Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids Concentration Research Articles

Mitigation of Membrane Fouling in Membrane Bioreactors Using Granular and Powdered Activated Carbon: An Experimental Study

This experimental study explores the mitigation of membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) through the combined use of granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC). The research assesses the impact of these materials on the fouling resistance, critical flux, and permeate quality using various mixed liquor suspended solids concentrations and carbon dosages. The results indicate that the GAC-PAC combination significantly reduces the total filtration resistance, particularly the cake layer resistance, by 11.7% to 13.6% compared to setups without activated carbon or with the individual carbon types. The study also reveals that this combination decreased the fouling rate by 15% to 24% at critical flux steps, demonstrating substantial improvements in fouling mitigation and operational efficiency. Furthermore, the GAC-PAC combination, which produces an adsorption process, enhances the permeate quality, achieving the near-complete removal of organic matter, total nitrogen, and turbidity, with total phosphorus removal reaching 99%. These findings demonstrate that the combined use of GAC and PAC not only reduces membrane fouling but also improves the overall MBR performance, making it a viable strategy for enhancing the efficiency of wastewater treatment processes.

A comparison study on membrane fouling in A/O-MBR and A/A-MBR at different mixed liquor-suspended solids concentrations

ABSTRACT Membrane fouling leads to decreased membrane flux, increases the frequency of membrane tissue replacement and membrane cleaning, and increases the operating cost of membrane bioreactor. In this study, the pollutant removal effects, membrane fouling differences and microbial characteristics of anaerobic/aerobic MBR (A/O-MBR) and anaerobic/anoxic MBR (A/A-MBR) were investigated at different mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations. The results showed that the chemical cleaning cycle of membrane contamination was 12, 28, 44 h and 24, 40, 104 h, respectively, and the cycle was prolonged with the increase of MLSS concentration (from 6000 to 9000 mg L−1). A/O-MBR was 1.4–2.4 times the rate of membrane fouling of A/A-MBR. In irreversible resistance, extracellular polymer substances (EPS) were the most significant contributors to membrane fouling. EPS concentration in A/A-MBR (118.33, 73.75, 54.26 mg/gMLSS) was lower than that in A/O-MBR (171.68, 91.92, 62.33 mg/gMLSS). Therefore, increasing MLSS concentration could mitigate membrane fouling. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing demonstrated that filamentous bacteria was the primary reason for the membrane fouling difference. Filamentous bacteria were more likely to be attached to the surface of the membrane, causing membrane fouling. The abundance percentage of filamentous bacteria in A/A-MBR was smaller than that in A/O-MBR. In summary, The excellent performance of A/A-MBR in membrane fouling behaviour, resistance analysis, EPS and microorganisms proved that A/A-MBR is more promising than A/O-MBR in wastewater nitrogen and phosphorus removal. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the application of MBR in the field of sewage treatment.

Optimization of a Novel Engineered Ecosystem Integrating Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur Biotransformation for Saline Wastewater Treatment Using an Interpretable Machine Learning Approach.

The denitrifying sulfur (S) conversion-associated enhanced biological phosphorus removal (DS-EBPR) process for treating saline wastewater is characterized by its unique microbial ecology that integrates carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and S biotransformation. However, operational instability arises due to the numerous parameters and intricates bacterial interactions. This study introduces a two-stage interpretable machine learning approach to predict S conversion-driven P removal efficiency and optimize DS-EBPR process. Stage one utilized the XGBoost regression model, achieving an R2 value of 0.948 for predicting sulfate reduction (SR) intensity from anaerobic parameters with feature engineering. Stage two involved the CatBoost classification and regression model integrating anoxic parameters with the predicted SR values for predicting P removal, reaching an accuracy of 94% and an R2 value of 0.93, respectively. This study identified key environmental factors, including SR intensity (20-45 mg S/L), influent P concentration (<9.0 mg P/L), mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS)/mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) ratio (0.55-0.72), influent C/S ratio (0.5-1.0), anoxic reaction time (5-6 h), and MLSS concentration (>6.50 g/L). A user-friendly graphic interface was developed to facilitate easier optimization and control. This approach streamlines the determination of optimal conditions for enhancing P removal in the DS-EBPR process.

