Combined anaerobic/aerobic digestion: effect of aerobic retention time on nitrogen and solids removal

A combined anaerobic/aerobic sludge digestion system was studied to determine the effect of aerobic solids retention time (SRT) on its solids and nitrogen removal efficiencies. After the anaerobic digester reached steady state, effluent from the anaerobic digester was fed to aerobic digesters that were operated at 2- to 5-day SRTs. The anaerobic system was fed with a mixture of primary and secondary sludge from a local municipal wastewater treatment plant. Both systems were fed once per a day. The aerobic reactor was continuously aerated with ambient air, maintaining dissolved oxygen level at 1.1 +/- 0.3 mg/L. At a 4-day or longer SRT, more than 11% additional volatile solids and 90% or greater ammonia were removed in the aerobic digester, while 32.8 mg-N/L or more nitrite/nitrate also was measured. Most total Kjeldahl nitrogen removal was via ammonia removal, while little organic nitrogen was removed in the aerobic digester.     

Performance and stability of two-stage anaerobic digestion.

The stability, capacity, and solids destruction efficiency of single versus two-stage anaerobic digestion was studied in bench-scale reactors using combined waste activated and primary sludge. Laboratory staged mesophilic digesters showed an improved volatile solids and volatile suspended solids destruction efficiency over a single-stage system (at the same total solids retention time [SRT]) of approximately 3.2 and 5.8 percentage points, respectively. To quantify stability and capacity, a new digester monitoring method was introduced that measured the digester maximum acetate utilization capacity, V(max,ac), and was used to investigate the potential for digester instability at different transient loadings. The ratio of the V(max,ac) value to the estimated acetate production rate for a given digester loading was termed the acetate capacity number (ACN). Values greater than 1.0 indicate excess acetate utilization capacity. The first stage of the laboratory two-stage mesophilic system (10-day SRT for each stage) had an ACN number of 1.3 compared with a value of 1.8 for the single-stage 20-day SRT digester. Thus, while a staged mesophilic system can improve solids destruction efficiency, it demonstrates a lower capacity for metabolizing highly variable loads.     

Comparison of mechanical pretreatment methods for the enhancement of anaerobic digestion of pulp and paper waste activated sludge

The conventional anaerobic digestion process, requiring long solids retention times (SRTs) to digest solids, is currently viewed as impractical for the pulp and paper industry because of high capital costs associated with the construction of new digesters. Recent developments in sludge solubilization technology could be promising in reducing digester size, which also allows for the potential use of decommissioned tanks, both of which can reduce the capital cost. Three pretreatment technologies for use with anaerobic digestion were tested on laboratory-scale to investigate their feasibility. The SRTs in all three digesters systematically decreased from 20 to 3 days. The reference digester was fed waste activated sludge (WAS) to serve as the control at the same SRTs. The other digesters were fed WAS that had been preconditioned using mechanical shearing, sonication, or high-pressure homogenization technology. Anaerobic digestion with high-pressure homogenization produced as much methane at 3-day mean SRT as that from the reference digester operated at 20-day SRT. Therefore, a new digester can theoretically be 85% smaller than a conventional digester. An added benefit of WAS to methane conversion is the recovery of nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus.     

Pretreatment of sludge with microwaves for pathogen destruction and improved anaerobic digestion performance.

A new way of generating Class A sludge using microwaves was evaluated through a series of laboratory-scale experiments. Microwaves provide rapid and uniform heating throughout the material. Other benefits of microwave treatment include instant and accurate control and selective and concentrated heating on materials, such as sludge, that have a high dielectric loss factor. Sludge was irradiated with 2450-MHz microwaves, and fecal coliforms were counted. Fecal coliforms were not detected at 65 degrees C for primary sludge and anaerobic digester sludge and at 85 degrees C for waste activated sludge when sludge was irradiated with 2450-MHz microwaves. During the bench-scale anaerobic digester operation, the highest average log reduction of fecal coliforms was achieved by the anaerobic digester fed with microwave-pretreated sludge (> or = 2.66 log removal). The anaerobic digester fed with microwave-irradiated sludge was more efficient in inactivation of fecal coliforms than the other two digesters fed with raw sludge and externally heated sludge, respectively. It took more than three hydraulic retention times for a bench-scale mesophilic anaerobic digester to meet Class A sludge requirements after feeding microwave-irradiated sludge. Class A sludge can be produced consistently with a continuously fed mesophilic anaerobic digester if sludge is pretreated with microwaves to reach 65 degrees C.     

