Treatment of High Concentration Organic Wastewater with a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) Process Combined with Electro-flotation as a Solids-liquid Separation Method

Abstract

Operation characteristics of the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process with electro-flotation (EF) as a solid liquid separation method (EF-SBR) were investigated. EF-SBR process showed excellent solid-liquid separation performance which enabled to separate biosolids from liquid phase within 30 min and to extend cyclic reaction time. Although influent organic loading rate was increased stepwise from 5 to 15 g COD/day, food to microorganisms (F/M) ratio could be maintained about 0.3 g COD/g VSS/day in EF-SBR because biomass concentration could be easily controlled at desired level by EF. However, it was impossible to increase biomass concentration at the same level in control SBR (C-SBR) process because solid-liquid separation by gravity settling showed a limitation at higher mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration with 60 min of settling time. Total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal efficiency of EF-SBR process was not decreased although influent organic loading rate became 3 times higher than initial value. However, it was seriously deteriorated in C-SBR process after increasing the rate over 10 g COD/day, which was accounted for insufficient organic removal by relatively higher food to microorganisms (F/M) ratio as well as biosolids wash-out by a limitation of gravity sedimentation.