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.     

Recovery of polyhydroxyalkanoate from activated sludge in an enhanced biological phosphorus removal bench-scale reactor.

A sequencing batch reactor was used to study the possibility of harvesting polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) processes without compromising treatment quality. Because, in EBPR, the highest PHA concentrations are observed after exposure of the sludge to anaerobic conditions, PHA accumulation was evaluated with collection of waste activated sludge (WAS) at the end of the anaerobic stage, in addition to the traditional removal after the aerobic stage. The system achieved good phosphorus removal, regardless of the point of WAS collection. When sludge was harvested at the end of the anaerobic stage, the PHA content of the sludge ranged from 7 to 16 mg PHA/100 mg mixed liquor volatile suspended solids. Although this level of PHA production is below levels obtained with pure cultures, the demonstrated ability to harvest PHA, while simultaneously satisfying phosphorus removal in an EBPR process, is a key initial step towards of the use of wastewater treatment plants for PHA production.     

Microalgae growth using high-strength wastewater followed by anaerobic co-digestion

Integration of algal biofuel production to wastewater anaerobic digestion infrastructure has the potential to increase biogas production, decrease high and variable internal nitrogen loads, and improve sludge digestibility and dewaterability. In this research, two species of microalgae, Spirulina platensis and Chlorella sp., were grown on sludge centrate and a centrate and nitrified wastewater effluent mixture. Harvested algae were co-digested with waste activated sludge (WAS) at varying ratios. High-growth (6.8 g m(-2) x d(-1)), nitrogen (36.5 g m(-3) x d(-1)), and phosphorus (6.5 g m(-3) x d(-1)) uptake rates were achieved with Chlorella on centrate. No growth was observed with S. platensis under the same conditions; however, both organisms grew well on the centrate and effluent mixture. Co-digestion of algae with WAS improved volatile solids reduction. Although co-digestion with S. platensis improved biosolids dewaterability, Chlorella had a slight negative effect on dewaterability compared to WAS alone. The efficiency of energy conversion from photons to biogas generated from Chlorella was estimated at 1.4%.     

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.     

The effect of wastewater cations on activated sludge characteristics: effects of aluminum and iron in floc.

Wastewater samples collected from seven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were characterized to assess the impacts of wastewater cations on the activated sludge process. The cations included in this study were sodium (Na+), potassium, ammonium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum (Al), and iron (Fe). Among the selected cations, Al and Fe were of most interest to this study because their role in bioflocculation has not been extensively studied and remains largely unknown. The data showed that WWTPs contained highly varying concentrations of Na+, Al, and Fe in the wastewater and that these cations were responsible for differences between WWTPs as to sludge dewatering rates and effluent quality. In general, a high influent Na+ concentration caused poor sludge dewatering and effluent characteristics. However, when sufficient Al and Fe were present in floc, the deleterious effects of Na+ were offset. The data associated with Al further revealed that waste activated sludge with low Al contained high concentrations of soluble and colloidal biopolymer (protein + polysaccharide), resulting in a high effluent chemical oxygen demand, high conditioning chemical requirements, and poor sludge dewatering properties. These results suggest that Al will improve activated sludge effluent quality by scavenging organic compounds from solution and binding them to floc.     

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.     

超声与次氯酸钠耦合预处理剩余污泥的中温厌氧消化效果

以某城市污水处理厂剩余污泥为对象,通过实验研究了超声与次氯酸钠预处理对污泥的溶胞效果,以及对后续厌氧消化的影响。结果表明,超声与次氯酸钠耦合作用最优操作条件为超声声能密度1.0 W/mL,作用时间50 min。在此条件下,次氯酸钠投加量为4.023 mg/g SS时,对污泥厌氧消化改善效果最明显,剩余污泥产气率及甲烷含量较对照组分别提高了69.73%和10%。同时污泥VSS去除率由11.11%提高到21.24%,在一定程度上实现了污泥减量。     

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.     

Effect of biopolymer on the dewatering characteristics of autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion of sludges.

