Aerobic biological wastewater

treatment process: A Review

aspect suspended grow.
Juan Sebastian Arcila Henao,
 Remember the fundamentals of the biological
process
C5H7O2N or C60H87O23N12P Microbial metabolism:

1. Sources of cell carbon organic and CO2

2. Electron donor: Are ther reducing
compounds (NH3, NO2-, Fe2+, H2S, S,
S2O32-
3. Donor acceptors: oxidante agents O2,
NO2-, SO42-, Fe3+, organic compounds
and CO2
4. End prodcuts

NOTE: when the oxygen is the electron acceptor, the reaction is aerobic. Reactions involving any other electron
acceptors are considered anaerobic. When nitrate and nitrite serve as designated electron acceptors, the reaction is
distinguished as anoxic.
 Microbial Growth Kinetics in Continuous Flow
Reactor REVIEW EQUATION
Biological Growth kinetics
 Microbial Growth Kinetics in Continuous Flow
Reactor REVIEW EQUATION
Cell growth rate:
Microbial Growth Kinetics in Continuous Flow
Reactor REVIEW EQUATION
 Microbial Growth Kinetics in Continuous Flow
Reactor REVIEW EQUATION microorganisms
grow

Substrate Utilization Rate:

substrate convert in substrate is

cells consumed

substrate convert in
energy
Basic reactor types

Every single units consider

different balances equation.

How do you calculate the Y

under different operative
conditions ?
 General process design equations:

Efficiency

F/M ratio

Substrate use

Oxygen utilization
 Biological reactor with solid recycle:

Calculation of SRT (solid retention time)

Minimun cell residence time (𝚹cmin)

 Biological reactor with solid recycle:

Hydraulic retention time (HRT or 𝚹)

Effluent substrate concentration (S)

 Biological reactor with solid recycle:

Mixed liquor solid concentration (X)

Solid yield and production

 Biological reactor with solid recycle:

Reactor volume (V)

 Biological reactor without solid recycle:

Hydraulic retention time

Effluent concentration

Solid concentration
Typical wastewater treatment
 Aerobic activated sludge

 This proces was If the wastewater is exposed to air

for long period of time, the
developed wastewater start forming a flocs
between 1913-
1914 in
Manchester by
Ardem y
Lockett.
Microorganisms (Activated sludge)

Pseudomonas
Flavobacterias
Azotobacterias
Hongos
Nitrosomonas y
Nitrobacter
 Description of aireation systems
Complete mix (CMAS): The organic load on the aireation tank, the
Type of reactors MLVSS concentration and the oxygen demand are uniform throughout the
tank.
Complete mixing Plug flow reactor The shock load that occur in the treatment of industrial wastewater is not
strong affected the system.
Contact stabilization: Use to separate tanks or compartments. The
stabilization activated sludge is mixed with the effluent in the contact tank.
The contact zone is short 30 to 60 min and the MLSS or MLVSS is lower
than the stabilitaztion zone. Rapid removal of soluble BOD occurs in the
contact zone. Stabilization zone the HRT is 1 to 2 h. Less oxygen
requeriment than CMAS.
Description of aireation systems

Kraus process: It is used to treat nitrongen-deficient industrial

wastewater. Digester supernatant is added as a food source to a
portion of the return sludge in a separate aeriation tank designed
to nitrify. The resulting mixed liquor is then added to the main
plug-flow aeration system. Besides providing nitrogen, nitrate is
available to serve as an electron aceptor in the event oxygen
limitation.

Conventional extended aireation: It systems operate under

endogenous respiration phase of the growth curve, which
requires a low organic loading and long aireation time. SRT 20
to 30 d, and HRT of 24 h. The systems is controlled by mixing
needs and not oxygen demand. It is used extensively for
preengineered plants for small communities. Primary
clarification is not used. Secondary clarification is designed at
low hidraulic loading rates.
Activated sludge
(High organic load rate)

Oxidation ditch: oval shapped channel equipped whit

mechanical aireation and mixing devices. The tank
configuaration and aireation and mixing devices promote
unidrectional flow. The velocity from 0.25 to 0.3 m/s in the
channel. As the tank leaves the aireation zone, the DO
concentration decrease and denitrification occur. Clarification
and intrachannel clarifiers have been used.
Activated sludge: main conditions
 Activated sludge Operative parameters

 Amount of sludge (3 – 5 Kg VSS/ m3)

 Nutrients relation (100:5:1)
 Sludge volumetric Index (SVI)
 SVI < 100 mL g-1 ( normal sludge)
 SVI =(100 – 200) mL g-1 (light
sludge)
 SVI > 200 mL g-1 (old sludge)
 Activated sludge characteristics

Conventional High rate

Settling poor Extend aireation systems

Settling medium d i t i ons

rma l c on
n o 80%
r at i ve
Ope
85%
Settling good
90%

0,05 0,2 0,5 1,0 F/M= gBOD/d/gMLSS

 How to evaluation the rate of sludge return

Q, Xo Q+QR,
Aireation tank X

QR, XR Probet 1L,

Sludge volume settling
for 30 min, mL=vol
Balance (Q+QR)X =QRXR + QXo

  𝑣𝑜𝑙
  𝑋 𝑅=
𝑅= R=recycling Using SVI, we obtain 1 000 − 𝑣𝑜𝑙
𝑋𝑅 − 𝑋
How to evaluation the sludge volume index:
Example of activated sludge processes