Effect of operational parameters on the removal of particulate chemical oxygen demand in the activated sludge process.

The removal of particulate material in the aeration basin of the activated sludge process is mainly attributed to bioflocculation and hydrolysis of particulate substrate. The bioflocculation process in the aeration tank of the activated sludge process occurs only under favorable conditions in the system, and several common operational parameters affect its performance. The principal objective of this research was to observe the effect of mixed liquor suspended solids, solids retention time (SRT), and extracellular polymer substances on the removal of particulate substrate by bioflocculation. A first-order particulate removal expression, based on flocculation, accurately described the removal rates for supernatant suspended solids and colloidal chemical oxygen demand. Based on the results presented in this investigation, a mixed liquor concentration of approximately 2200 mg/L, an SRT of at least 3 days, and a contact time of 30 minutes are needed for relatively complete removal of the particulate substrate in a plug-flow reactor.     

Effect of a starch-rich industrial wastewater on the acid-phase anaerobic digestion process.

This research investigated the effect of varying the starch-rich, industrial-wastewater component of mixtures with municipal wastewater fed to an anaerobic digester. A laboratory-scale, completely-mixed anaerobic digester was operated at an HRT of 30 h, an SRT of 10 d, and an ambient temperature of 21.5 +/- 1.5 degrees C. The industrial-to-municipal ratios tested were 1:3, 1:1, 3:1, and 100% industrial by volume. Steady-state, acidogenic conditions were achieved for all runs, except 100% industrial. The pH was observed to drop substantially as the industrial constituent of the feed increased. Net volatile fatty acids (VFA) production reached a plateau of approximately 800 mg/L at ratios of 1:1 and higher, while volatile suspended solids (VSS) reduction steadily increased as the industrial component rose. The specific VFA and soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) production rates leveled off at approximately 0.070 mgVFA/ mgVSS.d and 0.124 mgSCOD/mgVSS.d, respectively, for all the mixtures investigated, except for 100% industrial. In this latter case, both rates dropped dramatically. Finally, acetic and propionic acid concentrations fell as the industrial proportion of the mixture increased. This was compensated by a rise in butyric acid production.     

Effects of anaerobic selector hydraulic retention time on biological foam control and enhanced biological phosphorus removal in a pure-oxygen activated sludge system.

Increased anaerobic selector hydraulic retention times (HRTs) in a high-purity oxygen activated sludge process resulted in an increase in soluble orthophosphate release and biodegradable chemical oxygen demand removal, confirming that enhanced biological phosphorus removal occurs at aeration solids retention times (SRTs) below 1.7 days. Under operating conditions that included biological foam trapping and recycling, an anaerobic selector with HRTs higher than 55 minutes resulted in a decrease in filament counts and effective foam control. Effective norcardioform control is achieved through the combination of metabolic selective pressure and increased soluble organic substrate removal in the anaerobic selector and low aeration SRT.     

Removal of organic and nitrogen and molecular weight distribution of residual soluble organic from entrapped mixed microbial cells and activated sludge processes.

The simultaneous removal of organic and nitrogen and molecular weight distribution (MWD) of residual soluble chemical oxygen demand (RSCOD) in final effluent were investigated using entrapped mixed microbial cells (EMMC) and conventional activated sludge processes. Two different types of processes using EMMC carriers demonstrated better organic and nitrogen removal performance because of the high solids retention time (SRT) compared with the activated sludge process. Regarding the RSCOD, the longer SRT process (EMMC) was affected by reducing the hydraulic retention time, resulting in the increase of high-molecular-weight materials. On the other hand, reducing the aeration period had significantly affected the MWD in the shorter SRT process (activated sludge), resulting in an increase of low-molecular-weight materials.     

