WastewaterTreatment:

Biological
Dr.DanTsang

WastewaterTreatment

Municipalsystems
pretreatment(preliminarytreatment)
preventdamage,clogging
primarytreatment
35%BOD5,50%solidsremoval
secondarytreatment
85%BOD5,85%solidsremoval
conventionaltreatmenttomeet
minimumstandardsfordischarge

SecondaryTreatment

ShatinSTW

WastewaterTreatment

StanleySTW

SecondaryTreatment

Secondary(biological)treatment
biologicalreactor
microbes
oxygen aeration
temperatureandtime
settling
removalofmicrobes
sludge
finaldisposal

SecondaryTreatment

Microbes
bacteria
mostofthebiomass
mostoftheorganics(BOD)consumption
algae
produceoxygeninwastewaterduringdaylight
protozoa
consumebacteria;polishers

video(1min)
(CleanupOurWater
4:505:40)

SecondaryTreatment

Microbes

aerobic organisms
requiremolecularoxygenformetabolicprocesses
microbes
BOD
DO
pH68

anaerobic organisms
functionintheabsenceofoxygen
facultative organisms
functionaerobicallyinthepresenceofoxygenoranaerobicallyinthe
absenceofoxygen

SecondaryTreatment

Howfastdomicrobeseatwaste?
organicwasteisfoodformicrobes
foodfuelsmicrobegrowth
morefood,moregrowth uptoapoint
moregrowth,morewasteconsumption
organicwasteisturnedintoCO2 andH2O
ratedependsonelectronacceptor
aerobic (O2 iselectronacceptor) fastest
anoxic (NO3 iselectronacceptor) slow
anaerobic (SO42 iselectronacceptor) slowest

SecondaryTreatment

Howfastdomicrobeseatwaste?

exponentialgrowth?
dX
X
dt
X X0 et

restrictionsongrowth
wasteandbyproductaccumulation
shortageoffood(substrate)ornutrients
celldeath
populationlimited stationarygrowthphase

SecondaryTreatment

Kineticsofmicrobialgrowth(dX/dt)

Monodequation

dX max SX

kd X
dt
Ks S

Xisconcentrationofmicrobes(i.e.,biomass)(mgL1)
isspecificgrowthrateofmicrobes(t1)
max ismaximumgrowthrateconstant(t1)
S isconcentrationoflimitingfood(i.e.,organicwaste)(mgL1)
KS ishalfsaturationconstant(mgL1)
(concentrationoflimitingfoodwhen=0.5max)
kd is(death)decayrateconstant(t1)

SecondaryTreatment

Conversionofwasteintobiomass(Y)
howfastiswaste(S)convertedtonewcellmass(X)?
yield(Y)=rateofcellgrowth(dX/dt)torateoffoodutilization(dS/dt)
mg / L biomass
=decimalfractionoffoodmassconvertedtobiomass()
mg / L food utilized
typicalvaluesofY
aerobic:0.4 0.8kgbiomass/kgBOD5
anaerobic:0.08 0.2kgbiomass/kgBOD5

dS
dX
Y
dt
dt

expressrateoffoodutilization(dS/dt) asMonodkinetics

SX
dS
max
dt
Y (K s S )

SecondaryTreatment

ActivatedSludge(AS)
aerobicgrowthofmicrobes
flocculation (suspendedgrowth)
X ismicrobes(activatedsludge,mixedliquorvolatilesuspendedsolids
(MLVSS),biomass,unitsofmgL1)
S issubstrate(BOD,BOD5,unitsofmgL1)

SecondaryTreatment

SecondaryTreatment

SecondaryTreatment

SecondaryTreatment

Designparameters
hydraulicretentiontime(HRTor )oraerationperiod
typically,HRT=48h inaerationtanks
airsupply:8m3 air/m3 wastewater
BODloading

BOD loading (g/m 3d)

V
Q

settled wastewater BOD per day Q ( S 0 S )

volume of aeration tank

V

typically,BODloading=500600g/m3dforactivatedsludgesystems

SecondaryTreatment

Designparameters

foodtomicroorganism(F/M)ratio
F/M (d -1 )

daily total mass of substrate QS 0

unit biomass
VX

typically,F/M=0.20.5d1
lowerF/Mratio

greaterproportionoffoodutilizedforcellenergyrequirements
lowerrateofbiomassaccumulation
usedformicrobeselection(e.g.,getridoffilamentousbacteria)

HandsonExercise

Thedesignedaveragedailyflowofanextendedaerationpackagesewage
treatmentplantis500m3 d1 withanaverageinfluentBOD5 of300mgL1.
ThedesignF/Mratiois0.1d1 andtheoperatingMLVSSis3,000mgL1.
DeterminethevolumeofaerationtankandBODloadingofaerationtankif
effluentBOD5 isnegligible(i.e.,assumingS=0).

SecondaryTreatment

Simpleversionofanactivatedsludgesystem
continuousbiologicalreactor
completelymixed
retentiontimes
liquids

V
Q

microbes(biomass,solids)
meancellresidencetime
biomass in system
biomass wasted / time
VX V
C

QX Q
C

Q,X0,S0

X,S
Q
X,S
V

SecondaryTreatment

Simpleversionofanactivatedsludgesystem
problem:microbialgrowthmustbefastrelativetoaeration
tankretentiontime
microbialgrowthlimitedbyconditions
increaseretentiontime
requireslargervolume
attainableforsmallcommunity(e.g.,oxidationditch)
solutionforlargemunicipality?

