Aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactors for municipal wastewater treatment.

An aerobic bioreactor and an anaerobic bioreactor, each coupled with a microfiltration membrane filter (MBR), were operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) with primary effluent from the City of Elmhurst, Illinois, municipal-wastewater-treatment plant. The soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal performance of the anaerobic MBR system was similar to that of the aerobic MBR under the same operational conditions, without the added cost of aeration. The results indicated that the solids deposition rate on the membrane surface was lower in the case of anaerobic MBR compared to the aerobic MBR, indicating possible lower loss in water-flux rates. This research found that an anaerobic MBR is a feasible and economical option for municipal-wastewater-treatment plants seeking COD removal by a biological process followed by a separate nitrification and denitrification system.     

Performance of a submerged membrane bioreactor system for biological nutrient removal.

A pilot submerged membrane bioreactor coupled with biological nutrient removal was used to treat the primary effluent at a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Long-term experiments were conducted by varying hydraulic retention time from 6 to 8 hours and solids retention time from 20 to 50 days, respectively. The performance was assessed by monitoring key wastewater parameters, including chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen, and phosphorus concentration in individual anoxic, anaerobic, aerobic, and membrane separation zones. Results showed that the tested system can consistently achieve COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal efficiencies at 80 to 98%, 70 to 93%, and 89 to 98%, respectively. Effluent COD remained low as a result of efficient solid retention, even though there was great variation in influent quality. However, total nitrogen increased proportionally with influent concentration. At a 50-day solids retention time, higher COD and nitrogen oxides specific utilization rates in the anoxic zone resulted in a high production of nitrogen oxides in the subsequent aerobic zone.     

氧环境改变对陆基循环水养殖鱼粪碳、氮、磷释放特征及细菌群落的影响

为探究氧环境改变对陆基循环水养殖系统（RAS)中鲈鱼粪氮(N)、磷(P)、溶解性有机质(DOM)释放特征及鱼粪细菌群落多样性的影响,采用室内模拟的方法,分析氧环境(好氧、厌氧)改变对鱼粪及其上覆水理化性质及鱼粪细菌群落特征的影响,并揭示其间的相关关系。结果表明,第1~16天,厌氧处理上覆水中NH₄⁺-N、TP、COD和TOC质量浓度明显高于好氧处理,在第16~33 天,NH₄⁺-N质量浓度持续增加、TP质量浓度低于好氧处理组、COD和TOC质量浓度降低但仍高于好氧处理。三维荧光光谱表明,氧环境改变下上覆水DOM主要成分是蛋白质、腐殖质类物质,但厌氧条件下各组分含量均较高。细菌群落分析表明,不同处理鱼粪细菌群落相对丰度存在差异,优势菌门为Proteobacteria、Firmicutes、Actinobacteria、Bacteroidetes、Chloroflexi,相对丰度均大于5%;厌氧处理组优势菌属为Acinetobacter、Clostridium_sensu_stricto_13、Propioniciclava、Ornithinibacter,好氧处理组优势菌属为Acinetobacte、Kurthia、Comamonas、Propioniciclava。细菌群落聚类特征与环境因子相关性表明,随反应时间增加,氧环境改变下细菌群落结构趋于相似;厌氧处理下DOM(C1、C2、C4)、反应时间、COD、TOC、鱼粪TN、鱼粪TP、NO₃⁻-N是影响细菌属的关键环境因子,好氧处理下仅有部分细菌属与反应时间、EC、DOM(C1、C2、C4)、NH₄⁺-N具有显著相关性(P<0.05)。厌氧处理能够显著影响鱼粪及上覆水的理化性质,促进氮、磷及有机质释放,并在一定程度上影响细菌群落结构和多样性,其次是好氧处理。     

Treatment of food industry waste by bench-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket-anoxic-aerobic system.

An upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)-anoxicaerobic system was used for treatment of tomato and bean processing wastewater. At various hydraulic retention times, ranging from 0.7 to 5 days, excellent removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia-nitrogen (NH4-N), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen was achieved with final effluent BOD/TSS/NH4N concentrations of less than 15/15/1 mg/L. Biogas yield in the UASB reactor varied from 0.33 to 0.44 m3/kgCODremoved. The kinetics of anaerobic treatment were investigated. The yield coefficient was 0.03 gVSS/gCOD; maximum specific growth rate was 0.24 day(-1); Monod half velocity constant was 135 mgCOD/L; and specific substrate utilization rate was 3.25 gCOD/gVSS x d. Nitrification and denitrification kinetics were studied in batch experiments, and the rates were comparable with those in the continuous flow system.     

Decolorization and biodegradation of dye wastewaters by a facultative-aerobic process

BACKGROUND: Dye wastewater is one of the main pollution sources of water bodies in China. Conventional biological processes are relatively ineffective for color removal, the development of alternative treatment methods will become important. Our subjective was that of introducing a new biotreatment technology which combined a facultative biofilm reactor (FBR) with an aerobic reactor (AR) to treat a dye wastewater. The efficiencies of color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and the mechanism of dye degradation were investigated. METHODS: The anthraquinone acid dye (acid blue BRLL) concentration, organic loading rate (OLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) were varied in the experiments to evaluate the treatment efficiency and process stability. The biodegradation products were detected by infrared (IR) and high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results demonstrated that the facultative biofilm process was more effective for decolorization than the anaerobic stage of an anaerobic-aerobic process. Most color removal occurred in the facultative reaction (maximum to 88.5%) and the BOD (biochemical oxygen demand): COD of the FBR effluent increased by 82.2%, thus improving the biodegradability of dyes for further aerobic treatment. The dye concentration, OLR and HRT will be the factors affecting decolorization. Color removal efficiency falls as the influent dye concentration increases, but rises with increased HRT. The infrared and HPLC-MS analyses of the effluents of FBR and AR reveal that the dye parent compound was degraded in each reactor during the process. CONCLUSION: The Facultative-aerobic (F-A) system can effectively remove both color and COD from the dye wastewater. The FBR played an essential role in the process. The average overall color and COD in the system were removed by more than 93.9% and 97.1%, respectively, at an OLR of 1.1 kg COD m(-3) d(-1) and at the HRT of 18-20 hours in the FBR and 4-5 hours in the AR. The color removal mechanism in each reactor was not only a sort of biosorption on the floc materials, but even more an effect of biodegradation, especially in the facultative process. Recommendation and Outlook. In applying the F-A system to treat a dye wastewater, the control of facultative processes and the set up of appropriate operation conditions appear to be critical factors. Also, it is suggested a moderate COD loading rate and about a 24-hour HRT will favor the F-A system.     

油田压裂返排液的厌氧处理特性

油田压裂返排液中含有高浓度有机物、盐类物质和悬浮物等污染物,如不妥善处置直接外排会对环境产生严重危害。以配制的胍胶压裂返排液为研究对象,采用厌氧颗粒污泥对其进行处理,以COD、TOC去除率及甲烷产量为考察指标,研究了压裂返排液的厌氧生物降解特性。结果表明,压裂返排液经168 h厌氧处理后,COD和TOC由处理前的1 735.2 mg∙L⁻¹和698.5 mg∙L⁻¹ 降低至277.2 mg∙L⁻¹和94.9 mg∙L⁻¹,去除率分别为84.0%和86.4%,每克COD能产生688.2 mL的甲烷。采用红外光谱、紫外可见光谱以及三维荧光光谱对压裂返排液厌氧处理过程中有机物的组分及光谱特性进行了分析,发现厌氧生物处理可显著去除压裂返排液中芳香族化合物和类腐殖酸等物质。凝胶渗透色谱分析结果表明,压裂返排液中分子质量小于200 Da的有机物在厌氧处理过程中被优先去除。此外,将厌氧工艺出水进行好氧生物处理,COD去除率仅为22.2%,说明厌氧处理后的压裂返排液可生物降解性较差,需要采用高级氧化等方法进行深度处理。     