Effects of sludge recirculation rate and mixing time on performance of a prototype single-stage anaerobic digester for conversion of food wastes to biogas and energy recovery

Food wastes have been recognized as the largest waste stream and accounts for 39.25 % of total municipal solid waste in Thailand. Chulalongkorn University has participated in the program of in situ energy recovery from food wastes under the Ministry of Energy (MOE), Thailand. This research aims to develop a prototype single-stage anaerobic digestion system for biogas production and energy recovery from food wastes inside Chulalongkorn University. Here, the effects of sludge recirculation rate and mixing time were investigated as the main key parameters for the system design and operation. From the results obtained in this study, it was found that the sludge recirculation rate of 100 % and the mixing time of 60 min per day were the most suitable design parameters to achieve high efficiencies in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solids (TS), and total volatile solid (TVS) removal and also biogas production by this prototype anaerobic digester. The obtained biogas production was found to be 0.71 m³/kg COD and the composition of methane was 61.6 %. Moreover, the efficiencies of COD removal were as high as 82.9 % and TVS removal could reach 83.9 % at the optimal condition. Therefore, the developed prototype single-stage anaerobic digester can be highly promising for university canteen application to recover energy from food wastes via biogas production.     

污泥龄对LSP & PNR污泥减量新工艺运行效能的影响

通过研究分析污泥龄（SRT）对富磷污水除磷的LSP&PNR污泥减量新工艺运行效果的影响,结果发现,延长污泥龄有利于提高系统的厌氧释磷能力,但不影响其总的除磷率,同时磷的回收比例增大,当SRT=50 d时,磷回收率取得最大值70.4％;LSP&PNR系统污泥龄增加,还有利于污泥产率的降低。试验还发现,排富磷污水除磷的长污泥龄LSP&PNR系统的除磷效率与污泥产率之间不存在制约关系,即系统可以同时获得优异的污泥减量与生物除磷效果,当SRT=50 d时,每降解1 kg COD仅产生0.143 kg污泥,而除磷率达最高值928％;LSP&PNR系统中SRT、DO与SVI之间存在一定的相关性,在供氧充足（DO＝0.8～1.5 mg/L）条件下,SRT增加,SVI越高,但对于SRT为50 d的LSP&PNR系统,稳定运行时没有污泥膨胀之虞。     

Overview of anaerobic treatment: thermophilic and propionate implications.

Difficulties in achieving low propionate concentrations in anaerobically treated effluents are frequently reported in the literature (Ahring, 1994; Kugelman and Guida, 1989; Rimkus et al., 1982), especially at thermophilic temperatures, with concentrations as high as 1000 to 9600 mg/L sometimes produced. This paper will detail the effect of several variables on the performance of both mesophilic and thermophilic regimes. Studies concerning the effect of the following four important factors on performance are included: reactor configuration, inorganic nutrient supplementation, substrate characteristics, and the unique role of microbial consortia proximity in enhancing performance. Reactor configuration modifications, essential nutrient additions, and the importance of close microbial proximity were all found to contribute to improvement in thermophilic anaerobic digestion in all the studies. It was found that, in substrates that shunt significant amounts of the electron donor through propionate, performance was critically related to reactor optimization, with propionate removal efficiency considerably improved using intact upflow anaerobic sludge blanket granules, less so in a homogenized granule slurry blanket, and noticeably reduced even more when the completely stirred reactor configuration of homogenized granules was used. The critical importance of extremely close microbial consortia proximity in maintaining hydrogen intermediates at very low levels to efficiently convert propionate to hydrogen and acetate was demonstrated. Compared to mesophilic digestion, thermophilic digestion manifested elevated levels of propionate, except in the nonmixed reactors, which had close microbial consortia proximity. The reactor configuration with the best results was the anaerobic digestion elutriated phased treatment (ADEPT) scheme, in which the raw sludge was elutriated of its fermenting volatile fatty acids, as they are generated in a short 5- to 8-day solids retention time (SRT) in one reactor and the elutriate then metabolized by passing up through a methanogenic granule or slurry blanket (with its close microbial consortia proximity) in a separate reactor with a 20- to 50-day SRT. Loading rates and performance of the ADEPT reactor configuration were superior to the standard continuously stirred tank reactor, and ADEPT thermophilic temperatures allowed higher organic loading rates without high propionate concentrations in the effluent.     

