Treatment of strong nitrogen swine wastewater in a full-scale sequencing batch reactor.

Treatment of swine wastewater containing strong nitrogen was attempted in a full-scale SBR. The strongest swine wastewater was discharged from a slurry-type barn and called swine-slurry wastewater (SSW). Slightly weaker wastewater was produced from a scraper-type barn and called swine-urine wastewater (SUW). TCOD, NH4+-N and TSS in raw SSW were 23,000-72,000 mg/L, 3,500-6,000 mg/L and 17,000-50,000 mg/L, respectively. A whole cycle of SBR consists of 4 sub-cycles with anoxic period of 1 hr and aerobic period of 3 hr. The maximum loading rates of both digested-SSW and SUW were similar to 0.22 kg NH4+-N/m3/day whereas the maximum loading rates of raw SSW was up to 0.35 TN/m3/day on keeping the effluent quality of 60 TN mg/l. The VFAs portion of SCOD in raw SSW was about more than 60%. The VFAs in SUW and digested-SSW were about 22% and 15%, respectively. NH4+-N and PO4(3-)-P in SSW were removed efficiently compared to those in digested-SSW and DUW because SSW had high a C/N ratio and readily biodegradable organic. High concentration of organic was useful to enhance denitrification and P uptake. Also the amount of external carbon for denitrification was reduced to 5% and 10% of those for digested-SSW and SUW.     

A comparison of continuous flow and sequencing batch reactor plants concerning integrated operation of sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants.

Integrated operation strategies for combined sewer and WWTP are becoming more and more popular because of numerous benefits. One can find many examples in literature, but many of these studies deal with partly fictitious systems and/or were accomplished within the planning. Hence most of these studies do not have to deal with the restrictions given by already built constructions. The authors, who worked on several integrated projects, will discuss the requirements of SBR and CFR plants concerning an implementation of integrated operation.     

Integrated real-time control for a sequencing batch reactor plant and a combined sewer system.

Integrated real-time control (RTC) concepts, which are trying to operate drainage systems and WWTPs depending on the current capacities of both systems, are becoming more and more important. While almost all publications in this field have been concentrating on continuous flow systems, this paper will present a project which has been initiated to realise an integrated RTC strategy for a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) plant in simulation as well as in full-scale. The results of the simulation are that SBR plants can handle high hydraulic loads. The cost-benefit analysis shows that an integrated operation is reasonable concerning environmental and economic aspects. In order to verify the simulation results, full-scale operation has been started in January 2004. The first results seem to confirm the results of the simulation study.     

Optimizing sequencing batch reactor (SBR) reactor operation for treatment of dairy wastewater with aerobic granular sludge

The biological wastewater treatment using aerobic granular sludge is a new and very promising method, which is predominantly used in SBR reactors which have higher volumetric conversion rates than methods with flocculent sludge. With suitable reactor operation, flocculent biomass will accumulate into globular aggregates, due to the creation of increased substrate gradients and high shearing power degrees. In the research project described in this paper dairy wastewater with a high particle load was treated with aerobic granular sludge in an SBR reactor. A dynamic mathematical model was developed describing COD and nitrogen removal as well as typical biofilm processes such as diffusion or substrate limitation in greater detail. The calibrated model was excellently able to reproduce the measuring data despite of strongly varying wastewater composition. In this paper scenario calculations with a calibrated biokinetic model were executed to evaluate the effect of different operation strategies for the granular SBR. Modeling results showed that the granules with an average diameter of 2.5 mm had an aerobic layer in between 65-95 microm. Density of the granules was 40 kgVSS/m3. Results revealed amongst others optimal operation conditions for nitrogen removal with oxygen concentrations below 5 gO2/m3. Lower oxygen concentrations led to thinner aerobic but thicker anoxic granular layers with higher nitrate removal efficiencies. Total SBR-cycle times should be in between 360-480 minutes. Reduction of the cycle time from 480 to 360 minutes with a 50% higher throughput resulted in an increase of peak nitrogen effluent concentrations by 40%. Considering biochemical processes the volumetric loading rate for dairy wastewater should be higher than 4.5 kgCOD/(m3*d). Higher COD input load with a COD-based volumetric loading rate of 9.0 kgCOD/(m3*d) nearly led to complete nitrogen removal. Under different operational conditions average nitrification rates up to 5 gNH/(m3*h) and denitrification rates up to 3.7 gNO/(m3*h) were achieved.     

