The use of pure oxygen for aeration in aerobic wastewater treatment: A review of its potential and limitations

Abstract

In aerobic wastewater treatment, aeration is the most critical element of the treatment system. It supplies microorganisms with the required dissolved oxygen, maintains solids in suspension and, in membrane bioreactors, it controls fouling. However, conventional activated sludge is limited to the treatment of low strength wastewaters, as higher loadings require both higher biomass and higher dissolved oxygen concentrations. By replacing air with pure oxygen, oxygen transfer rates increase at lower flowrates. In this work, the potential and limitations of pure oxygen aeration are reviewed. The effect of the system’s operational parameters and the mixed liquor characteristics on oxygen transfer, and vice versa, are determined. Pure oxygen treats higher loadings without compromising effluent quality. Fine bubbles are more efficient in oxygen transfer due to their increased contact area. However, pure oxygen is not always essential, so it is recommended to be restricted to applications where air is not adequate.