NH3-N Removal Research Articles

Feasibility study of electrodialysis as an ammonium reuse process for covering the nitrogen demand of an industrial wastewater treatment plant

Electrodialysis (ED) is a cost-effective membrane technology used is a variety of fields for desalination and concentration. This feasibility study explores the potential of ED as an NH4-N recovery technology from anaerobic digestate liquor (ADL), and the use of the concentrate as a nitrogen source in an industrial wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Three neighboring WWTPs were the focus of this study: Two municipal WWTPs A and B, operating anaerobic sludge stabilization, and a pulp & paper WWTP C, utilizing urea as a nitrogen source. Two-stage bench-scale experiments with the municipal ADL from WWTP A and WWTP B were conducted, and performance indicators were determined. A concentration of approximately 10 g NH4-N/L and 15 g NH4-N/L was obtained in stages 1 and 2, respectively. The NH4-N removal was above 85 % in all experiment, while recovery varied between 25 and 95 %. The specific energy consumption (SEC) was on average 12.9 kWh/kg NH4-N. Moreover, mass and energy balances in a model WWTP demonstrated that an ED side-stream treatment for NH4-N removal coupled with microfiltration (MF) pre-treatment results in a net energy gain, also without the added benefit of the ED concentrate as a nitrogen source.

Sustainable control of microplastics in wastewater using the electrochemically enhanced living membrane bioreactor

Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges are major contributors to the release of microplastics (MPs) into the environment. This research work aimed to assess the performance of the novel living membrane bioreactor (LMBR), which utilizes a biological layer as a membrane filter for the removal of polyethylene (PE) MPs from wastewater. The impact of an intermittently applied low current density (0.5 mA/cm2) on the reduction of MPs in the electrochemically enhanced LMBR (e-LMBR) has also been examined. The reactors were also compared to a conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR) and an electro-MBR (e-MBR). 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) was implemented for the MPs detection and quantification in terms of mass per volume of sample.The LMBR and MBR achieved comparable mean PE MPs reduction at 95% and 96%, respectively. The MPs mass reduction in the e-LMBR slightly decreased by 2% compared to that achieved in the LMBR. This potentially indicated the partial breakdown of the MPs due to electrochemical processes. Decreasing and inconsistent NH4-N and PO4-P removal efficiencies were observed over time due to the addition of PE MPs in the MBR and LMBR. In contrast, the integration of electric field in the e-MBR and e-LMBR resulted in consistently high values of conventional contaminant removals of COD (99.72–99.77 %), NH4-N (97.96–98.67%), and PO4-P (98.44–100.00%), despite the MPs accumulation.Integrating electrochemical processes in the e-LMBR led to the development of a stable living membrane (LM) layer, as manifested in the consistently low effluent turbidity 0.49 ± 0.33 NTU. Despite the increasing MPs concentration in the mixed liquor, applying electrochemical processes reduced the fouling rates in the e-LMBR. The e-LMBR achieved comparable efficiencies in contaminant reductions as those observed in the e-MBR, while using a low-cost membrane material.

Manufacture and performance assessment of PVDF-La@TiO2 Photocatalyst implanted membrane for efficient produced water treatment via ozonation-adsorption process under visible-light exposure

This research aims to develop a visible light-activated photocatalytic membranes for produced water treatment system by employing the phase inversion technique for implantation of La@TiO2 photocatalytic nanoparticles into PVDF membrane at concentrations varying from 0 % to 2 % wt. The results demonstrated significant amplification of COD and NH3-N removal efficiency. Implantation of the photocatalyst into PVDF membranes via bulk mixing, coupled with elemental doping and combination with La@TiO2 appreciably reduces band gap energy and increases visible light absorption thereby improves membrane's optical properties. SEM-EDX analysis confirms uniform distribution of La@TiO2 nanoparticles on the membrane surface, which leads to amplify membrane's hydrophilicity and water absorption. The modified membrane facilitated concurrent photocatalytic degradation and filtration processes that lead to remarkable reductions in TDS, COD, and NH3-N pollutants, with the highest flux was achieved when 1.5 % wt. La@TiO2 was incorporated into the membrane matrix. Obviously, adsorption and ozonation processes promote synergistic effect and amplify pollutant flux and efficiency to a greater extent. Furthermore, the modified membrane exhibited extraordinary antifouling properties and stability, providing excellent reusability with a 96.22 % fouling reduction rate after five consecutive cycle tests.