序批式生物膜法除磷技术研究现状

该文详述了序批式生物膜法(SBBR)的工作原理与技术特点,介绍了除磷的生化机理、工艺选择、影响因素,探讨了国内外生物膜法除磷技术的发展状况,为污水生物除磷提供了新的选择.     

Nitrite accumulation followed by denitrification using sequencing batch reactor.

Biological ammonia-nitrogen removal utilizes two distinct processes, nitrification and denitrification. In nitrification, ammonia oxidizes to nitrite then to nitrate. In this study, elimination of nitrite oxidation to nitrate step was attempted in order to directly remove nitrite to nitrogen gas by denitrification. For this study the supernatant from an anaerobic digester was used as an ammonia source and a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was employed. Emphasis was given to the evaluation of the operational factors affecting nitrite accumulation and the elucidation of kinetics for biological nitrification and denitrification. Accumulation of nitrite in the nitrification process was achieved by suppressing the growth of Nitrobacter, a nitrite oxidizer, by loading high concentration ammonia supernatant immediately after all ammonia in the previous loading was oxidized to nitrite. Nitrite oxidation was taking place as the solid retention time (SRT) was increased from 2.5 days to 3.0 days in a continuously aerated SBR mode with daily feeding. However, nitrite accumulation was achieved even at longer SRT of 5 days when the aeration and non-aeration periods were appropriately combined and the non-aeration period can be used for denitrification of the accumulated nitrite with a carbon source supplied.     

Enrichment of activated sludge in a sequencing batch reactor for polyhydroxyalkanoate production.

The paper describes the start up of a process for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from activated sludge. The excess sludge from a wastewater treatment plant was inoculated in a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to be enriched under aerobic conditions through intermittent feeding with a mixture of organic acids. Enriching of activated sludge was monitored through the measurement of polymer concentrations either in the mixed liquor or in the microbial biomass. The bacterial population dynamics during the SBR start up was followed through denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and the main species present at the steady state were identified. All the measured parameters significantly changed in the SBR during first two weeks after the inoculum was seeded into the reactor, they then stabilized. At the steady state, the SBR produced 2.6 gVSSl(-1) d(-1), with a PHA content of 11% (on a COD basis). The enriched microbial biomass was then transferred into a batch reactor where the bacterial polymer content was increased through a new feeding. In the final batch stage, maximum storage rate and maximum polymer content in the biomass were 405 mgCOD gCOD(-1) h(-1) and 44% (on a COD basis), respectively. The PHA storage from the enriched microbial biomass was about 20 times faster and the PHA content was about 4 times higher than that of the inoculated activated sludge. Observations by fluorescence microscopy showed that the majority of microorganisms in the enriched biomass could be stored. Among the numerically most representative genera in the enriched biomass, Thauera, Candidatus Meganema perideroedes, and Flavobacterium were identified.     

Development of sequencing batch reactor with step feed and recycle.

SBR process shows high nitrogen and phosphorus removal in countries where separated sewers are used. On the other hand, removal efficiency is low in countries where combined sewers are used though the same SBR is applied. This is because the organic concentration (as BOD), which is used as carbon source for denitrification, of combined sewers is much lower than that of separated sewers. Almost all sewers in Korea are combined, and their BOD is low by about 1/2 over the level needed for denitrification. In this study, a SBR process that can optimise organic usage by step feed and recycle is thus developed to increase the removal efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus, and the results show that the removal rates of BOD, T-N and T-P are 95.4, 81.4 and 86.1%, respectively, though influent BOD is low.     