Modeling of vapor intrusion from hydrocarbon-contaminated sources accounting for aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation

A one-dimensional steady state vapor intrusion model including both anaerobic and oxygen-limited aerobic biodegradation was developed. The aerobic and anaerobic layer thickness are calculated by stoichiometrically coupling the reactive transport of vapors with oxygen transport and consumption. The model accounts for the different oxygen demand in the subsurface required to sustain the aerobic biodegradation of the compound(s) of concern and for the baseline soil oxygen respiration. In the case of anaerobic reaction under methanogenic conditions, the model accounts for the generation of methane which leads to a further oxygen demand, due to methane oxidation, in the aerobic zone. The model was solved analytically and applied, using representative parameter ranges and values, to identify under which site conditions the attenuation of hydrocarbons migrating into indoor environments is likely to be significant. Simulations were performed assuming a soil contaminated by toluene only, by a BTEX mixture, by Fresh Gasoline and by Weathered Gasoline. The obtained results have shown that for several site conditions oxygen concentration below the building is sufficient to sustain aerobic biodegradation. For these scenarios the aerobic biodegradation is the primary mechanism of attenuation, i.e. anaerobic contribution is negligible and a model accounting just for aerobic biodegradation can be used. On the contrary, in all cases where oxygen is not sufficient to sustain aerobic biodegradation alone (e.g. highly contaminated sources), anaerobic biodegradation can significantly contribute to the overall attenuation depending on the site specific conditions.     

Combination of ozonation with conventional aerobic oxidation for distillery wastewater treatment

Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted in order to investigate the effect of ozone as pre-aerobic treatment and post-aerobic treatment for the treatment of the distillery wastewater. The degradation of the pollutants present in distillery spent wash was carried out by ozonation, aerobic biological degradation processes alone and by using the combinations of these two processes to investigate the synergism between the two modes of wastewater treatment and with the aim of reducing the overall treatment costs. Pollutant removal efficiency was followed by means of global parameters directly related to the concentration of organic compounds in those effluents: chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the color removal efficiency in terms of absorbance of the sample at 254 nm. Ozone was found to be effective in bringing down the COD (up to 27%) during the pretreatment step itself. In the combined process, pretreatment of the effluent led to enhanced rates of subsequent biological oxidation step, almost 2.5 times increase in the initial oxidation rate has been observed. Post-aerobic treatment with ozone led to further removal of COD along with the complete discoloration of the effluent. The integrated process (ozone-aerobic oxidation-ozone) achieved approximately 79% COD reduction along with discoloration of the effluent sample as compared to 34.9% COD reduction for non-ozonated sample, over a similar treatment period.     

生物处理组合工艺用于制革废水处理

针对制革废水高COD、高总氮的问题,提出了基于上流式厌氧污泥床（UASB）、上流式反硝化污泥床（UDNSB）、生物接触氧化池的生物处理组合工艺,进行了为期321 d的现场中试研究。研究结果表明,对于COD、TN、NH4+-N平均浓度分别为2 740、278和193 mg·L-1的制革废水,在硝化液回流比R为300%,UASB反应器、UDNSB反应器、生物接触氧化池的水力停留时间（HRT）分别为11、22和57 h,平均容积负荷分别为5.63 kg COD·（m3·d）-1、0.30 kg TN·（m3·d）-1和0.11 kg NH4+-N·（m3·d）-1的条件下,该组合工艺处理出水COD、TN和NH4+-N的平均浓度分别为190、69.8和4.6 mg·L-1,其平均去除率分别达到92%、73%和97%以上。     