Bacterial dealkylation of benzalkonium chlorides in wastewater produces benzyldimethylamine, a potent N-nitrosodimethylamine precursor

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a carcinogenic disinfection byproduct that forms during chloramine disinfection of municipal wastewater effluents which are increasingly used to augment drinking water supplies due to growing water scarcity. Knowledge of wastewater NDMA precursors is limited and the known pool of NDMA precursors has not closed the mass balance between precursor loading, precursor NDMA yield, and formed NDMA. Benzalkonium chlorides (BACs) are the most prevalent quaternary ammonium surfactants and have antimicrobial properties. The extensive utilization of BACs in household, commercial and industrial products has resulted in their detection in wastewater at elevated concentrations. We report the formation of a potent NDMA precursor, benzyldimethylamine (BDMA) from the biodegradation of BACs during activated sludge treatment. BDMA formation and NDMA formation potential (FP) were functions of BAC and mixed liquor suspended solids concentration at circumneutral pH, and the microbial community source. Sustained exposure to microorganisms reduced NDMA FP through successive dealkylation of BDMA to less potent precursors. BAC alkyl chain length (C8 – C16) had little impact on NDMA FP and BDMA formation because chain cleavage occurred at the C–N bond. Wastewater effluents collected from three facilities contained BDMA from 15 to 106 ng/L, accounting for an estimated 4 to 38 % of the NDMA precursor pool.

Nickel augmented biochar for sustaining produced water treatment to decarbonize oil and gas industrial waste using anaerobic-aerobic granular cylindrical periodic discontinuous batch reactors

This study assessed the efficacy of granular cylindrical periodic discontinuous batch reactors (GC-PDBRs) for produced water (PW) treatment by employing eggshell and waste activated sludge (WAS) derived Nickel (Ni) augmented biochar. The synthesized biochar was magnetized to further enhance its contribution towards achieving carbon neutrality due to carbon negative nature, Carbon dioxide (CO2) sorption, and negative priming effects. The GC-PDBR1 and GC-PDBR2 process variables were optimized by the application of central composite design (CCD). This is to maximize the decarbonization rate. Results showed that the systems could reduce total phosphorus (TP) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 76–80% and 92–99%, respectively. Optimal organic matter and nutrient removals were achieved at 80% volumetric exchange ratio (VER), 5 min settling time and 3000 mg/L mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration with desirability values of 0.811 and 0.954 for GC-PDBR1 and GC-PDBR2, respectively. Employing four distinct models, the biokinetic coefficients of the GC-PDBRs treating PW were calculated. The findings indicated that First order (0.0758–0.5365) and Monod models (0.8652–0.9925) have relatively low R2 values. However, the Grau Second-order model and Modified Stover-Kincannon model have high R2 values. This shows that, the Grau Second Order and Modified Stover-Kincannon models under various VER, settling time, and MLSS circumstances, are more suited to explain the removal of pollutants in the GC-PDBRs. Microbiological evaluation demonstrated that a high VER caused notable rises in the quantity of several microorganisms. Under high biological selective pressure, GC-PDBR2 demonstrated a greater percentage of nitrogen removal via autotrophic denitrification and a greater number of nitrifying bacteria. The overgrowth of bacteria such as Actinobacteriota spp. Bacteroidota spp, Gammaproteobacteria, Desulfuromonas Mesotoga in the phylum, class, and genus, has positively impacted on granule formation and stability. Taken together, our study through the introduction of intermittent aeration GC-PDBR systems with added magnetized waste derived biochar, is an innovative approach for simultaneous aerobic sludge granulation and PW treatment, thereby providing valuable contributions in the journey toward achieving decarbonization, carbon neutrality and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Investigating effective strategies for sustainable operation of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) coupled with ceramic ultrafiltration membrane

This study presents a mechanistic approach to explore the key operational parameters governing the flux performance of an SAnMBR system coupled with a ceramic flat-sheet ultrafiltration membrane. Experiments were conducted at mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentrations of 12, 18, and 24 g/L using biogas sparging, backwashing, and a combination of both to investigate the most effective fouling mitigation strategy by exploring the fouling mechanism at a critical flux regime. To validate the experimental findings, a mathematical model was used to simulate the time-based variation of membrane effective pore radius (m), decrease in membrane porosity (%), thickness of cake layer (m), and membrane resistance (1/m). The study found that at a low biomass concentration, there was a sharp decline in the membrane pore radius leading to an increase in membrane resistance in the absence of any fouling mitigation strategies. However, by implementing these strategies individually and in combination, they maintained a higher pore radius and controlled the increase in membrane resistance even at high biomass concentrations. It was observed that biogas sparging outperformed the conventional backwashing strategy and the SAnMBR system exhibited superior performance attaining higher flux rates for prolonged duration. The advanced spectroscopic analysis confirmed the presence of a higher concentration of polysaccharides responsible for cake layer biofouling, and significant pore blocking due to inorganic foulants at high biomass concentrations. This suggests that the SAnMBR system must be operated at optimised biomass levels below the critical flux for sustained operation. Additionally, the key operational parameters identified using the mathematical model provide a precise assessment of SAnMBR performance, to improve its design efficiency for field applications.