Experimental study on surface optimization of dosage in magnetic coagulation process for enhancing primary treatment of urban sewage

This work aims to investigate the minimum dosage required to achieve optimal removal of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the Chemical Enhanced Primary Treatment (CEPT) process using magnetic coagulation technology. A response surface methodology was adopted to generate multiple regression models to optimize the dosages of three types of coagulation, i.e., polyaluminum chloride (PAC), polyacrylamide (PAM), and magnetic medium Fe3O4 particles (MP), based on the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and total phosphorus (TP). The results showed that the regression models could predict results well with actual engineering results. Compared to the traditional coagulation process, the synergistic enhancement of PAC+PAM+MP in the CEPT process significantly improved the treatment effects. Based on the COD removal rates, PAC performed better than MP, followed by PAM; likewise, for the NH3-N and TP removal rates, PAC outperformed PAM, followed by MP. The optimized PAC, PAM, and MP dosages were 135.87, 1.51, and 108.36 mg/L, respectively, reaching 92.27 % COD, 71.98 % NH3-N, and 91.33 % TP removal rates with less than 5 % errors compared to the experimental verification results. These optimization models offer a practical and cost-saving reference for enhancing the primary treatment effect on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal using PAC+PAM+MP.

Supercritical hydrothermal combustion and enhanced degradation characteristics of phenol

Supercritical hydrothermal combustion is a green combustion technology that produces flames in supercritical water (SCW), which can realize efficient disposal of aqueous wastes. In this study, the typical pollutant phenol is investigated through tubular reactor experiments and mechanism analysis to explore its hydrothermal combustion properties and enhanced degradation effects on refractory species. The results show that 3.06 and 3.41 wt% phenol can be self-ignited in the tubular reactor with a critical preheating temperature of 460 °C. Methanol could improve the ignition and burnout characteristics of phenol. As the COD ratio of methanol was greater than 0.35, the ignition temperature of phenol was reduced to 420 °C, with TOC removal rate achieving 99.9%. At 460 °C, phenol positively influenced the heat release during combustion of phenol/methanol. In oxidation of phenol/ammonia, 1.61 wt% phenol resulted in the reaction temperature rising by around 62.0 °C, allowing a NH4-N removal rate of 92.8% through its synergistic kinetic and thermal effects. Whereas, the nitrogen-containing intermediates from ammonia inhibited phenol oxidation. Finally, a mechanism-based kinetics model for oxidation of phenol in SCW was developed by means of real gas properties and sensitive reaction step modifications, which was viable for simulating the ring-opening path of phenol.

Application of Cu@Cu foam and RuO2@Ti for removal of nitrogen compounds and organic matters from non-standard treated municipal wastewater by continuous electrochemical process: Optimization and mechanism

Public health, potable water supplies, and ecosystems are endangered by the disposal or reuse of non-standard effluents of wastewater treatment plants. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6) and USEPA quality standards, this work utilized an innovative electrochemical technique with continuous flow. Cu@Cu foam and RuO2@Ti were prepared for NO3 reduction and NH4 and COD oxidation, respectively. The characterization of electrodes was performed by XRD, EDS, FTIR, FE-SEM, and CV analysis. The effects of parameters including NH4 concentration (10–30 mg N/L), NO3 concentration (4–12 mg N/L), current (0.5–1.5 A), and Cl- concentration (100–400 mg/L) were examined for the removal of NH4, NO3, and COD. Characterization results confirmed that Cu and RuO2 were successfully coated on the surface of electrodes. Operating parameters were optimized using response surface methodology. The ideal conditions for current, Cl- concentration, and HRT were 1.5 A, 347.7 mg/L, and 120 min, respectively for concentrations of 9 mg /L NO3-N, 30 mg/L NH4-N, and 30 mg/L COD. Under these conditions, NO3-N, NH4-N, and COD removal efficiencies were 78 %, 97.8 %, and 61.2 %, respectively. The proposed electrochemical process was a sustainable technology for the concurrently removal nitrogen and carbon with advantages including environmental compatibility, versatility merits, and simplicity.