 An activated sludge plant receives a flow of 28000 m3/d. The MLVSS concentration in the
aeration basin is 2100 mg/L and the volatile suspended solids concentration in the return
sludges is 700 mg/L. Calculate the return flow ratio.
Example of activated sludge processes

 An activated sludge recives 25000 m3/d flow, and influent BOD5 concentration is 150
mg/L. The volume of aireation basin is 6250 m3 and MLSS concentration is 2800 mg/L.
The effluent soluble BOD5 and TSS concentrations are 4 and 10 mg/L . The suspended
solid concentration in the underflow (TSSuf) is 10000 mg/L, and volume waste activated
sludge (WAS) Qwr= 150 m3/d. The VSS portion is 78 % of TSS in the biosolids.
Calculate the following: (a) aereation period, b) return flow and ratio, c) mass organic
loading , d) volumentric organic loading, e) mean cell resident time, and f) observed
biomass.
Operational parameters of Activated Sludge
Process
 An activated sludge plant is operating at a MLSS concentration of 3000 mg/L . The settled
volume of the sludge (SV) is 300 mL after the mixed liquor was settled in a 1-L graduated
cylinder for 30 min. The TSS concentration in the return sludge is 10000 mg/L. Calculate
SVI , percentage return sludge (Rras) . An validate if TSS ras is achievable in the RAS .
 Aerobic lagoons
Aerated Lagoon.
Areated lagoons are large suspended growth flow-through biological reactor built in
earthen- or synthetic membrane lined earthen basins.

CHARACTERISTICS:

• Can be either partially or completely mixed systems.

• Liquid depth is 2-6 m
• The aireation period (HRT) is normally 3-10 days. Facultative lagoons
• Similar to design an Activated Sludge (AS) but without recycle.
• Oxygen requirement is around 0.7 -1.6 kg O2 per kg BOD removed.
• Energy required for keeping the solid suspension is 1.6 – 2 kW /1000
m3.
• Mechanical aieration is tipicaly used to provide oxygen and mixing
 Parameters of designs

Temperature

BOD removal
 Construction considerations:

 Tipical length to width ratio of 2-3:1.

 At least two laggons should be provided.
 The influent structure shoul distribute the flow outward into the lagoon. The effluent
structure should have baffles to avoid the floating matter.
 The slide slope of the lagoon and dike should be 1V:3H or less. It should be protected from
wave erosion.
 The freeboard should be at least 0.9 m.
 The areated lagoons should have provision for installation of mooring cable for floating
aerators, fixed a plataform for turbin aireators
Design a lagoons based on the Wehner-Wilhelm
equation, and Thirumurthi graphical procedure

 An aerated laggon is provided for treatment of municipal wastewater from a

community of 4000 resisdents. The average wastewater generation rate is 380 Lpcd
and BOD5 concentration is 220 mg/L. The lagoon is square in shape and water depth
is 4m. Mechanical aireators provide aeration and mixing. The dispersion number d
approaches 2.0. The first order reaction rate constant at the critical temperaturature
are 1.25 d-1 and the desired time is 4.7 d. Calculate the BOD5 concentration in the
effluent and dimension of lagoogns. The surfave side slope is 1V to 3H. Assume baffles
are provided in the lagoon to prevent short circuiting.
 Design of an aerated lagoons systems using a
kinetic –based method.
 Design a flow-through aereated lagoon system to treat waswater from a community of 17000 residents. The average
wastewater generation rate is 380 L/capita. Following data apply:
 Wastewater: The influent BOD5 and TSS concentration are 160 and 200 mg/L, respectively. The influent temperatures
are 18 oC and 23 oC in the wnter and summer, respectively. The biodegradable TSS in the influent is 45% of the
influent TSS, and BOD5/BODL is 0.68.
 Aerated lagoons: Two aereated lagoons that can be operated in either parallel or series. The aeration period of each
lagoon is 4d. The average ambient air temperature in the winter and summer months are 8 oC and 30 oC, respectively.
A DO level of 2.0 mg/L is maintained in the lagoons that are 4 m deep with a freeboard of 1.5 m. Use a proportionality
factor f= 0.5 m/d.
 Biological kinetic coefficients: Yield coefficient Y=0.62 mg VSS/mgBOD5; kd= 0.05 mg VSS/mg VSS d; maximum
specific rate of substrate utilization k=2.5 mgBOD5/mg VSS d; Ks= 60 mgBOD5/L; first-order soluble BOD5 removal
rate constant k20= 2.5 mgBOD5/mgVSS d at 20 oC; VSS/TSS ratio = 0.75; and temperature coefficient =1.04
 Areators: Surface aerators are used. Standard aeration effienciy (SAE) is 1.2 kgO2/KWh, 𝝱=0.9; 𝝰= 0.8. The elecation
is 610 m above sea level.