• Objectives of biological treatment

• Some useful definitions

• Role of microorganisms in wastewater treatment

• Type of biological process for wastewater treatment

– Suspended growth processes
– Attached growth processes
• To transform dissolved and particulate biodegradable
constituents into acceptable end products.

• To capture and incorporate suspended and nonsettleable

colloidal solids into a biological floc or biofilm.

• To transform or remove nutrients.

(such as nitrogen and phosphorus)

• To remove specific trace organic constituents and

compounds.
 a Waste sludge

Screenings Grit Sludge (optional)

Influent Effluent
Bar rack Grit Primary Aeration Secondary Disinfection
chamber clarifier tanks clarifier

Waste
sludge Return activated sludge
(optional)
Sludge

b
Screenings Sludge
Return sludge (optional)

Influent Aerated Effluent

Bar rack Settling pond Disinfection
lagoon

Figure 1. Typical (simplified) flow diagrams for biological used for wastewater treatment
(a) activated-sludge process, (b) aerated lagoons
 c
Screenings Grit Sludge Waste sludge
(optional)
Influent Effluent
Bar rack Grit Primary Trickling Secondary
Disinfection
chamber clarifier filter clarifier

Recycle

Sludge

d
Screenings Grit Sludge Sludge

Influent Grit Primary Aeration Secondary Effluent

Bar rack Disinfection
chamber clarifier tanks clarifier

Figure 1. Typical (simplified) flow diagrams for biological used for wastewater treatment
(c) trickling filter, (d) rotating biological contactors.
• Some useful terms.
– Treatment functions
– Metabolic function
• Biological nutrient
• Aerobic process removal(BNR)
• Anaerobic process
• Stabilization
• Anoxic process
• Nitrification
• Facultative process
• Biological phosphorus
• Combined process
removal
• Denitrification
– Treatment process • Carbonaceous BOD
• Suspended growth process removal
• Attached growth process • Substrate
• Combined process
• Lagoon process
Table 1. definition of common terminology used for biological wastewater treatment
Term Definition
Metabolic function
Aerobic (oxic) process Biological treatment process that occur in the presence of
oxygen

Anaerobic process The process that occur in the absence of oxygen

Anoxic process Nitrate nitrogen is converted biologically to nitrogen gas in

the absence of oxygen, Known as denitrification

Facultative process Process in which the organisms can function in the presence
or absence of molecular oxygen

Combined aerobic/ Various combinations of aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic

Anoxic/Anaerobic processes grouped together to achieve a specific treatment
process objective
Table 1. definition of common terminology used for biological wastewater treatment
Term Definition
Treatment processes
Suspended-growth Biological treatment processes in which the microorganisms
processes responsible for the conversion of the organic matter or other
constituents in the wastewater to gases and cell tissue are
maintained suspension within the liquid

Attached-growth Biological treatment processes in which the microorganisms

processes responsible for the conversion of the organic matter or other
constituents in the wastewater to gases and cell tissue are
attached to some inert medium, such as rock, slag, or
specially designed ceramic or plastic materials. Also known as
fixed-film processes
Combined processes Term used to describe combined processes (combined
suspended and attached growth processes)
Lagoon processes A generic term applied to treatment processes that take place
in pond or lagoons
Table 1. definition of common terminology used for biological wastewater treatment
Term Definition
Treatment functions
The term applied to the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in
biological treatment

Biological phosphorus Removal of phosphorus by accumulation in biomass and

removal subsequent solids separation

Carbonaceous BOD removal Conversion of the carbonaceous organic matter to cell tissue and
various gaseous end product.
Assumed – Nitrogen converted to ammonia

Nitrification Ammonia is converted first to nitrite and then to nitrate

Denitrification Nitrate is reduced to nitrogen and other gaseous

Stabilization The biological process by sludge from primary settling and

wastewater is stabilized. The process is known as aerobic or
anaerobic digestion.
Substrate The organic matter or nutrients that are converted during biological
treatment or that may be limiting in biological treatment
• Removal of dissolved and particulate BOD and the
stablization of organic matter found in wastewater.

• Conversion of simple end product and additional

biomass

v1(organic material) + v2O2 + v3NH3 + v4PO43- → v5(new cells) + v6CO2

+ v7H2O

v : the stoichometric coefficient

O2, NH3, PO43- : Nutrients needs for the conversion of the organic matter to simple end
products(CO2)
• Nitrogen removal in the wastewater treatment process.

– Nitrification

– Denitrification

• Phosphorus removal in the wastewater treatment

process.

– Excess inorganic phosphorus ingestion and storage of

microorganisms.
• Types of biological process.

– Suspended growth process.

– Attached growth process.

• Typical process applications are given in table 2

 Table 2. major biological treatment processes used for wastewater treatment
Type Common name Use

Aerobic processes

Suspended growth Activated-sludge process C - BOD removal, nitrification

Aerated lagoons C - BOD removal, nitrification
Aerobic digestion C - BOD removal, stabilization

Attached growth Trickling filters C - BOD removal, nitrification

Rotating biological contactors C - BOD removal, nitrification
Packed-bed reactors
C - BOD removal, nitrification

hybrid (combined) Trickling filter / activated sludge C - BOD removal, nitrification

suspended and
attached growth
processes
 Table 2. major biological treatment processes used for wastewater treatment
Type Common name Use
Anoxic processes
Suspended growth Suspended growth denitrification denitrification
Attached growth Attached growth denitrification denitrification

Anaerobic processes
suspended growth Anaerobic contact processes C – BOD removal
Anaerobic digestion Stabilization, solids destruction,
pathogen kill

Attached growth Anaerobic packed and fluidized bed C – BOD removal, waste
stabilization, denitrification

sludge blanket Up flow anaerobic sludge blanket C – BOD removal, especially

high strength wastes

hybrid Up flow sludge blanket / attached growth C – BOD removal

 Suspended growth process
 The microorganisms are maintained by appropriate mixing method.

 The most common suspended growth process is the activated sludge

process.
Complete mix
aeration tank
Plug flow aeration Clarifier Clarifier
Influent tank Effluent Influent Effluent

Air

Return activated Return activated

sludge Sludge sludge Sludge

Figure 2. Suspended growth biological treatment process

• The microorganisms are attached to an inert packing
material.
– Packing material
• Rock · Gravel
• Slag · Sand
• Redwood · Plastic
• Synthetic materials

• The organic materials and nutrients are removed from the

wastewater flowing past the attached growth also known as
a biofilm.

• The most aerobic attached growth process : trickling filter.

 Clarifier Clarifier

Trickling filter Effluent Influent Tower Effluent

Influent trickling filter
with rock
packing with plastic
packing

Recycle Recycle
(optional) (optional)

Recycle

Sludge Sludge

Figure 3. Attached growth biological treatment process