New insights on destruction mechanisms of waste activated sludge during simultaneous thickening and digestion process via forward osmosis membrane

This study delved into the efficacy of sludge digestion and the mechanisms involved in sludge destruction during the implementation of forward osmosis process for sludge thickening and digestion (FO-MSTD). Utilizing a lab-scale FO membrane reactor for the thickening and digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS), the investigation explored the effects of sludge thickening and digestion in FO-MSTD processes using draw solutions of varying concentrations. The findings underscored the significance of hydraulic retention time (HRT) as a pivotal parameter influencing the swift thickening or profound digestion of sludge. Consequently, tailoring the HRT to specific processing objectives emerged as a key strategy for achieving desired treatment outcomes. In the investigation, the use of a 1 M NaCl draw solution in the FO-MSTD process showcased enhanced thickening and digestion capabilities. This specific setup raised the concentration of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) to over 30 g/L and achieved a 42.7% digestion efficiency of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) within an operational timeframe of 18 days. Furthermore, the research unveiled distinct stages in the sludge digestion process of the FO-MSTD system, characterized by fully aerobic digestion and aerobic-local anaerobic co-existing digestion. In the fully aerobic digestion stage, the sludge digestion rate exhibited a steady increase, leading to the breakdown of sludge floc structures and the release of a substantial amount of nutrients into the sludge supernatant. The predominant microorganisms during this stage were typical functional microorganisms found in wastewater treatment systems. Transitioning into the aerobic-local anaerobic co-existing digestion stage, both MLSS concentration and MLVSS digestion efficiency continued to rise, accompanied by a decreasing dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration. More organic matter was released into the supernatant, and sludge microbial flocs tended to reaggregate. The localized anaerobic environment within the FO-MSTD reactor fostered an increase in the relative abundance of bacteria with nitrogen and phosphorus removal functions, thereby positively impacting the mitigation of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the sludge supernatant. The results of this research enhance comprehension of the advanced FO-MSTD technology in the treatment of WAS.

Enhanced total nitrogen removal and membrane fouling control by increasing biomass in MBR equipped with ceramic membrane

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) is an efficient method to remove nitrogen in municipal wastewater treatment. However, low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are generally required, leading to serious membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). This study aimed to clarify the synergistic effect of biomass and DO on nitrogen removal and membrane fouling. To achieve this goal, four submerged MBRs equipped with ceramic membranes were operated with different biomass (mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS)) concentrations (3 000 mg/L, 5 000 mg/L, 7 500 mg/L, and 12 000 mg/L) under various DO concentrations (2.0 mg/L, 1.0 mg/L, and 0.5 mg/L). As a result, increasing biomass in the MBRs enhanced total nitrogen (TN) removal via SND, and excellent TN removal efficiencies of 60.7% and 75.8% were obtained using the MBR with an MLSS concentration of 12 000 mg/L and DO concentrations of 2.0 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L. However, a further decrease in DO deteriorated TN removal due to the inhibition of nitrification. Moreover, high MLSS concentrations were beneficial to membrane fouling control for ceramic membranes in MBRs. The lowest transmembrane pressure development rate was observed for the MBR with an MLSS concentration of 12 000 mg/L. High biomass offset the adverse effect of DO decrease on membrane fouling to some extent, and improved the stability of the reactor. Therefore, biomass might be an important parameter for membrane fouling reduction in ceramic MBRs. Overall, optimal biomass and DO concentrations for TN removal were identified, providing useful information for the successful operation of MBRs with efficient TN removal and membrane fouling control.