SecondaryTreatment

Suspendedgrowthsystemsforsmallplantsinremoteareas
1001580m3 perday
OxidationDitch(OD)

MuiWo,HeiLingChau

SequencingBatchReactor(SBR)

PengChau,ChiMaWan,ShaTsui

SecondaryTreatment

Activatedsludgesystem
recyclethemicrobes!
highpopulationofmicrobespermitsrapidbreakdownoforganics
toosmallQw biomassoverflowsintoeffluent
X=10003000mgL1
Xr =8,00012,000mgL1

SecondaryTreatment

Activatedsludgesystem

steadystateconditions;perfectmixing
concentrationofbiomassininfluent,X0 =0
microbesrecycledtosystematQr andXr
excessmicrobes(wasteactivatedsludge)removedfromthesystem
atQw andXr
settlingtankvolumeiszero
allbiomassproductionandfoodutilizationoccurinaeration
tank,notintheclarifier

SecondaryTreatment

Activatedsludgesystem

sludgeage(c)orsolidsretentiontime(SRT),ormeancellresidencetime
biomass in system
biomass wasted / time
VX
C
Qw Xr Q Qw XC
C

ifXC =0(i.e.,nooverflowofbiomassintoeffluent)
C

VX
Qw X r

typically,c =515d

SecondaryTreatment

Activatedsludgesystem
massbalanceforbiomass
atsteadystateX/t=0,assumeXo =0,Xc =0

dX max SX

kd X
dt
Ks S

K s (1 k d c )
c ( max k d ) 1

SecondaryTreatment

Activatedsludgesystem
massbalanceforsubstrate
atsteadystateS/t=0

SX
dS
max
dt
Y (Ks S )

c Y (So S )
(1 k d c )

Y (So S )
kd
X

SecondaryTreatment

Activatedsludgesystem

sludgerecycleratio(R=Qr/Q)
(Q Qr ) X (Q Qw ) X c Qr X r Qw X r
Qr

QX Qw X r
Xr X

(Q Qr ) X Qr X r

VX

1 ( )
c
Qr
R
X
Q ( r ) 1
X

VX
Qw X r

HandsonExercise

Acompletelymixedactivatedsludgeisneededtotreat0.25m3 s1 ofsettled
wastewaterwith250mgL1 BOD5 (S0).Theeffluentistohave6mgL1 ofBOD5.
Assumeinfluentbiomass(X0)isnegligibleandwastewatercontainsadequate
nitrogen,phosphorusandtracenutrientsforbiologicalgrowth.
Pilotplantworkhasdeterminedthatdesignsludgeage(c)is10d,decayrate
constant(kd)is0.06d1,yield(Y)is0.5,returnsludgeconcentration(Xr)is8,000
mgL1,andbiomassconcentrationintheaerationtank(X)is3,500mgL1.
Assumingtwoaerationtankswithadepthof6mandawidthtodepthratioof
1.5:1,determinethe
sizeofaerationtank(add1.5minlengthforinfluent/effluentchannels)
hydraulicretentiontime
amountofsludgewasteddaily
sludgerecirculationfraction

HandsonExercise

sizingtheaerationtanks

hydraulicretentiontime

HandsonExercise

amountofsludgewasteddaily

sludgerecirculationfraction

SecondaryTreatment

TricklingFilter(TF)
mediasupportmicrobes(attachedgrowth)
wastetrickledovermedia(1.52mdepth)
crushedrock,fieldstone,slag(75125mm)
plasticmedia(higharea/volumeratio)

SecondaryTreatment

TricklingFilter(TF)
effluentrecirculation(R=Qr/Qin)
increasecontactefficiency
increaseDO
dampenloadingvariations
preventbiofilmfromdryingout
higherBODloading&lowercost
skilledlabourrequiredforconstructionandmaintenance

SecondaryTreatment

Attachedgrowthsystemsforsmallplantsinremoteareas

RotatingBiologicalContactor(RBC)
MaPoPing,ShekPik
alternateexposuretoorganicsandoxygen

SecondaryTreatment

Attachedgrowthsystemsforsmallplantsinremoteareas

RotatingBiologicalContactor(RBC)
submerged40%
lowpowerrequirementandsimpleoperation
highcapitalcostandsensitivitytotemperature

SecondaryTreatment

Disinfection

SecondaryTreatment

Disinfection

SecondaryTreatment

ShatinSTW

SecondaryTreatment

Sludgetreatment
grit(sand,glass)
primary(raw)sludge
38%solids,70%organic
anaerobicandodorous
secondarysludge
activatedsludge,0.52%solids
tricklingfiltersludge,25%solids
90%organic,someprecipitates
tertiarysludge
phosphorusremoval
chemicalsludge

SecondaryTreatment

Sludgetreatment
constructioncosts
annualoperatingcosts

SecondaryTreatment

Sludgetreatment
thickening
sludgevolumereductionbya
factorof23byremovingwater
gravity
solidssettletobottom
bestforprimarysludge
airflotation
solidsfloattotop
skimmerremovessolids
conditioning
addcoagulants
ferricchloride,alum
organicpolymers

SecondaryTreatment

Sludgetreatment
anaerobicdigestion
bacterialhydrolysisoffats
methanefermentation
aerobicdigestion
continuationofactivatedsludgeprocess
biomassdegradedbyoxidation
stabilization
breakdownorganicsolids
reduceodour,mass

SecondaryTreatment

Sludgetreatment

dewatering
filterpress
solidscontent:30+%
mayneedmanualcakedischarge

SecondaryTreatment

Sludgetreatment

dewatering
centrifuge
solidscontent:30+%
continuous,automated

SecondaryTreatment

Sludgetreatment
landfilldisposal
incineration
landapplication(i.e.,spreading)
recovernutrients,water
limitedbyheavymetalcontent
utilization
composting
coincineration
opportunityfuel
energygeneration