Combining photo-Fenton process with biological sequencing batch reactor for 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation.

The effect of the photo-Fenton process on biodegradability enhancement of 100 mg x L(-1) aqueous 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) solution has been investigated. An initial concentration of 65 mg x L(-1) H2O2 and 10 mg x L(-1) Fe (II) during 35 minutes of irradiation time was sufficient for total 2,4-DCP removal. At these working conditions, biodegradability, measured as BODS/COD ratio, was increased from 0 for the original solution up to 0.15. Biological oxidation of photo-Fenton pre-treated solutions was performed in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). After 32 days of start-up, the reactor was fed with different pre-treated solutions and cycle duration was reduced progressively. TOC removal efficiencies in the SBR went from 30 up to 70%.     

Bioaugmentation of a sequencing batch biofilm reactor by horizontal gene transfer.

Bioaugmentation by introduction of catabolic genes residing on mobile genetic elements into the microbial community of a soil or wastewater environment might be an alternative to bioaugmentation by addition of bacterial cells with chromosomally encoded catabolic genes. This study investigates the possibility to enhance degradation of the xenobiotic model compound 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) by using the conjugative plasmid pJP4 carrying genes for 2,4-D degradation. After introduction of a plasmid donor strain to a lab-scale SBBR operated without 2,4-D, the number of plasmid-carrying cells first dropped, and then increased after switching to 2,4-D as the sole carbon source. The donor cells were unable to grow in the applied synthetic wastewater with 2,4-D as the sole carbon source. Transconjugants could be detected both by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods in the 2,4-D degrading biofilm. In contrast to 90% 2,4-D degradation in the bioaugmented reactor within 40 h, a control reactor which had not received the plasmid still contained 60% of the initial 2,4-D concentration after 90 h. This experiment clearly demonstrates the introduction of 2,4-D degradative genes into a microbial biofilm and indicates that horizontal gene transfer is a promising tool for bioaugmentation of reactors treating wastewater.     

Biodegradation of 4-methylaniline in a sequencing batch reactor

The biodegradation of the aromatic amine 4-methylaniline (4MA) using an aerobic sequencing batch reactor was evaluated. The specific degradation rate showed an exponential increase during the acclimation of the microorganisms reaching a maximal value of 34 mg 4MA/VSS/h. After the acclimation, the process showed a stable operation. A high similarity index was observed, indicating a low variation in the population diversity. During this period, the physicochemical parameters demonstrated a stable operation of the reactor.     

Aerobic biodegradation of 3-chlorophenol in a sequencing batch reactor: effect of cometabolism.

The aim of the present study was to investigate how phenol modifies, through cometabolism, the biodegrading capability of 3-chlorophenol (3-CP) in a sequencing batch reactor seeded with a mixed culture obtained from a domestic sewage treatment plant. Two laboratory-scale SBRs, one fed 3-CP only and the other fed 3-CP and phenol in the same concentration, were seeded with the partially acclimated biomass. The removal capability in both reactors was measured for progressive increases in the feed organic loading. Cometabolism enhanced biodegradation of 3-CP by reducing both the initial lag period and the time required for the complete removal. 700 mg/L 3-CP was demonstrated to be the highest concentration, which could be completely degraded during the active phase (fill plus react) either in the presence or absence of phenol as the growth substrate even though the lag period was shorter when phenol was present. The operating strategy required modification for the complete removal of 800 mg/L 3-CP. An increase in the phenol to 3-CP ratio did, however, improve 3-CP degradation rate.     

Monitoring pH and electric conductivity in an EBPR sequencing batch reactor.