Exposure of the static magnetic fields on the microbial growth rate and the sludge properties in the complete-mix activated sludge process (a Lab-scale study)

BackgroundIn this study, the effect of static magnetic fields (SMFs) on improving the performance of activated sludge process to enhance the higher rate of microbial growth biomass and improve sludge settling characteristics in real operation conditions of wastewater treatment plants has been investigated. The effect of SMFs (15 mT), hydraulic retention time, SRT, aeration time on mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations, mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) concentrations, α-factor, and pH in the complete-mix activated sludge (CMAS) process during 30 days of the operation, were evaluated.ResultsThere were not any differences between the concentration of MLSS in the case (2148.8 ± 235.6 mg/L) and control (2260.1 ± 296.0 mg/L) samples, however, the mean concentration of MLVSS in the case (1463.4 ± 419.2 mg/L) was more than the control samples (1244.1 ± 295.5 mg/L). Changes of the concentration of MLVSS over time, follow the first and second-order reaction with and without exposure of SMFs respectively. Moreover, the slope of the line and, the mean of α-factor in the case samples were 6.255 and, − 0.001 higher than the control samples, respectively. Changes in pH in both groups of the reactors were not observed. The size of the sluge flocs (1.28 µm) and, the spectra of amid I' (1440 cm−1) and II' (1650 cm−1) areas related to hydrogenase bond in the case samples were higher than the control samples.ConclusionsSMFs have a potential to being considered as an alternative method to stimulate the microbial growth rate in the aeration reactors and produce bioflocs with the higher density in the second clarifiers.

Superior performance of a membrane bioreactor through innovative in-situ aeration and structural optimization using computational fluid dynamics.

The optimization of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) involves a critical challenge in structural design for mitigation of membrane fouling. To address this issue, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was utilized in this study to simulate the hydrodynamic characteristics of a flat sheet (FS) MBR. The optimization of the membrane module configuration and operating conditions was performed by investigating key parameters that altered the shear stress and liquid velocity. The mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration was found to increase the shear stress, leading to a more uniform distribution of shear stress. By optimizing the appropriate bubble diameter to 5mm, the shear stress on the membrane surface was optimized with relatively uniform distribution. Additionally, extending the side baffle length dramatically improved the uniformity of the shear stress distribution on each membrane. A novel in-situ aeration method was also discovered to promote turbulent kinetic energy by 200 times compared with traditional aeration modes, leading to a more uniform bubble streamline. As a result, the novel in-situ aeration method demonstrated superior membrane antifouling potential in the MBR. This work provides a new approach for the structural design and optimization of MBRs. The innovative combination of the CFD model, optimization techniques, and novel in-situ aeration method has provided a substantial contribution to the advancement of membrane separation technology in wastewater treatment.

Enhancement of nutrient removal in an activated sludge process using aerobic granular sludge augmentation strategy with ammonium-based aeration control

To enhance nutrient removal from low-strength municipal wastewater in a continuous-flow activated sludge (CFAS) process using aerobic granular sludge (AGS) augmentation strategy, a pilot-scale demonstration was configured with a mainstream reactor (anaerobic/aerobic process) and a sidestream sequencing batch reactor for AGS production. The aeration of the mainstream reactor was controlled based on dissolved oxygen (DO) and ammonium concentrations during Phases I and II–III, respectively. During Phase III, an anoxic zone was created in the mainstream aerobic tank. Throughout the demonstration period, excellent sludge settleability in the mainstream reactor (SVI30 ≤ 80 mL g−1) under long sludge retention time conditions (≥12 d) allowed the maintenance of a high mixed liquor suspended solids concentration (≥3000 mg L−1). The total nitrogen (TN) removal ratio improved significantly during Phases II and III (49.3 ± 4.1% and 50.1 ± 10.2%, respectively) compared to Phase I (43.2 ± 5.5%). Low DO concentration (< 0.5 mg L−1) by the ammonium-based aeration tended to increase the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification efficiency (> 40%), enhancing TN removal (> 50%). The reduction of DO and nitrate concentrations in the returning sludge liquor can stabilize phosphorus removal (approximately 80% of the 25th percentile). In addition, the aeration efficiency during Phase III decreased by 26–29% compared to Phase I. These results suggest that the introduction of ammonium-based aeration control to the CFAS using the AGS augmentation strategy could contribute to superior sewerage treatment, including nutrient removal and a low carbon footprint.