AnEMBR-IFFAS耦合工艺处理石化废水

石化废水具有成分复杂、生物毒性和可生化性差等特点,废水中的高浓度耗氧有机物(以COD计)以及有毒物质会抑制生物活性,传统厌氧/好氧工艺在处理此类废水时难以达到理想效果。为强化生物处理效果,构建了一种新型电化学强化厌氧膜生物反应器(AnEMBR)与基于悬浮生物载体的生物膜与活性污泥复合工艺(IFFAS)处理实际石化废水。通过AnEMBR构建的生物电化学系统去除COD,并通过IFFAS内的改性载体实现同步硝化反硝化(SND)以去除NH₄⁺-N和TN。运行期间COD去除率大于95%,在-1.2 V的外加电压下缓解不可逆膜污染并回收沼气 (CH₄占比90.7%) 。稳定运行阶段的COD、NH₄⁺-N、TN的平均去除率可达到97.9%、93.1%和72.2%,平均出水COD为52.11 mg·L⁻¹、NH₄⁺-N为3.70 mg·L⁻¹、TN为15.19 mg·L⁻¹,达到了《石油化学工业污染物排放标准》(GB 31571‐2015)。以上研究结果可为石化废水强化生物处理提供参考。     

A comparison of membrane bioreactor and conventional-activated-sludge mixed liquor and biosolids characteristics.

Characteristics and behavior of raw and digested mixed liquor derived from a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a full-scale activated-sludge (FSAS) facility were compared. The accumulation of nondegradable chemical oxygen demand in the MBR appears to play an important role in increasing the observed biological yield coefficient (Y(obs)), reducing average floc size, decreasing total suspended solids/total solids and volatile suspended solids/volatile solids (VS) ratios, and reducing specific-oxygen-uptake rates of the mixed liquor relative to FSAS-derived biological solids. Membrane bioreactor sludges exhibited lower VS destruction following 30 days mesophilic-anaerobic and aerobic digestion when compared to FSAS sludges. Significant deterioration in dewatering behavior was observed for the FSAS biosolids after anaerobic digestion and, to a lesser extent, following aerobic digestion. In comparison, digestion had a small affect on dewatering efficiency and conditioner requirements for MBR biosolids. Full-scale facilities using membrane separation may need to tailor digestion and dewatering processes to the specific characteristics of MBR sludges.     

Integrated physicochemical and biological treatment process for fluoride and phosphorus removal from fertilizer plant wastewater

The phosphate fertilizer industry produces highly hazardous and acidic wastewaters. This study was undertaken to develop an integrated approach for the treatment of wastewaters from the phosphate industry. Effluent samples were collected from a local phosphate fertilizer producer and were characterized by their high fluoride and phosphate content. First, the samples were pretreated by precipitation of phosphate and fluoride ions using hydrated lime. The resulting low- fluoride and phosphorus effluent was then treated with the enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process to monitor the simultaneous removal of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Phosphorus removal included a two-stage anaerobic/aerobic system operating under continuous flow. Pretreated wastewater was added to the activated sludge and operated for 160 days in the reactor. The operating strategy included increasing the organic loading rate (OLR) from 0.3 to 1.2 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L.d. The stable and high removal rates of COD, NH4(+)-N, and PO4(3-)-P were then recorded. The mean concentrations of the influent were approximately 3600 mg COD/L, 60 mg N/L, and 14 mg P/L, which corresponded to removal efficiencies of approximately 98%, 86%, and 92%, respectively.     

Measuring biomass specific ammonium, nitrite and phosphate uptake rates in aerobic granular sludge

Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology offers the possibility to remove organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in a single reactor system. The granular structure is stratified in such a way that both aerobic and anaerobic/anoxic layers are present. Since most of the biological processes in AGS systems occur simultaneously, the measurement and estimation of the capacity of specific conversions is complicated compared to suspended biomass. The determination of the activities of different functional groups in aerobic granular sludge allows for identification of the potential metabolic capacity of the sludge and aids to analyze bioreactor performance. It allows for comparison of different sludges and enables improved understanding of the interaction and competition between different metabolic groups of microorganisms. The most appropriate experimental conditions and methods to determine specific ammonium, nitrite and phosphate uptake rates under normal operation of AGS reactors were evaluated and described in this study. Extra biomass characterization experiments determining the maximum uptake rate of these compounds on optimized conditions were performed as well to see how much spare capacity was available. The methodologies proposed may serve as an experimental frame of reference for investigating the metabolic capacities of microbial functional groups in biofilm processes.     