A hybrid BOA-SVR approach for predicting aerobic organic and nitrogen removal in a gas-liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed bioreactor

This study introduces the hybrid of the Bayesian optimization algorithm and support vector regression (BOA-SVR) models to predict the removal of aerobic organic (total chemical oxygen demand, COD) and nitrogen compounds such as total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N), and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) from municipal wastewater in a gas-liquid-solid circulating fluidized bed (GLSCFB) bioreactor. GLSCFB bioreactors treat wastewater by removing nutrients biologically. The downer of a GLSCFB bioreactor provided experimental data on TKN, NH4-N, NO3-N, and TCOD removal. The hybrid optimal intelligence algorithm (BOA-SVR) has improved model accuracy across multiple domains by combining BOA and SVR. The coefficient of determination (R2), residual, mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and fractional bias (FB) were used to analyze BOA-SVR model performance. The models match experimental data from four operational stages well, with R2 or adj R2 values above 0.99 for all responses. The model's accuracy was confirmed by relative deviations and residual plots showing dispersion around the zero-reference line. The BOA-SVR model consistently predicted dependent variables with low RMSE and MAE values (≤ 2.24 and 2.21, respectively) and near-zero FB. Computing efficiency was shown by optimizing TCOD, TKN, NH4-N, and NO3-N models in 70.61, 72.89, 74.37, and 54.07 s. A rigorous test on unseen data with different noise levels confirmed the model's stability. Furthermore, BOA-SVR performs better than traditional multiple linear regression (MLR). Overall, the BOA-SVR model predicts biological nutrient removal in municipal wastewater utilizing a GLSCFB bioreactor quickly, correctly, and efficiently, reducing experimental stress and resource use.

Removal of ammoniacal nitrogen from Malaysian palm oil mill effluent (POME) using optimized operating parameters of peat soil as natural adsorbent

Nowadays, the use of natural absorbents to remove pollutants from POME has gained remarkable attention. The main objective of this study is to investigate the suitability and performance of modified peat soil as an adsorbent for the removal of NH3-N from POME. The chemical activation method was performed using readily available NaOH for the first time to improve the adsorption performance of naturally available low-cost peat soil. The physical properties of raw and modified peat soil were determined using water-holding capacity, moisture content, bulk density, porosity, and BET surface area. The adsorbents were also characterized by SEM and FTIR to investigate surface morphology and chemical composition. To optimize the experimental parameters namely adsorbent dosage, agitation rate, and contact time for removal of NH3-N from POME, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed in this study with two different activation ratios. Substantial improvement of physical properties was attained after the modification of raw peat soil. The SEM images of modified peat soil showed a more porous space structure with larger voids while the FT-IR demonstrated the distinctive functional groups in the raw and modified peat soil. At optimized conditions of 5.71 g/L adsorbent dosage, 50 rpm agitation rate, and 38.96 min contact time predicted removal efficiency of NH3-N has been revealed 64.06 and 58.74 % at 1:20 and 1:30 activation ratios, respectively. The experimental investigation using optimized parameters showed 69.12 ± 2.5 and 61.57 ± 4.3 % removal of NH3-N. The experimental and predicted results showed good agreement. The rapid removal of NH3-N (69.1 % within 39 min) was achieved by chemically modified peat soil in this study compared to previously reported studies. Nevertheless, the raw and modified peat soil showed good stability up to three cycles of reusability.

Removal of Ammonia and Colour from Landfill Leachate using Integrated Electrocoagulation-Zeolite Adsorption Processes