Tracing morphological characteristics of activated sludge flocs by using a digital microscope and their effects on sludge dewatering and settling

ABSTRACT In wastewater treatment by the activated sludge (AS) process, settleability and dewaterability of AS are key issues that are directly related to the treated water quality and sludge treatment costs. Several studies investigated the relationship between the shape of AS flocs and their settling/dewatering property. To quantify the floc morphology, it is imperative to attach a camera to a microscope or move the stage manually. Hence, labour and equipment costs may increase. In this study, by combining a digital microscope and an automatic stage, more than 100 magnified floc images were rapidly obtained from one AS sample dropped on a slide glass, and shape parameters were collectively calculated using an analysis software. During 1-year monitoring of four wastewater treatment plants in Sapporo City (Hokkaido, Japan), the morphological parameters and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) quantity/quality of AS were analyzed on the basis of their correlation to the time to filtration (TTF) and sludge volume index (SVI), which are indicators for describing the dewatering and settling properties of AS, respectively. In one plant, larger, denser, and smoother flocs tended to contain less EPS and exhibited better sludge dewaterability. In another plant, larger, denser, and smoother flocs were considered to contribute to better settlement. Especially, an equivalent high-density floc diameter and the ratio of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration to the total floc area were commonly suggested to explain AS dewaterability and settleability.

Exploring the application of the hybrid nano-bioreactor technology based on the developed polyethersulfone mixed-matrix membrane for industrial effluent treatment

Due to the high concentration of various contaminants in the paper mill effluent, it must undergo an efficient treatment process before being discharged to the environment or being reused in the production cycle. In the present study, the submerged membrane adsorption bioreactor (SMABR) system was used for the treatment of the paper mill effluent. The modified polyethersulfone PES/MoS2 membrane was fabricated by incorporating exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets prepared in the laboratory, into the PES matrix. This membrane along with the powdered activated carbon (PAC) were utilized in the SMABR system for the paper mill effluent treatment. After the acclimation of the sludge with the target effluent, the optimum values of food to microorganism (F/M), hydraulic retention time (HRT), and adsorbent dosage were determined separately to be 0.451, 18 h, and 3 g/L by considering the maximum values of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and mixed liquor suspended solid MLSS concentration in each stage. In the final stage, the MBR and SMABR systems (using the pristine and modified membranes, separately) were prepared to separately investigate the effect of the presence of the PAC adsorbent and modified membrane, on the output parameters. In all systems, the values of pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) were maintained in the normal range (pH: 6.2–6.7, DO>2) to provide favorable conditions for the growth of microorganisms. Most importantly, best performance in this study was related to the SMABR system consisting the PES/MoS2 membrane and PAC adsorbent, with the highest values of COD removal (96%), MLSS concentration (15620 mg/L), and membrane permeation flux (110 L/m2.h). It is worth mentioning that the functionalized membrane exhibited better hydrophilicity compared with the pristine membrane, resulting in high water permeation flux, which is in accordance with the performance results.

Membrane fouling mechanism of submerged membrane bioreactor during erythromycin removal

Background: Based on the previous studies, antibiotics can have affected biological properties of biomass and fouling properties of mixed liquor in aeration tank. The present study was conducted to explore the fouling mechanisms of membrane bioreactor (MBR) system during the treatment of wastewater containing erythromycin (ERY) antibiotic under several mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations. Methods: A lab-scale two-chamber MBR system equipped with a polypropylene hollow fiber submerged membrane was fed with synthetic wastewater containing different initial concentrations of ERY. MBR system was operated under the constant flux mode and different MLSS concentrations (5.0-13.0 g/L) and the obtained results were evaluated using different individual and combined fouling models. Results: The variation of MLSS concentrations had not significantly affected the kind of best-fitted model. From the individual models, the standard model indicated the best performance for permeate prediction under different MLSS concentrations (R2 adj&gt;0.997). For all studied MLSS concentrations, the R2 adj values of combined fouling models were higher than 0.986 and demonstrated good fitness performance of combined models compared to individual models. Overall, the cake-intermediate model showed the lowest fitness, and cake-complete and complete-standard models were the most successful models in filtrated volume prediction in comparison with other combined fouling models. Conclusion: This study indicated that mechanistic models are suitable for fouling prediction of MBR systems in ERY removal and under a wide range of MLSS concentrations and provide valuable information on fouling mechanisms of full-scale MBR systems.