Autothermal thermophilic aerobic digestion of sludge is known to produce poorly dewatering sludges. Laboratory studies were conducted to investigate the reasons for the poor dewatering. It was found that, during digestion, proteins and polysaccharides were released into solution, and that these could be linked to the deterioration in dewatering. The biopolymer release was accompanied by an increase in the monovalent-to-divalent (M/D) cation ratio. The degree to which the M/D caused deterioration of the sludges depended on the presence of iron in sludge. When the iron content was high, the release of protein and polysaccharides was low. When iron was low, the release of protein and polysaccharides increased linearly with the M/D ratio. The dose of conditioning chemicals, cationic polymer or ferric chloride, was related to the amount of colloidal biopolymer present in solution. The findings suggest that the addition of iron during the digestion process has the potential to produce better dewatering sludges.     

活性污泥胞外聚合物提取方法研究

考察4种方法(蒸气法、EDTA法、NaOH法和搅拌法)对3种活性污泥(可乐厌氧活性污泥、可乐好氧活性污泥和市政污水污泥)胞外聚合物的提取效率,对比分析了各提取方法对不同样品提取所得胞外聚合物的组成影响,结果表明,EDTA法提取多糖的效率最高,提取市政污水污泥、可乐好氧活性污泥和可乐厌氧活性污泥胞外聚合物糖分别在8.3、16.7和9.7 mg/g VSS左右;NaOH提取蛋白质的效率最高,提取市政污水污泥、可乐好氧活性污泥和可乐厌氧活性污泥胞外聚合物蛋白质分别为:3.15、0.55和5.57 mg/g VSS.对于3种不同种类污泥,EDTA法提取EPS总量效率最高,分别为市政污水污泥10.7 mg/g VSS、可乐好氧活性污泥16.8 mg/g VSS和可乐厌氧活性污泥9.97 mg/g VSS,分别比效率最低的搅拌法高出5倍、5倍和3倍.     

超声波联合厌氧消化处理制药污泥

以制药废水处理厂污泥为研究对象,采用超声波技术研究了污泥破解过程中污泥溶解性、沉降性、温度pH和粒径分布等变化情况,以及超声预处理对污泥后续厌氧消化的影响。研究结果表明,超声波能强化污泥的溶解性,在超声比能耗0到250000 kJ/kgTS范围内,污泥上清液的SCOD、TOC、TN和TP值均大幅增加,当比能耗相同时,高能短时的超声条件更利于污泥破解;污泥经超声波处理后,温度上升至40~52℃,pH值在6.9±0.2范围内有所波动,体积平均粒径削减58.75%~72.81%,污泥沉降比SV30由35%急剧升高至95%左右,使脱水性能变差。经ES 250000 kJ/kg TS的超声预处理,污泥厌氧消化的甲烷产量提高了36.81%,VS去除率由33.89%提高到53.11%,TCOD去除率由16.65%提高到89.23%,促进了污泥厌氧消化的产气效率和减量化效果。     

低强度超声波强化剩余活性污泥好氧消化的研究

污泥是城市污水处理厂的副产物,若处理不当,将会带来一系列严重的环境问题.实验采用低强度超声波对剩余活性污泥(WAS)的好氧消化过程进行强化,选取超声强度、超声时间、超声间隔3个因素设计正交实验.结果表明,经超声辐照的WAS,其好氧消化时间最短仅约为13 d,比未经超声辐照的缩短了18.00 d.对实验结果的极差分析和方差分析表明,低强度超声波强化WAS好氧消化的最佳参数为:超声强度1.0 W/cm2、超声时间10 min、超声间隔8 h.实验还研究了WAS达标前后溶解性化学需氧量(SCOD)和总化学需氧量(TCOD)的变化情况,发现在相对较短的处理时间内,经低强度超声波强化处理的WAS的TCOD降解率仍然能与对照相近甚至高于对照,主要原因是低强度超声波强化了微生物的新陈代谢,促进了其对有机物的吸收分解.     