The amount of waste generated in Malaysia had increased annually due to both economic and population accelerations. This resulted in an increase in leachate production that contains a high amount of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and colour, which is a severe problem for both environments as well as for human health. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the potential of Electrocoagulation (EC) – zeolite adsorption for removing NH3-N and colour from landfill leachate. In the experimental works, two batch studies consist of batch EC using aluminium (Al) cylindrical electrode and batch adsorption study using clinoptilolite zeolites adsorbent were conducted using leachate sample collected from Pulau Burung Sanitary Landfill (PBSL). The batch EC experiment was carried out to determine the optimum removal of NH3-N and colour by the effect of current density (7 - 35 mA/mm2), initial pH (5 - 9), electrolysis time (0 - 90 minutes) and inter-electrode distance (5 - 25 mm). An integrated EC - zeolite adsorption was carried out under the optimum condition of 2.0 g/150 mL adsorbent dosage, contact time of 100 minutes and an initial pH value of 8. Based on the experiment, almost 50% of NH3-N and 95% of colour were removed using a single EC under the optimum current density of 14.0 mA/mm2, pH 5, electrolysis time of 75 minutes and 15 mm of inter-electrode distance. A comparison of colour removal between single EC and EC-Zeolite showed the same degradation performance. The interaction of hydrogen ion (H+) with aluminium hydroxide ion (Al (OH)3) produces during EC stabilises small particles forming larger sludge that reduces colour concentration. The removal of NH3-N increased from 50.0% to 93% when EC was integrated with clinoptilolite zeolite adsorption. In conclusion, the results show that both processes can potentially remove colour while the integrated process effectively removes NH3-N from landfill leachate. The proposed treatment helps optimise process performance while minimising the operational cost of the treatment. Thus, the proposed integrated EC – zeolite adsorption processes can be an alternative to landfill leachate treatment which aligns with the 12thMalaysia Plan to reduce pollution and carbon emissions to become a carbon neutral nation as early as 2050.

Optimization of Ammonia Removal from Landfill Leachate by Aeration Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Landfill leachate has a high concentration of ammonia, making it a harmful pollutant for both surface and groundwater. One of the most favoured methods for removing ammonia from leachate is aeration, as it has been proven to remove a significant amount of ammonia in the most efficient and economical way. The effect of operational variables on ammonia removal efficiency by aeration was investigated in the current study by applying Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach. Three operating parameters such as airflow rate, aeration time and lime dosage were investigated to achieve the optimization of ammonia removal. The optimal parameters for a favourable reaction of ammonia-nitrogen (NH3N) removal were found to be 6 L/min airflow, 90 minutes aeration time, and a lime dosage of 6 g/L. At these ideal conditions, Quadratic RSM predicted a maximum NH3N removal of 98.0%, which has been validated by the experiment and successfully removed 97.6%. The finding also showed that airflow rate and aeration time were more significant than lime dosage for NH3N removal. Due to increased contact time between air and liquid, regardless of the amount of lime used, increasing the aeration period ammonia removal efficiency. Considering the influential factors, determining the optimum condition for ammonia removal by aeration will explain the potential interferences that may inhibit the efficient recovery of NH3N. Hence, aeration is a promising approach for ammonia removal from landfill leachate.

Optimization of Ammonia Removal from Landfill Leachate by Aeration Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Landfill leachate has a high concentration of ammonia, making it a harmful pollutant for both surface and groundwater. One of the most favoured methods for removing ammonia from leachate is aeration, as it has been proven to remove a significant amount of ammonia in the most efficient and economical way. The effect of operational variables on ammonia removal efficiency by aeration was investigated in the current study by applying Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach. Three operating parameters such as airflow rate, aeration time and lime dosage were investigated to achieve the optimization of ammonia removal. The optimal parameters for a favourable reaction of ammonia-nitrogen (NH3N) removal were found to be 6 L/min airflow, 90 minutes aeration time, and a lime dosage of 6 g/L. At these ideal conditions, Quadratic RSM predicted a maximum NH3N removal of 98.0%, which has been validated by the experiment and successfully removed 97.6%. The finding also showed that airflow rate and aeration time were more significant than lime dosage for NH3N removal. Due to increased contact time between air and liquid, regardless of the amount of lime used, increasing the aeration period ammonia removal efficiency. Considering the influential factors, determining the optimum condition for ammonia removal by aeration will explain the potential interferences that may inhibit the efficient recovery of NH3N. Hence, aeration is a promising approach for ammonia removal from landfill leachate.

