Aerial organic chemical release from activated sludge

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate some of the potentially controlling factors influencing the atmospheric release of volatile organic compounds from the activated-sludge sewage treatment process. A bench-scale aeration vessel was used to investigate the influence of aeration rate, suspended solids concentration and detergent concentration on the rate of stripping of hexa-chlorobicycloheptadiene (Hex-BCH) and chloroform from simulated wastewater. These compounds had previously been found to be released from an 80 mgd activated sludge wastewater treatment plant. First order kinetic decay was found for the stripping of Hex-BCH and chloroform. The influences of aeration rate, suspended solids concentration and detergent concentration on the release of Hex-BCH were each statistically significant. The increase in aeration rate appreciably enhanced the release of Hex-BCH, while increasing the concentration of suspended solids inhibited stripping. A linear relationship was found between detergent concentration and stripping rate. Aeration rate was the only significant variable influencing the release of chloroform. The results suggest that Hex-BCH is stripped from an adsorbed state and chloroform from a dissolved state.