Effect of Antiscalant Usage and Air Diffuser Perforation Diameter on Filtration Performance of Submerged Flat Sheet MBR for Treatment of High Salinity and Scaling Propensity Wastewater

Membrane fouling and mineral scaling remain major drawbacks for MBR technology. Membrane fouling reduces the filtration ability in MBR systems by increasing transmembrane pressure (TMP) and thus increases the operational cost. This study focused on the application of commercially available antiscalant in a pilot MBR system and the effect of diffuser perforation diameter for the treatment of high mineral scaling propensity wastewater. Submerged flat sheet membranes (Kubota, nominal pore size: 0.4 µm) were used in the pilot-scale test unit operated in the wastewater treatment plant of ITOB Organized Industrial Zone, Izmir, Turkey. The commercially available antiscalants employed were coded AS-1 and AS-2 for antiscalant study. Long term effect of the two antiscalants employed was investigated under high mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration (17–21 g/L) for two months of MBR operation. The effect of low MLSS concentration (10–13 g/L) was also studied without changing the concentration of antiscalant type and concentration. AS-1 was found to be more effective in terms of mineral scale control. The effect of diffuser perforation diameter (1, 3 and 5 mm) on mineral scaling minimization in MBR pilot system was also studied. The best performance with respect to membrane fouling control was found with an air diffuser having 3 mm of diffuser perforated diameter. Some quality analyses of the product water were also carried out to assess the effect of antiscalant addition on microbial activities in the MBR unit. The findings in this study reveal that the use of antiscalants has not affected biological treatment performance of MBR pilot system. The removal ranges obtained during all MBR studies were 98.47–99.9%, 84.62–99.4%, 89.5–98.5%, 86.90–99.9%, 67.01–99.2%, 75.03–93.9%, and 20.36–71.5% for total suspended solid (TSS), color, chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4-N, PO4-P, NO2-N, and total nitrogen (TN) respectively.

Evaluating the Optimal Oil Concentrations in the Startup Performance of a Membrane Bioreactor Treating Oily Noodle-soup Wastewater

The discharge of high-strength oily wastewater adversely affects the environment; therefore, the treatment of wastewater containing fats, oils, and grease from the food industry is of importance. In this study, we used a membrane bioreactor (MBR) to treat Ramen noodle-soup wastewater, and we evaluated the optimal oil concentration in the wastewater for the startup of the MBR treatment in winter and summer. The MBR system had a sufficient startup in both seasons when fed with a 20-fold dilution of the original oily wastewater, containing approximately 950 to 1,200 mg/L oil and approximately 3,000 to 4,400 mg/L biological oxygen demand (BOD; BOD-SS load of 0.1 to 0.2 kg/kg/d). The reactor performance in winter were relatively stable during the operation. While, activated sludge microbes in summer were not highly active with a 40-fold dilution of wastewater, because of the decreased mixed liquor suspended solid concentration during the operation period. Population shifts in the sludge microbiome with increasing oil concentrations were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing, and the relative abundance of operational taxonomic units belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes were highest in both winter and summer when fed with 20-fold dilution of the wastewater. In particular, the family Chitinophagaceae was dominant, with relative abundances of 13.5% in winter and 5.1% in summer, suggesting that this family may play important roles in the startup of a MBR treating the wastewater.

Effect of pistachio shell as a carbon source to regulate C/N on simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater

Acid-pretreated pistachio shells were used as carbon sources to investigate the effects of carbon source dosage on simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal under different carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios (7, 9, and 11). Results showed that C/N was positively correlated with mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) (R2 = 0.998, p < 0.01) and f value (R2 = 0.975, p < 0.05). Moreover, it was negatively correlated with the sludge volume index (SVI) (R2 = − 0.959, p < 0.05). C/N was also significantly negatively related to chemical oxygen demand removal rate (R2 = − 0.986, p < 0.05) and positively related to ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) removal rate (p < 0.05), the correlation coefficients were 0.992, 0.990 and 0.994, respectively. In the reactor with C/N of 11, the MLSS concentration and f value were the highest, the SVI was the lowest, and the removal efficiencies of NH4+-N (85.49 % ± 1.96 %), TN (84.19 % ± 1.42 %) and TP (94.10 % ± 1.67 %) were the highest. Furthermore, the relative abundance of denitrifying bacteria was the highest in the reactor. The abundance of nitrifying bacteria and phosphorus-removal bacteria was also relatively high.

Kinetic Study for Startup of Aerobic Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor in Treatment of Textile Dye Wastewater.

