*Attached Growth Treatment*

(730001)

Guided by…. Prepared by…

Prof. D. S. Vyas Ronak B. Patel (130080717007)
P.G. Co-ordinator
Attached-Growth Process
• 3 general classes:

1. Nonsubmerged attached growth process

2. Suspended growth process with fixed-film packing
3. Submerged attached growth aerobic process
• Advantages of aerobic attached growth processes over
the activated sludge process:

1. Less energy required

2. Simpler operation
3. No problems of bulking sludge in secondary clarifiers
4. Better sludge thickening properties
5. Less equipment maintenance needs
1. Nonsubmerged attached growth
process

• Liquid flow over the attached biofilm

• Example: Trickling Filter
• Concept of Trickling Filter:
• Bed/basins filled with broken stones
• Bed is filled with w/w from top
• The w/w was allowed to contact with the packing for a
short time.
• The bed was then drained allowed to rest before the cycle
was repeated.
2. Suspended growth process with
fixed-film packing
• Use of packing material that are suspended in the aeration
tank.
• The advantages:
1. Increased treatment capacity
2. Greater process stability
3. Reduced sludge production
4. Enhanced sludge settleability
5. Reduce solid loading on the secondary clarifier
6. No increase in operation and maintenance costs
3. Submerged attached growth aerobic
process
• Does not required secondary clarification
• Upflow and downflow packed bed reactors and fluidized-bed
reactors
• Advantage: area requirement is 1/5 to 1/3 of that needed for
activated-sludge treatment
• Disadvantage: capital costs higher than activated-sludge
treatment
Trickling Filters
Flow diagram for biological process used for w/w treatment:
c) Trickling Filters
Trickling Filters

• Non submerged fixed-film biological reactor

• using rock or plastic packing

• Depth of rock packing: 0.9 to 2.5m (averages 1.8m)

• Primary clarification is necessary before trickling filter

• A slime layer develops on the rock or plastic packing in the

trickling filters

• Contains microbs for biodegradation of substrates

Trickling Filters

• Biological community in the filter – aerobic & fucultative

bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoans. Animals – snails,
worms, insect larvae.

• Bacteria species in trickling filter: Achromobacter,

Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes

• Fungi – Fuzazium, Mucor, Penicillium, Geotrichum,

Sporatichum and various yeasts

• Algae – do not take direct part in waste degeneration.

But during the daylight, add oxygen to w/w.
Trickling Filters

• Slime layer thickness – up to 10mm

• Organic material from the liquid is adsorbed on to the

biological film or slime layer

• The organic material is degraded by aerobic microbs in the

outer portion of the biological slime layer.
Design of Physical Facilities
• Factor that must be considered in the design of trickling
filters:
1. Type and physical characteristic of filter packing to be
used
2. Dosing rate
3. Type and dosing characteristics of the distribution system
4. Configuration of the underdrain system
5. Provision for adequate airflow
6. Settling tank design
Filter packing
• Ideal filter packing – high surface area per unit volume
- low cost
- High durability
- High porosity (so clogging is
minimized)

• Depth of rock filters - 2m

Typical packing material for trickling filters: (a) rock, (b) and (c) plastic vertical-
flow, (d) plastic cross-flow, (e) redwood horizontal, and (f) random pack.
Dosing Rate

• Dosing rate - the depth of liquid discharged on top of the

packing for each pass of the distributor

• Higher distributor rotational speed = lower dosing rate

• High dosing rate – better performance because:

1. larger water volume applied per revolution
2. Provides greater wetting efficiency
3. Results in greater agitation – which cause more solids to
flush out of the packing
4. Results in thinner biofilm – creates more surface area
Distribution System

• Consist of two or more arms that are mounted on a pivot in

the center of the filter and revolve in a horizontal plane.

• The arms are hollow and contains nozzles through which

the w/w is discharged over the filter bed.

• Driven by electric motor

view of conventional rock filter with two-arm rotary distributor
(c) view of top of tower trickling filter with four-arm rotary distributor.
Underdrains

• Carry away the treated w/w and solid discharged from the
filter packing for conveyance to the final sedimentation tank.

Airflow
• Adequate airflow is importance to provide efficient treatment
and to prevent odors.
• Use of forced or induced-draft fans to provide a reliable
supply of oxygen.
Settling Tank

• Function – to produce a clarified effluent

• Solids are separated from the treated w/w

• All sludge from trickling filter settling tanks is sent to sludge-

processing facilities or return to primary clarifier.
Rotating Biological Contactors
• Consist of a series of closely spaced circular disks of
polystyrene or PVC that submerged in w/w and rotated through
it.

• Standard size – 3.5m in diameter and 7.5m in length.

• As RBC disks rotate out of the w/w, aeration is accomplished by

exposure to the atmosphere.

• Microbs grow on the medium surface remove substrates from

the w/w and oxygen from the air to sustain their metabolic
process.

• RBC require pretreatment of primary clarification.

Flow diagram for biological process used for w/w treatment:
d) Rotating Biological Contactors.
(a) conventional RBC with mechanical drive and optional air input
submerged-type RBC equipped with air capture cups (air is used both to
rotate and to aerate the biodisks),
• Submerged RBC is 70-90% submergence

• Air-drive units are used to provide oxygen and rotation.

• Advantages:
1. Reduce loadings on the shaft and bearings
2. Improve biomass control by air agitation
3. Ability to use larger bundles of disks
• Disadvantages:
1. Low level of dissolved oxygen in liquid – biological
degradation activity may be oxygen limited.
2. To prevent algae growth, protect the plastic disks from UV
– RBC units are covered (Fig. 9-11b).