Evaluation of the critical factors that influence the performance of a Geo-Fabric based Bio-Filter (GFBF)

Bio-filters are high-rate aerobic biological systems with porous support media for biofilm formation and filtration of suspended solids. The support media and its ability to remove contaminants decides the performance of bio-filter. Geo-fabrics, with properties like permeability and large surface area are capable of maintaining good biomass which in turn can absorb and adsorb substrate from influent to make them an attractive media for bio-filter systems. This paper investigates the critical factors that determine the performance of a Geo-Fabric based Bio-Filter (GFBF). Experiments conducted using geo-fabric of varying GSM were analyzed and optimized using Response Surface Methodology. The results indicated that by varying process variables like HRT, C:N ratio, rate of aeration and depth of filter, the geo-fabric with 500 GSM value showed improved performance compared to geo-fabric of 300 GSM and 400 GSM. The final experimental run conducted on GFBF with geo-fabric of 500 GSM at optimized value of process variables, observed 91 %, 98 %, 88 %, 90 % and 71 % removal of COD, BOD, NH3-N, turbidity and TDS respectively. GFBF are suitable for treatment plants where the amount of wastewater generated is relatively small and a complete treatment can be accomplished in one unit.

Winery wastewater treatment by microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana and characterization of the produced biomass for value-added products.

The microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana was used for the treatment of winery wastewater (WWW). Batch experiments were initially conducted to investigate how biomass acclimatization in different media, dilution of wastewater, and addition of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) affect the growth of microalgae and the removal of major pollutants. Afterwards, two sequencing batch reactor (SBR) systems were tested applying different configurations and hydraulic retention times. The biomass collected at the end of the experiments was characterized for proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, amino acid profile, and the existence of lutein, β-carotene, chlorophyll a, and tocopherols. Batch experiments showed that Chlorella sorokiniana acclimatization to urban wastewater enhanced the removal of NH4-N and total phosphorus (TP). The operation of a two-stage SBR system achieved COD and NH4-N removal equal to 85 ± 9% and 91 ± 20%, respectively, while the use of a single-stage system feeding with anaerobically pretreated WWW resulted to COD and NH4-N removal of 78 ± 9% and 95 ± 9%, respectively. Analyses of biomass showed higher protein content (up to 58.8%) in batch experiments with NH4-N addition as well as in SBR experiments. The cultivation of microalgae under SBR conditions enhanced the production of pigments and tocopherols. The maximum concentrations of 1075mgkg-1, 45.5mgkg-1, and 131.2mgkg-1 were achieved for lutein, β-carotene, and tocopherols, respectively, in the one-stage system. Our findings suggested that Chlorella sorokiniana cultivation in WWW not only removed nutrients from WWW but also could potentially serve for the production of value-added ingredients used in food industry, cosmetics, and animal feedstock.

Porous red mud ceramsite for aquatic phosphorus removal: Application in constructed wetlands

Red mud (RM) and spent oyster mushroom substrate (SOMS), by-products of industrial and agricultural production, can be recycled for polluted freshwater purification, bringing about a win-win situation. In this study, unacidified RM and RM acidified with oxalic acid (O-RM) and hydrochloric acid (H-RM), respectively, were mixed with SOMS to produce a porous ceramsite as a potential constructed wetlands (CWs) substrate. The results showed that the O-RM, H-RM, and RM ceramsites displayed fine compressive strengths of 7.75 ± 1.14, 8.40 ± 1.30, and 8.84 ± 0.69 MPa after calcining at 950 °C for 30 min, respectively. The phosphorus adsorption capacities of H-RM, O-RM, and RM ceramsite at a solid-liquid ratio of 25 g/L were 1.18 mg/g, 0.88 mg/g, and 1.06 mg/g, respectively. Toxicity release experiments showed that the ceramsites did not cause secondary environmental pollution, except for arsenic (ranging from 0.210 to 0.238 mg/L). The H-RM ceramsite was tested in a tidal flow-vertical flow CW (TF-VFCW) with Iris pseudacorus L. and Canna indica L plants. In the TF-VFCW, the average chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) removal rates were 81.01, 90.25, 66.90, and 77.32 %, respectively. Plant growth had less impact on COD and NH4-N removal but had greater limited TN and TP removal. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that acid pretreatment and the incorporation of SOMS significantly increased the surface and interior porous structures of the ceramsite and enhanced phosphate adsorption by the polyhydroxyl aluminum-iron complex ions. Bacteroides and Campylobacter used the energy produced during polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) catabolism to absorb phosphorus. Therefore, the synergistic effect of the substrate, plants, and microorganisms achieved the removal of phosphorus from CWs and offered effective and environmentally friendly recycling of RM and SOMS.