Due to high augmentation in population and low availability of land, the quantum of wastewater production has surged resulting in advancements in wastewater treatment systems. To cope under such stressful circumstances, moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) proves to be an upgraded treatment technology for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment. The present startup study has been carried out using a laboratory-scale aerobic MBBR with working volume of 25L for textile dye wastewater treatment having AnoxKaldnes K3 media at filling percentage of 50%. In order to acclimatize the microorganisms on textile dye wastewater, the startup of the reactor was carried out using lactose as readily degradable co-substrate with textile dye wastewater in different ratios at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24h. The biofilm on the media was developed in 63days duration and the reactor attained pseudo-steady state (PSS) in 185days period. During PSS condition of the MBBR, the maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 92% with mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration of 4224 ± 22mg/L has been achieved. The kinetic study for biodegradation of textile dye wastewater has also been carried out using the Monodgrowth kinetics. The values of bio-kinetic coefficients of yieldof heterotrophic biomass (Y) and endogenousdecay coefficient for heterotrophic biomass (Kd) recorded are 0.394 mgVSS/mgCOD.d and 0.087day-1, respectively. The values of specific substrate removal rate (k), Monodhalf saturation constant (Ks), and maximumspecific growth rate for heterotrophic biomass (µmax) are 0.024 mgCOD/mgVSS.d, 53.203mg/L, and 0.0095day-1, respectively, demonstrating the suitability and healthy performance of MBBR for textile dye wastewater treatment.

Novel insights on fouling mechanism of forward osmosis membrane during deep thickening waste activated sludge

Application of forward osmosis (FO) membrane for sludge thickening (FO-MST process) has aroused growing interests owing to its high rejection, low footprint and low energy consumption. However, severe FO membrane fouling at an increasing sludge concentration condition remains a main obstacle for causing water flux decline and sludge thickening efficiency reduction. Here, fouling behaviors and mechanisms of FO membrane in the FO-MST process were comprehensively investigated by analyzing surface morphology, foulants composition, fouling layer structure and fouling reversibility of FO membrane at different sludge concentrations. Results indicated that the FO-MST process successfully achieved deeply thickening waste activated sludge from mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration of approximately 5–50 g/L. And sludge concentration had a significant impact on FO membrane fouling in the FO-MST process. According to the tendency of sludge concentration in the FO-MST process, FO membrane fouling could be divided into three stages. At the first stage (i.e., MLSS concentration less than 15 g/L), only few sludge flocs and organic foulants deposited onto the FO membrane surface and inorganic scaling was the dominant fouling type. At the second stage (i.e., MLSS concentration ranged 15–30 g/L), the amount of foulants especially organic foulants and biofoulants significantly increased on the FO membrane surface and formed a loose fouling layer. In the first two stages, the flux decline was not significant. At the last stage (i.e., MLSS concentration ranged 30–50 g/L), more and more microorganisms and organic foulants deposited on the FO membrane surface. Meanwhile, the subsequent foulants kept compacting the former foulants that were already on the membrane surface, resulting in the formation of a dense fouling layer and a significant flux decline of FO membrane. Our finding is helpful for better understanding FO membrane fouling at an extreme sludge condition and for searching for some FO membrane fouling mitigations in the FO-MST process.

MLVSS / MLSS ratio’s standard value obtained from different aeration tank samples of different capacity sewage treatment plant - A case study

Waste water treatment system plays a vital role in controlling pollution of natural water bodies like lake, pond, river etc., by Municipal and Industrial effluents. Different industrial effluents play its own role in contaminating the water bodies which in turn creates huge impact for aquatic and terrestrial life. From past studies we understood that, all the sewage treatment systems have a secondary treatment step which are mainly driven by Bacterial oxidation or in other terms can be pronounced as Biological augmentation, Biological calcification etc., In environmental engineering term this bacterial growth will be pronounced as MLSS (Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids) and MLVSS (Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids). MLVSS will be an inclusive part of the MLSS and also can be sorted as live bacterial cells which can really does the oxidation process in the secondary treatment step of Sewage treatment plant. Hence, this study was performed to evaluate the percentage or concentration of MLVSS available in the total value of MLSS. For this study aeration tank water samples were collected from 6 different STP capacities from 6 different areas. All the samples were tested for MLSS and MLVSS concentration with the available standard method of drying. Drying with 105° C in oven gives the value of MLSS and drying with 550° C in furnace gives the value of MLVSS. With all the tested samples the concentration of MLVSS from the total MLSS was evaluated and standardized.