processes with suspended carriers in an aerobic tank are promising methods due to enhanced nitrification and denitrification. Herein, a pilot-scale integrated free-floating biofilm and activated sludge (IFFAS) process was employed to investigate the feasibility of enhancing nitrogen removal efficiency at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The results showed that the effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrate (NH4+-N) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations of the IFFAS process were significantly lower than those of the AS process, and could meet the indirect discharge standards. PCR-DGGE and FISH results indicated that more nitrifiers and denitrifiers co-existed in the IFFAS system, promoting simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. Based on the pilot results, the IFFAS process was used to upgrade the full-scale AS process, and the effluent COD, NH4+-N and TN of the IFFAS process were 91–291 mg/L, 10.6–28.7 mg/L and 18.9–48.6 mg/L, stably meeting the indirect discharge standards and demonstrating the advantages of IFFAS in dyestuff wastewater treatment.


Author(s):  
Jakub Drewnowski ◽  
Jacek Makinia ◽  
Lukasz Kopec ◽  
Francisco-Jesus Fernandez-Morales

The biodegradation of particulate substrates starts by a hydrolytic stage. Hydrolysis is a slow reaction and usually becomes the rate limiting step of the organic substrates biodegradation. The objective of this work was to evaluate a novel hydrolysis concept based on a modification of the activated sludge model (ASM2d) and to compare it with the original ASM2d model. The hydrolysis concept was developed in order to accurately predict the use of internal carbon sources in enhanced biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes at a full scale facility located in northern Poland. Both hydrolysis concepts were compared based on the accuracy of their predictions for the main processes taking place at a full-scale facility. From the comparison, it was observed that the modified ASM2d model presented similar predictions to those of the original ASM2d model on the behavior of chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4-N, NO3-N, and PO4-P. However, the modified model proposed in this work yield better predictions of the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) (up to 5.6 and 5.7%) as well as in the phosphate release and uptake rates.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 57-62
Author(s):  
Fiza Sarwar ◽  
Wajeeha Malik ◽  
Muhammad Salman Ahmed ◽  
Harja Shahid

Abstract: This study was designed using actual effluent from the sugary mills in an Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactor to evaluate treatability performance. The reactor was started-up in step-wise loading rates beginning from 0.05kg carbon oxygen demand (COD)/m3-day to 3.50kg-COD/m3-day. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) was slowly decreased from 96 hrs to eight hrs. It was observed that the removal efficiency of COD of more than 73% can be easily achieved at an HRT of more than 16 hours corresponding to an average organic loading rate (OLR) of 3.0kg-COD/m3-day, at neutral pH and constant temperature of 29°C. The average VFAs (volatile fatty acids) and biogas production was observed as 560mg/L and 1.6L/g-CODrem-d, respectively. The average methane composition was estimated as 62%. The results of this study suggest that the treatment of sugar mills effluent with the anaerobic technology seems to be more reliable, effective and economical.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hn.v9i0.7075 Hydro Nepal Vol.9 July 2011 57-62


2018 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 690-698
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Yihui Wu ◽  
Fang Guo ◽  
Zhiping Li ◽  
Guangxue Wu

Abstract The system performance, economic cost and environmental impact of a full-scale anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic/membrane bioreactor (3AMBR) combined with the ozonation process were evaluated. The 3AMBR/ozonation process removed biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solids, NH4-N and total phosphorus efficiently, with removal percentages above 94%, while the total nitrogen removal percentage was only 70%. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that hydraulic retention time (HRT) had a significant effect on nitrogen removal. A low HRT benefited nitrogen removal. Ferrous sulfate dosage close to the optimal value and a high mixed liquid suspended solid could enhance the phosphorus removal. The electricity cost accounted for 88% of the total economic costs. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the BOD oxidation and endogenous decay accounted for more than 50% of total emissions. The second largest GHG emission source was electricity consumption, accounting for 41%. The key to reduce the eutrophication was to enhance nitrogen removal. The composite cost of the 3AMBR/ozonation process was 251 CNY/t CODeq removed, among which economic cost accounted for 82.5%, while environmental impact cost accounted for a small proportion.


2002 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brihas P. Sarathy ◽  
Preston M. Hoy ◽  
Sheldon J.B. Duff

Abstract A survey of the process streams at an operating petroleum refinery showed that desalting water from the crude and splitter units had the highest concentrations of pollutants, and accounted for approximately one-third of the BOD and COD of the combined effluent. Combined effluent (234 ± 62 mg BOD/L, 510 ± 0 mg COD/L, and Microtox EC50 4.9 ± 0.4%) was treated using a laboratory-scale batch biological reactor. Ninety-three percent of BOD and 77% of COD were removed over the first 24 hours of biological treatment. Acute (Microtox) toxicity was reduced in two discrete stages; the first coinciding with BOD and COD removal and the second stage occurring after BOD and COD had been removed. A final EC50 value of 27.8% was achieved in batch tests. The two stages of toxicity removal correspond quantitatively to the toxicity removal observed during secondary and tertiary biological treatment at the petroleum refinery's full-scale wastewater treatment plant.


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