Anaerobic treatment of high-saline wastewater using halophilic methanogens in laboratory-scale anaerobic filters.

The presence of a high concentration of sodium in wastewater is considered inhibitory for anaerobic biological treatment. This research was designed to investigate the potential use of halophilic methanogens and a mixed culture of halophilic methanogens and digester sludge, in anaerobic filters, for treatment of organic pollutants in high-saline wastewater at 35 degrees C. Data related to startup of the filters are presented. Both halophilic and mixed-culture anaerobic filters were able to operate at a sodium chloride concentration of 35 g/L, at organic loading rates (OLRs) of 6.2 and 5 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/m(3) x d, respectively. The COD removal efficiency was as high as 80%, and the systems were able to maintain a low volatile fatty acids concentration of 500 mg/L. No significant difference in COD removal was observed between the halophilic filter and the mixed-culture filter. Increasing the salt concentration to 37 g/L at an OLR of 3 kg/m(3) x d caused system failure.     

Enhancement of chemical-oxygen demand and color removal of distillery spent-wash by ozonation.

Distillery spent-wash has very high organic content (75,000 to 125,000 mg/L chemical-oxygen demand [COD]), color, and contains difficult-to-biodegrade organic compounds. For example, anaerobic treatment of the distillery spent-wash used in this study resulted in 60% COD reduction and low color removal. Subsequent aerobic treatment of the anaerobic effluent resulted in enhancement of COD removal to 66%. In this paper, the effect of ozonation on various properties of the anaerobically treated distillery effluent, including the effect on its subsequent aerobic biodegradation, was investigated. Ozonation of the anaerobically treated distillery effluent at various ozone doses resulted in the reduction of total-organic carbon (TOC), COD, COD/TOC ratio, absorbance, color, and increase in the biochemical-oxygen demand (BOD)/COD ratio of the effluent. Further, ozonation of the anaerobically treated distillery effluent at an ozone dose of 2.08 mg/mg initial TOC and subsequent aerobic biodegradation resulted in 87.4% COD removal, as compared to 66% removal when ozonation was not used.     

Evaluation of the treatment efficiencies of paper mill whitewaters in terms of organic composition and toxicity

The efficiency of several lab scale treatments (aerobic, anaerobic and ozone or combination of these) was evaluated using two packaging board mill whitewaters. The effect of the different treatments on the elimination of the organic load, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and the toxicity was tested as well as the relationship between these parameters. Biocides, phenolic compounds, surfactants, plasticiziers and wood extractives were identified in untreated and treated whitewaters by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A strong dependency on the water type and treatment efficiency was observed, being the combination of anaerobic and aerobic treatments the best option to reduce the organic contaminants in these waters, although in some cases, the toxicity did not decrease. However, ozone as post-treatment permitted a further reduction of organic compounds, toxicity and COD.     

基于氧利用速率表征好氧吸磷过程特性

过程监测及调控是废水生物除磷工艺得以长期稳定运行的基础。为了获取氧利用速率（OUR）在生物除磷过程的潜在应用及该过程氧利用特性,开展聚磷菌好氧吸磷过程的呼吸测量实验,分析了OUR曲线变化与磷酸盐浓度变化、胞内聚合物（PHAs）氧化、外源COD存在与否与浓度变化及pH变化之间的响应关系。研究得到如下结果：富集污泥无磷酸盐存在时,体系依然存在明显的氧利用行为,在不吸磷的情况下聚磷菌胞内的PHAs依然会好氧氧化;外源COD的存在将改变PAOs吸磷速率并延长好氧吸磷的结束时间;体系初始pH的不同导致好氧吸磷效率、吸磷过程pH变化趋势及变化程度的不同;不同的初始条件得到不同的OUR。分析证实,利用测量OUR来监测聚磷菌好氧吸磷过程的运行状态是可行的。     

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in an aerobic reactor with granular sludge originating from an upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor.