Anaerobic and aerobic transformations affecting stability of dewatered sludge during long-term storage in a lagoon

The goal of this work was to study long-term behavior of anaerobically digested and dewatered sludge (biosolids) in a lagoon under anaerobic and aerobic conditions to determine the stability of the final product as an indicator of its odor potential. Field lagoons were sampled to estimate spatial and temporal variations in the physical-chemical properties and biological stability characteristics such as volatile solids content, accumulated oxygen uptake, and soluble protein content and odorous compound assessment. The analyses of collected data suggest that the surface layer of the lagoon (depth of above 0.15 m) undergoes long-term aerobic oxidation resulting in a higher degree of stabilization in the final product. The subsurface layers (depth 0.15 m below the surface and deeper) are subjected to an anaerobic environment where the conditions favor the initial rapid organic matter degradation within approximately the first year, followed by slow degradation.     

热水解预处理对剩余污泥可生物降解性的影响

针对剩余污泥可生物降解性差的问题,以热水解作为预处理手段,研究了其对剩余污泥可生化性的提高作用。热水解在175℃,0.6~0.8 MPa条件下进行30 min。结果表明,剩余污泥经热水解后,水解率可达48%,挥发性脂肪酸浓度提高7~8倍,COD当量平均7 800 mg·L-1,生化产甲烷潜力提高43%左右。厌氧消化实验中,组合有热水解预处理的温度两相工艺和中温单相工艺容积产甲烷率为0.760和0.719 L·（L·d）-1,甲烷产率为0.288 L·g-1和0.255 L·g-1,均显著高于传统中温单相工艺的0.376 L·（L·d）-1和0.138 L·g-1。组合工艺的挥发性有机物去除率为48.64%和46.51%,比传统工艺高8%~11%。比甲烷产率提高约50%,表明这些被转化的有机物较传统工艺中被转化者产能更多。工艺对比发现,虽然热水解联合温度两相工艺效率最高,但热水解联合中温单相工艺几乎同样高效且工艺更简单实用。     

Case study I: application of the divalent cation bridging theory to improve biofloc properties and industrial activated sludge system performance-direct addition of divalent cations.

The objectives of this study were to examine the application of the divalent cation bridging theory (DCBT) to improve settling, dewatering, and effluent quality in pilot-scale reactors and a full-scale system treating an industrial wastewater. This was accomplished by lowering the monovalent-to-divalent (M/D) cation ratio by direct divalent cation addition. Research has shown that the M/D ratio is a potential indicator for settling and dewatering problems at wastewater treatment plants, and M/D ratios above 2 have been associated with poor settling, dewatering, and effluent quality. The M/D ratio of the wastewater in this study ranged from 6 to 20. The cations studied were calcium and magnesium. Results showed that the addition of calcium improved floc properties compared to control reactors with no calcium addition. The reductions in sludge volume index, effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD), and effluent total suspended solids (TSS) were approximately 35, 34, and 55%, respectively, when the M/D ratio was decreased to approximately 2:1. In addition, the cake solids from a belt filter press simulator increased by 72% and the optimum polymer dose required for conditioning was reduced by 70% in the reactor fed the highest calcium concentration when compared to control reactors with no calcium addition. The addition of calcium also decreased the negative effect of high filamentous organism numbers. In general, the addition of magnesium (Mg2+) had similar effects on effluent quality and dewatering properties, although some differences were measured. A full-scale test using calcium addition was performed. Measurements of effluent quality and floc properties were performed before, during, and after the calcium (Ca2+) addition period. The average M/D ratio during these periods was 6.2, 4.6, and 14.0, respectively. The addition of Ca2+ decreased the effluent five-day biochemical oxygen demand, effluent TSS, and effluent COD. The increased Ca2+ concentration also improved dewatering measured by a decrease in specific resistance to filtration and capillary suction time. Overall, the addition of divalent cations to the pilot- and full-scale activated sludge systems improved floc properties and the data fit well with the DCBT.     