Comparative analysis of operating efficiency for two sewage treatment processes

To decrease pollutant effluent levels in sewage plants, in order to improve the pollutant control capacity, the removal efficiencies for COD, TP, TN, and NH3-N in two sewage plants located in Guangzhou were compared and analyzed. The correlation among influent carbon and nitrogen ratios, water loading rate, and total nitrogen removal rate were examined to enhance the nitrogen removal. The CASS process in Plant I had slightly higher TN (81.85%) and TP (98.38%) removal rates than those in Plant II (80%). Plants I and II achieved COD removal rates of 95.51% and 96.44%, respectively, and NH3-N removal rates of 99.08% and 99.34%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that only the influent loading rate of Plant I had a moderate correlation with the total nitrogen removal rate, while the other factors only had a weak correlation. Therefore, the total nitrogen removal rate is influenced by multiple factors.

Removal of NH3-N from wastewater by novel zeolite X: adsorption behavior and removal mechanism

This study utilized a straightforward method to fabricate zeolite X, demonstrating high adsorption performance for the removal of NH3-N from wastewater. The adsorption behavior of zeolite X towards NH3-N was investigated through various methods including adsorption kinetics, isothermal adsorption, and thermodynamic models. The mechanism of zeolite X for removing NH3-N were analyzed using techniques such as SEM, EDS, XRD, BET, and XPS. The results indicated that when t = 30 min, pH = 6, zeolite dosage was 20 g/L and initial NH3-N concentration was 100 mg/L, the removal efficiency of NH3-N could reach 95.5%. The adsorption process followed Freundlich model and were endothermic. The enthalpy change (ΔH), entropy change (ΔS) and Gibbs function (ΔG(308.15 K)) were 10.66 kJ/mol, 28.81 J/(mol･K), and 1.78 kJ/mol, respectively. SEM and XRD analysis show that the crystal shape of zeolite X is octahedral, which is a typical morphology of FAU-type zeolite. The specific surface area of zeolite X was as high as 643 m2/g. The results of XPS analysis show that after Na+ exchange with NH4+, hydrogen bonds were formed between ammonia nitrogen and oxygen in zeolite X. This study introduces a novel adsorbent, offering a fresh approach to tackling ammonia nitrogen pollution in wastewater.

Modification of polyvinylidene fluoride membrane with ciprofloxacin to improve the bacteriostatic performance

The common polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane itself is susceptible to membrane fouling, especially biofouling, which is a serious threat. In this study, PVDF membrane was modified with ciprofloxacin (CIP) through co-blending to investigate the filtration properties, bacterial inhibition and fouling resistance. Modified membranes were prepared by adding 0.3 g (MC0.3), 0.6 g (MC0.6), 0.9 g (MC0.9) and 1.2 g (MC1.2) CIP per 100 g casting solution. Among these modified membranes, MC0.6 showed the best filtration performances, with the pure water flux stabilized at about 416.67 L/(m2·h) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection of 92.0% at a trans-membrane pressure of 0.1 MPa. The pore size was reduced, the average roughness was reduced to 29.4 nm, the contact angle was lowered to 68.9°, and the hydrophilicity was greatly improved. The width of the inhibition circle produced by MC0.6 was 0.35–0.45 mm, and the modified membrane showed good inhibition of non-specific bacteria and algal removal during urban river water filtration. The rejection of BSA was increased by 16.32% compared to the base membrane and the adsorption rate for BSA was reduced by 68.45%. In addition, the removal of conventional pollutants in urban river water by the modified membranes for was also improved. Compared with that of the base membrane, the removal of TN, NH3–N, TP and COD by MC0.6 was increased by 10.58%, 12.45%, 15.44% and 13.53%. The results showed that CIP co-blending modified PVDF membrane could effectively improve membrane performances and has good value for water treatment.

