Simultaneous organic and nutrient removal from municipal wastewater by BSACNR process

Abstract

Biological nutrient removal was investigated under a biological synthetic activated ceramic nutrient removal (BSACNR) process. Tests were made to establish whether organic compounds and nutrients (N, P) from municipal wastewater were eliminated effectively in a lab-scale BSACNR process by increasing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 4 hr to 10 hr. In the system, synthetic activated ceramic (SAC) media were packed in each reactor for attached growth of both nitrifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria; the sludge of the clarifier was returned to the anaerobic reactor to release phosphate. In this configuration, nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal could be performed at their respective conditions. The influent was synthetic wastewater, and the mean concentration of COD, NH+4 -N and T-P in the influent was about 200 mg/L, 20 mg/L and 8 mg/L, respectively. At a total HRT of the system of 4-10 hr, the system worked successfully obtaining the removal of COD, NH+4-N, T-N and T-P: 90.5-97.5%, 72.9-94.4%, 56.5-73.7% and 36.0-61.1%, respectively. The results of this research show that a biological synthetic activated ceramic nutrient removal (BSACNR) process packed with SAC media could be applicable for treatment of organic and nutrient from municipal wastewater.