厌氧氨氧化菌接种污泥的选择培养过程研究

厌氧氨氧化菌的2种不同接种污泥培养实验表明,厌氧消化污泥和好氧硝化污泥均可成功启动厌氧氨氧化过程.接种厌氧消化污泥比好氧硝化污泥培养的厌氧氨氧化菌启动快,但后者去除效果较好.接种好氧硝化污泥的反应器的厌氧氨氧化速率随着氨氮基质进水浓度的增加呈线性增加.进水氨氮浓度为280 mg/L时的氨氮平均去除率达91%;而接种厌氧消化污泥的相应氨氮平均去除率仅为52%.厌氧氨氧化过程以接种好氧硝化污泥来启动为宜.     

Study of biological stabilization processes of cattle and poultry manure by thermogravimetric analysis and (13)C NMR

The biological stabilization process of cattle and poultry manure was studied using thermogravimetric analysis and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance. The stabilization processes carried out were composting, anaerobic digestion and a mixed process (partly aerobic, partly anaerobic). It was observed from the analyzed samples that the biological stabilization processes reduce the volatile content of the bio-wastes and increase the degree of aromaticity. The stabilization of cattle manure by means of aerobic processes was able to further oxidize and enriched in aromatic compounds the bio-waste when compared with the digestion process. On the other hand, the stabilization of poultry manure resulted in a greater aromatization under the digestion process. Stabilized samples with a high degree of aromaticity presented a lower volatile content accompanied by a reduction in the intensity of the differential thermogravimetry peak registered under an inert atmosphere, indicative of the thermal decomposition of the organic matter. The thermal decomposition of all the analyzed materials (fresh and stabilized samples) commenced at around 200 degrees C but for the digested poultry manure, which decomposition initiated close to 250 degrees C. All stabilized samples yielded a lower degree of volatilization to that one observed in fresh samples.     

Anaerobic digestion of raw and thermally hydrolyzed wastewater solids under various operational conditions

In this study, high-solids anaerobic digestion of thermally pretreated wastewater solids (THD) was compared with conventional mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD). Operational conditions, such as pretreatment temperature (150 to 170 degrees C), solids retention time (15 to 20 days), and digestion temperature (37 to 42 degrees C), were varied for the seven THD systems operated. Volatile solids reduction (VSR) by THD ranged from 56 to 62%, compared with approximately 50% for MAD. Higher VSR contributed to 24 to 59% increased biogas production (m3/kg VSR-d) from THD relative to MAD. The high-solids conditions of the THD feed resulted in high total ammonia-nitrogen (proportional to solids loading) and total alkalinity concentrations in excess of 14 g/L as calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Increased pH in THD reactors caused 5 to 8 times more un-ionized ammonia to be present than in MAD, and this likely led to inhibition of aceticlastic methanogens, resulting in accumulation of residual volatile fatty acids between 2 and 6 g/L as acetic acid. The THD produced biosolids cake that possessed low organic sulfur-based biosolids odor and dewatered to between 33 and 39% total solids. Dual conditioning with cationic polymer and ferric chloride was shown to be an effective strategy for mitigating dissolved organic nitrogen and UV-quenching compounds in the return stream following centrifugal dewatering of THD biosolids.     

剩余污泥混合对絮凝污泥厌氧消化的强化

为了考察絮凝污泥与剩余活性污泥混合中温(35℃)厌氧消化效果,分析了不同混合比例、不同投配率下的总化学需氧量(TCOD)去除率、挥发性固体(VS)降解效果,通过pH值与氨氮浓度的变化来分析各反应器的稳定性。结果表明:污泥混合后消化效果明显得到提高,且污泥消化效率随着投配率的增加先提高后下降。5%投配率时,絮凝污泥/剩余污泥(VS比)为1:2时厌氧消化效果最好,TCOD去除率达到47.8%,VS降解率达到46.8%,分解单位VS产气量达到了435 mL/g,pH值与氨氮浓度分别保持在7.4和269 mg/L左右,混合污泥厌氧消化系统较稳定。这说明与剩余污泥的混合消化能有效提高絮凝污泥的厌氧消化性能。污泥絮体的显微分析表明:厌氧消化过程中絮体面积百分比逐步减小,污泥结构逐步解体,可以解释污泥消化的微观过程。