Pontederia crassipes utilization for dual phytoremediation and adsorption in greywater treatment: a techno-economic and sustainable approach

While phytoremediation has been widely employed for greywater treatment, this system suffers from the transfer of considerable amounts of surfactants to the aquatic environment through partially treated effluent and/or exhausted plant disposal. Hence, this study focuses on greywater phytoremediation followed by recycling the spent plant for preparing an adsorbent material used as post-treatment. P. crassipes was used to operate a phytoremediation unit under 23 °C, 60% relative humidity, plant density (5–30 g/L), dilution (0–50%), pH (4–10), and retention time (3–15 days). The optimum condition was 12.7 g/L density, 34.0% dilution, pH 8.4, and 13 days, giving chemical oxygen demand (COD), surfactant, and NH4-N removal efficiencies of 94.62%, 90.45%, and 88.09%, respectively. The exhausted plant was then thermally treated at 550 °C and 40 min to obtain biochar used as adsorbent to treat the phytoremediation effluent. The optimum adsorption process was biochar dosage of 1.51 g/L, pH of 2.1, and 137 min, providing a surfactant removal efficiency of 92.56%. The final discharge of this phytoremediation/adsorption combined process contained 8.30 mg/L COD, 0.23 mg/L surfactant, and 0.94 mg/L NH4 +-N. Interestingly, this approach could be economically feasible with a payback period of 6.5 years, 14 USD net present value, and 8.6% internal rate of return.

Simultaneous biological nutrients removal from wastewater with high ammonium and phosphorus loading using aerobic granular sludge

In this study, two SBRs were inoculated with biomass from a flocculant biological nutrient removal facility and operated for the biological treatment of synthetic wastewater to explore the impact of low influent COD/TN/TP ratio on the start-up, performance, and development of stable, matured AGS. AGS maturation and simultaneous nutrient removals were investigated for 422 days under applying limited DO (1.5–2.0 mg L−1); after that, an optimization period was performed till day 558 to study the influence of applying high DO levels (5.0–8.5 mg L−1). Initial observations at day 118 indicated high settling velocities for granules with a size ≥1.5 mm, with 90 % COD removal achieved since day 35, while exhibiting moderate levels of ammonium (68–71 %) and phosphorus removal (42–44 %). By day 422, the maturation of granules continued, reaching sizes exceeding 3 mm, with a 70 % increase in biomass growth (14.3 g L−1). P-release and P-uptake rates of 52 and 12 mg-P/g-MLVSS·h, respectively, resulted in reduced effluent PO4−3-P (1.5 ± 0.2 mg-P L−1). TN removal performance reached 82 % (NH4-N removal of 88 %), and SND of 99 % was achieved by matured granules maintaining effluent nitrite/nitrate concentrations ≤0.5 ± 0.3 mg-N L−1 (days 330–422). The optimization period was conducted by enhancing biomass mixing conditions and increasing DO, resulting in improved nitrification, with oxidation rate reaching 19.2 mg-NH4/g-MLVSS·h at DO 6 mg L−1. However, DO > 6.5 mg L−1 adversely affected EPS secretion, and granules exhibited poor settleability.

Enhancing Rubber Industry Wastewater Treatment through an Integrated AnMBR and A/O MBR System: Performance, Membrane Fouling Analysis, and Microbial Community Evolution.

This study explores the effectiveness of an integrated anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) coupled with an anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR) for the treatment of natural rubber industry wastewater with high sulfate, ammonia, and complex organic contents. This study was conducted at the lab-scale over a duration of 225 days to thoroughly investigate the efficiency and sustainability of the proposed treatment method. With a hydraulic retention time of 6 days for the total system, COD reductions were over 98%, which reduced the influent from 22,158 ± 2859 mg/L to 118 ± 74 mg/L of the effluent. The system demonstrates average NH3-N, TN, and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies of 72.9 ± 5.7, 72.8 ± 5.6, and 71.3 ± 9.9, respectively. Despite an average whole biological system removal of 50.6%, the anaerobic reactor eliminated 44.9% of the raw WW sulfate. Analyses of membrane fouling revealed that organic fouling was more pronounced in the anaerobic membrane, whereas aerobic membrane fouling displayed varied profiles due to differential microbial and oxidative activities. Key bacterial genera, such as Desulfobacterota in the anaerobic stage and nitrifiers in the aerobic stage, are identified as instrumental in the biological processes. The microbial profile reveals a shift from methanogenesis to sulfide-driven autotrophic denitrification and sulfammox, with evidence of an active denitrification pathway in anaerobic/anoxic conditions. The system showcases its potential for industrial application, underpinning environmental sustainability through improved wastewater management.