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.     

Performance of anaerobic waste activated sludge digesters after microwave pretreatment.

Effects of microwave pretreatment on waste activated sludge (WAS) in mesophilic semicontinuous digesters with acclimatized inoculum at solids retention times (SRTs) of 5, 10, and 20 days are presented. Batch digesters determined optimum microwave temperature, intensity, WAS concentration, and percentage of WAS pretreated for highest WAS solubilization (soluble to total chemical oxygen demand ratio [SCOD:TCOD]) and biogas production. Pretreatment results indicated the potential to damage floc structure and release 4.2-, 4.5-, and 3.6-fold higher soluble proteins, sugars, and SCOD:TCODs compared with controls, with nucleic acid release. Pretreatment increased dewaterability and bioavailability of WAS with 20% higher biogas production compared with controls in batch digestion. In semicontinuous digesters, relative (to control) improvements in removals dramatically increased, as SRT was shortened from 20 to 10 to 5 days, with 23 and 26% higher volatile solids removals for WAS pretreated to 96 degrees C by microwave and conventional heating at a 5-day SRT.     

Retooling the ethanol industry: thermophilic anaerobic digestion of thin stillage for methane production and pollution prevention.

Anaerobic digestion of corn ethanol thin stillage was tested at thermophilic temperature (55 degrees C) with two completely stirred tank reactors. The thin stillage wastestream was organically concentrated with 100 g/L total chemical oxygen demand and 60 g/L volatiles solids and a low pH of approximately 4.0. Steady-state was achieved at 30-, 20-, and 15-day hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and digester failure at a 12-day HRT. Significant reduction of volatile solids was achieved, with a maximum reduction (89.8%) at the 20-day HRT. Methane yield ranged from 0.6 to 0.7 L methane/g volatile solids removed during steady-state operation. Effluent volatile fatty acids below 200 mg/L as acetic acid were achieved at 20- and 30-day HRTs. Ultrasonic pretreatment was used for one digester, although no significant improvement was observed. Ethanol plant natural gas consumption could be reduced 43 to 59% with the methane produced, while saving an estimated $7 to $17 million ($10 million likely) for a facility producing 360 million L ethanol/y.     

Matching of an anaerobic animal waste digester with a dual-fuel generator unit

This paper describes a scientific method for matching an anaerobic fermentation digester using animal dung with a diesel engine power-generating unit, in such a way as to specify the digester capacity to be suitable for various specific energy needs. An experimental model consisting of an Indian-type digester connected to a constant speed, single cylinder 3 kW diesel engine, was designed, constructed and tested in the laboratory to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the performance. The engine was operated with dual fuel (biogas and diesel). A performance map was derived to express the ability of the digester to satisfy the different loading conditions of the engine at different mass ratios of the two fuels. Dimensional analysis was carried out to compile the geometric and operating variables of the digester to establish a relation that can be used to demonstrate the effect of the daily loading on the rate of biogas generation using different digester capacities and different proportions of solids in the fermentation material. The study provides the means to match the geometric and dynamic parameters of a digester to specific power requirements within the applied range.     

Influence of ultrasonication on anaerobic bioconversion of sludge.

The influence of ultrasonication on hydrolysis, acidogenesis, and methanogenesis in anaerobic decomposition of sludge was investigated. The sonicated sludge exhibited prehydrolysis and preacidogenesis effects in the anaerobic decomposition process. First-order hydrolysis rates increased from 0.0384 day(-1) in the control digester to 0.0672 day(-1) in the digester fed, with sludge sonicated at 0.52 W/mL. The sonication appeared to be ineffective in relation to acidogenesis reaction rates, but it provided a better buffering capacity to diminish the adverse effect of acidification. Digesters fed with sonicated sludge demonstrated enhanced methanogenesis over the control unit. Determination by coenzyme F420 verified that sonication is able to promote the growth of methanogenic biomass and facilitate a positive methanogenic microbial development in suppressing the initial methanogenesis limitation. The results suggest that ultrasonication could enhance anaerobic decomposition of sludge, resulting in an accelerated bioconversion, improved organics degradation, improved biogas production, and increased methane content.     