This paper presents laboratory-scale experimentation carried out to study enhanced biological phosphorus removal. Two anaerobic aerobic (A/O) sequencing batch reactors (SBR) have been operated during more than one year to investigate the information provided by monitoring pH and electric conductivity under stationary and transient conditions. Continuous measurements of these parameters allow detecting the end of anaerobic phosphorus release, of aerobic phosphorus uptake and of initial denitrification, as well as incomplete acetic acid uptake. These results suggest the possibility of using pH and electric conductivity as control parameters to determine the length of both anaerobic and aerobic phases in an A/O SBR. More valuable information provided by monitoring pH and electric conductivity is the relation between the amount of phosphorus released and the conductivity increase observed during the anaerobic stages and which group of bacteria (heterotrophic or polyphosphate accumulating) is carrying out the denitrification process.     

Effect of operating conditions and reactor configuration on efficiency of full-scale biogas plants.

A study on 18 full-scale centralized biogas plants was carried out in order to find significant operational factors influencing productivity and stability of the plants. It was found that the most plants were operating relatively stable with volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration below 1.5 g/l. VFA concentration increase was observed in occasions with dramatic overloading or other disturbances such as operational temperature changes. Ammonia was found to be a significant factor for stability. A correlation between increased residual biogas production and high ammonia was found. When ammonia was higher than approx. 4g-N/l the degradation efficiency of the plant decreased and as a consequence, the residual methane potential was high. Decrease of the residual methane potential with increasing hydraulic retention time was found. Digestion temperature was very important for effective post-digestion. Post-digestion for recovering the residual methane potential at temperatures below 15 degrees C was very inefficient.     

Anaerobic uptake of phosphate in an anaerobic-aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactor.

An unusual phenomenon of anaerobic phosphate uptake under alternating anaerobic/aerobic condition was observed in a granular sludge sequencing batch reactor, fed with acetate as sole organic substrate. Anaerobic phosphate uptake efficiencies remained at 50-70% as the influent P/COD was increased from 2/100 to 4/100, and results showed that anaerobic uptake of phosphate was correlated with anaerobic absorption of acetate. Excluding the main possibility of chemical phosphate removal, it appeared that phosphate uptake during the anaerobic phase was associated with organisms enriched in the reactor. Moreover, results indicated that intracellular glycogen was used as the main energy source of organics anaerobic absorption and intracellular polymers storage. Measuring and analysing the variation of phosphate, organic substrate, intracellular glycogen and pH in the anaerobic phase, a preliminary explanation was developed that anaerobic uptake of phosphate was the demand of intracellular glycogen degradation, and extracellular phosphate was transported to intracellular by pH gradient-sensitive phosphate carrier protein.     

Start-up and steady-state results of a full-scale UASB reactor treating malting wastewater.

An Imhoff tank was reconstructed into a 250 m3 UASB reactor in order to treat a malting plant wastewater. The UASB was inoculated with sludge from an anaerobic lagoon used for slaughterhouse wastewater treatment. After two months of operation the reactor achieved full load with an HRT of 17 h, a COD removal higher than 80% and a biogas production of 300 m3/day (77% average methane content), with an organic loading rate of 3.6 kgCOD/m3.d (0.24 kgCOD/kgVSS.d). A yield coefficient of 0.09 gVSS/gCODrem was found from a mass balance. The fat present in the inoculated sludge (48 mg/gSSV) did not affect the start up performance. Sludge from the inoculum with high content of fat (270 mg/gSSV), was separated by flotation in the first week of operation. The COD removal efficiency was scarcely influenced by the reactor operation temperature (17-25 degrees C).     

Performances of a granular sequencing batch reactor (GSBR).