Anaerobic granular sludge, obtained from an upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor at a brewery waste treatment station, was cultured for 3 months under aeration conditions until the diameter of sludge was in the range 1.8 to 2.6 mm. The aerobic granular sludge gathered acquired the ability of catalyzing simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) and was applied in the study of the process of nitrogen removal in a bioreactor. The ratio between chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonium-nitrogen (NH4(+)-N) concentration in the influent was found to be an important factor influencing the process of SND. The final percentage removal of NH4(+)-N reached 100% under the optimal condition of 500 mg/L COD and 0.39 NH4(+)-N/COD. Intermediate products, such as nitrite-nitrogen and nitrate-nitrogen, were also analyzed to clarify the SND process with the aerobic granular sludge.     

Load maximization of a liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed bioreactor for nitrogen removal from synthetic municipal wastewater

A novel liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed bioreactor (LSCFB) configured with anoxic and aerobic columns and lava rock as the biofilm carrier was used to treat synthetic municipal wastewater. Four different empty bed contact times (EBCTs) of 0.82, 0.65, 0.55, and 0.44 h were examined to optimize nutrient removal capability of the system. The LSCFB demonstrated tertiary effluent quality organic and nitrogen removal efficiencies. Effluent characteristics of the LSCFB were soluble biological oxygen demand (SBOD)10 mg l(-1) and total nitrogen (TN)<10 mg l(-1) at organic loading rate (OLR) of 5.3 kg m(-3)d(-1) and nitrogen loading rate of 0.54 kg Nm(-3)d(-1). Remarkably low yields of 0.14, 0.17, 0.19, and 0.21 g VSS g(-1)COD were observed at OLR of 2.6, 3.2, 4.1 and 5.3 kg COD m(-3)d(-1), where increment of biomass growth and detachment rate were also experienced with increasing OLR. However the system demonstrated only 30% phosphorus removal, and mass balances along the anoxic and aerobic columns showed biological phosphorus removal in the system. Organic mass balance showed that approximately 40% of the influent COD was utilized in the anoxic column and the remaining COD was oxidized in the aerobic column. The system is very efficient in nitrification-denitrification, with more than 90% nitrification of ammonium and overall nitrogen removal in the LSCFB was 70+/-11% even at an EBCT of 0.44 h.     

Microbial activity in a combined UASB-activated sludge reactor system

A combined upflow anaerobic sludge bed-activated sludge (UASB-AS) reactor system with consistently wasting of excess biomass was used to treat suspended-solids pre-settled piggery wastewater (COD=2000 mg l(-1), total Kjeldahl nitrogen TKN=400 mg l(-1), suspended solids=250-400 mg l(-1)). Thus, the activity of nitrogen-related microbial groups in each individual bioreactor was investigated. When the granules retention time (GRT) of 20-50 d in the UASB reactor, the solids retention time (SRT) of 10-25 d in the AS reactor and the recycle-to-influent ratio (Re) of 1 were maintained, the combined system removed 95-97% of chemical oxygen demand (COD), 100% of TKN and 54-55% of total nitrogen (TN). Denitrification and methanogenesis occurred in the UASB reactor so that both biochemical processes contributed to most of the COD removal and, complete nitrification (most of the TKN removal) occurred in the AS reactor. Compact granules with good settling abilities developed in the UASB reactor, and rapid rates of granulation of break-up granules in the UASB reactor were confirmed by experiments. The activity of nitrifiers and denitrifiers (an=0.68-0.87; adn=0.55-0.70) and the calculated specific nitrification and denitrification rates (qn=0.26-0.47 mg NH4+ -N mg VSS(-1)d(-1); qdn=0.046-0.076 mg NOx- -N mg VSS(-1)d(-1)) significantly increased with decreasing SRT and GRT, respectively. Accordingly, the combined UASB-AS reactor system should be regarded a promising alternative for the removal of organic carbon and nitrogen from piggery wastewater.