Toward long solids retention time of activated sludge processes: benefits in energy saving, effluent quality, and stability

The activated sludge process is the most common method of secondary municipal wastewater treatment; solids retention time (SRT) is the key control parameter for this process. Typically, operating at long SRT is considered only for nitrification, but there are additional benefits of high SRT operation. This paper presents experimental and literature evidence to demonstrate three major additional benefits of long SRT operation: increased oxygen transfer efficiency; improved biomass particle size distribution, which results in more efficient clarification with fewer effluent particles and suspended solids; and enhanced removal of many emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine disrupting compounds. This paper presents experimental results from several treatment plants that showed increasing oxygen transfer efficiency and particle size with increasing SRT, and evidence documenting improved removal of emerging contaminants and biodegradable organic carbon. A long-term survey of three treatment plants concludes that operating at higher SRT is not as energy intensive as typically assumed.     

Optimal Loading Rates and Economic Analyses for Anaerobic Digestion of Poultry Waste

ABSTRACT

Four combinations of litter and carcasses from broiler chickens were examined utilizing a thermophilic, stirred-tank digester of demonstration size of approximately 10,000 gal. Under computed optimal loading rates, litter with paper bedding had the highest daily production of methane over an 8-day retention period. The greatest methane production per lb of volatile solids was achieved over 10 days with litter and paper bedding combined with carcasses. This research found that sufficient poultry litter is generated within 20 mi (32 km) of Moorefield, WV, to support a commercial-sized digester operation. However, anaerobic digestion of poultry waste cannot be financially supported by methane production alone. To be financially viable, anaerobic digestion requires a disposal fee for poultry waste and/or the sale of the digested solid effluent as an organic fertilizer to retail markets.     

Simultaneous nitrification-denitrification and clarification in a pseudoliquified activated sludge system.

This paper describes results from a pilot study of a novel wastewater treatment technology, which incorporates nutrient removal and solids separation to a single step. The pseudoliquified activated sludge process pilot system was tested on grit removal effluent at flowrates of 29.4 to 54.7 m3/d, three different solid residence times (SRT) (15, 37, and 57 days), and over a temperature range of 12 to 28 degrees C. Despite wide fluctuations in the influent characteristics, the system performed reliably and consistently with respect to organics and total suspended solids (TSS) removals, achieving biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and TSS reductions of > 96% and approximately 90%, respectively, with BOD5 and TSS concentrations as low as 3 mg/L. Although the system achieved average effluent ammonia concentrations of 2.7 to 3.2 mg/L, nitrification efficiency appeared to be hampered at low temperatures (< 15 degrees C). The system achieved tertiary effluent quality with denitrification efficiencies of 90 and 91% total nitrogen removal efficiency at a total hydraulic retention time of 4.8 hours and an SRT of 12 to 17 days. With ferric chloride addition, effluent phosphorous concentrations of 0.5 to 0.8 mg/L were achieved. Furthermore, because of operation at high biomass concentrations and relatively long biological SRTs, sludge yields were over 50% below typical values for activated sludge plants. The process was modeled using activated sludge model No. 2, as a two-stage system comprised an aerobic activated sludge system followed by an anoxic system. Model predictions for soluble BOD, ammonia, nitrates, and orthophosphates agreed well with experimental data.     

Optimal loading rates and economic analyses for anaerobic digestion of poultry waste

Four combinations of litter and carcasses from broiler chickens were examined utilizing a thermophilic, stirred-tank digester of demonstration size of approximately 10,000 gal. Under computed optimal loading rates, litter with paper bedding had the highest daily production of methane over an 8-day retention period. The greatest methane production per lb of volatile solids was achieved over 10 days with litter and paper bedding combined with carcasses. This research found that sufficient poultry litter is generated within 20 mi (32 km) of Moorefield, WV, to support a commercial-sized digester operation. However, anaerobic digestion of poultry waste cannot be financially supported by methane production alone. To be financially viable, anaerobic digestion requires a disposal fee for poultry waste and/or the sale of the digested solid effluent as an organic fertilizer to retail markets.