Aerobic granulation in sequencing batch reactors is widely reported in literature and in particular in SBAR (Sequencing batch airlift reactor) configuration, due to the high localised hydrodynamic shear forces that occur in this type of configuration. The aim of this work was to observe the phenomenon of the aerobic granulation and to confirm the excellent removal efficiencies that can be achieved with this technology. In order to do that, a laboratory-scale plant, inoculated with activated sludge collected from a conventional WWTP, was operated for 64 days: 42 days as a SBAR and 22 days as a SBBC (sequencing batch bubble column). The performances of the pilot plant showed excellent organics removal. COD and BOD removal efficiencies were respectively, 93 and 94%; on the contrary, N-removal efficiency was extremely low (5%-45%/o). The granules dimensions increased during the whole experimentation; change of reactor configuration contributed to further improve this aspect. The experimental work confirmed the essential role of hydraulic settling time in the formation of aerobic granules and in the sludge settleability and the need to find an optimum between granule size and oxygen supply to achieve good N-removal efficiency.     

Degradation of acid orange 7 by a controlled anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor.

The degradation of a mono azo dye in an automated and controlled anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) is described in this work. The experiments were conducted with a synthetic wastewater containing acid orange 7 as the model compound to degrade and glucose as the co-substrate in a molar relationship 1:40 (substrate/co-substrate). It was possible to control the anaerobic and aerobic stages, using the redox potential (ORP) as the only control variable. The strategy detects an inflection point in the ORP signal, indicating the end of the reaction. The efficiency of removal of total organic carbon was between 85% and 90%. Azo dye was removed with 85% efficiency during the anaerobic stage.     

Aerobic granulation in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for industrial wastewater treatment.

Aerobic granulation seems to be an a attractive process for COD removal from industrial wastewater, characterised by a high content of soluble organic compounds. In order to evaluate the practical aspects of the process, comparative experimental tests are performed on synthetic and on industrial wastewater, originating from pharmaceutical industry. Two pilot plants are operated as sequencing batch bubble columns. Focus was put on the feasibility of the process for high COD removal and on its operational procedure. For both wastewaters, a rapid formation of aerobic granules is observed along with a high COD removal rate. Granule characteristics are quite similar with respect to the two types of wastewater. It seems that filamentous bacteria are part of the granule structure and that phosphorus precipitation can play an important role in granule formation. For both wastewaters similar removal performances for dissolved biodegradable COD are observed (> 95%). However, a relatively high concentration of suspended solids in the outlet deteriorates the performance with regard to total COD removal. Biomass detachment seems to play a non-negligible role in the current set-up. After a stable operational phase the variation of the pharmaceutical wastewater caused a destabilisation and loss of the granules, despite the control for balanced nutrient supply. The first results with real industrial wastewater demonstrate the feasibility of this innovative process. However, special attention has to be paid to the critical aspects such as granule stability as well as the economic competitiveness, which both will need further investigation and evaluation.     

Coupled anaerobic-aerobic treatment of whey wastewater in a sequencing batch reactor: proof of concept.

A proof of concept was performed in order to verify if the coupling of anaerobic and aerobic conditions inside the same digester could efficiently treat a reconstituted whey wastewater at 21 degrees C. The sequencing batch reactor (SBR) cycles combined initial anaerobic phase and final aerobic phase with reduced aeration. A series of 24 h cycles in 0.5 L digesters, with four different levels of oxygenation (none, 54, 108 and 182 mgO2 per gram of chemical oxygen demand (COD)), showed residual soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) of 683 +/- 46, 720 +/- 33, 581 +/- 45, 1239 +/- 15 mg L(-1), respectively. Acetate and hydrogen specific activities were maintained for the anaerobic digester, but decreased by 10-25% for the acetate and by 20-50% for the hydrogen, in the coupled digesters. The experiment was repeated using 48 h cycles with limited aeration during 6 or 16 hours at 54 and 108 mgO2gCODinitial(-1), displaying residual sCOD of 177 +/- 43, 137 +/- 38, 104 +/- 22 and 112 +/- 9 mgL(-1) for the anaerobic and the coupled digesters, respectively. The coupled digesters recovered after a pH shock with residual sCOD as low as 132 mg L(-1) compared to 636 mg L(-1) for the anaerobic digester. With regard to the obtained results, the feasibility of the anaerobic-aerobic coupling in SBR digesters for the treatment of whey wastewater was demonstrated.