Phosporus Removal

Removal of Phosphorus
Get it into a solid and then remove the solid
Types of solids
Biological (microorganisms)
Chemical (precipitates)
When treating the solids, avoid phosphorus release and recycle back to liquid treatment scheme
Phosphorus Removal Technology Selection Criteria
Capital and operating costs
Effluent phosphorus limits
Feasibility of EBPR (BOD / P ratio; VFAs)
Method and cost of sludge disposal
Influent phosphorus concentration
Availability and cost of chemicals
Acceptability of use of chemicals
Advantages of removal methods

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR)

PAOs (Phosphate accumulating organisms)
Store orthophosphate in excess of growth requirements
Need favorable operational conditions
Anaerobic selector
Facultative Heterotrophs
Organic carbon for growth
Oxygen for energy generation
But can grow in the absence of oxygen
Require anaerobic zone
Influent to secondary system
No electron acceptors present
In Anaerobic Zone
PAOs do not grow
PAOs convert organics to PHAs

Polyhydroxyalkanotes
Consume energy
Break cellular high energy P bonds as energy source
Releasing P to the wastewater
Breakdown glycogen
In Aerobic Zone
PAOs grow
Oxidize stored PHAs for energy
Use DO as electron acceptor
Restore P energy reserves
Rebuild high P energy bonds
Take up excess P
Accumulate 125% of P released in anaerobic zone
Low effluent P
Summary of EBPR Biology (U = Used, R= Released, S = Stored, O = Oxidized)

Phosphorus Removal from System

P removed via waste activated sludge (WAS)
P content of WAS
Without EBPR1.5 - 2.0% of volatiles
With EBPR up to 5% of volatiles
Building FAT P BUGS
Requirements for EBPR
Readily biodegradable BOD / COD (VFAs)
Relatively high BOD / TP Ratio (>20:1)
Correctly sized anaerobic selector
Sufficient cations - Mg & K
Temperature Impacts
EPBR tends to perform better at lower temps
EBPR performance diminishes with warmer temperatures
EBPR Interference
Insufficient VFA
Glycogen Accumulating Organisms (GAO)
compete for VFA under anaerobic conditions
GAO favored over PAO
Avoid GAO Interference By:

Operate at lowest SRT that provides nitrification

Minimize unaerated zones
Avoid anoxic zones larger than reqd for denit
Add VFAs when reqd
Maintain adequate pH
Variability in EBPR Performance
Changes in influent sewage characteristics
Flow
P
BOD
Minimum BOD/TP >20
VFA concentrations
Chemical precipitation improves control and minimizes effluent variability
Biological Phosphorus Removal Advantages
Lower operating cost
No chemical sludge produced
No deterioration in sludge dewaterability
No increase in effluent TDS/salinity
Can add touch-up chemical dose to achieve very low P concentrations
Biological Phosphorus Removal Disadvantages
Higher capital cost
Unless existing tankage available
More land required
Potential for P release during sludge treatment
Greater dependence on sewage quality
Less stable
Requires complex bio-reactor configuration
Increased operational knowledge
Conclusion
Works, but has variability
Avoid anaerobic conditions in solids handling
VFA addition capability reduces variability
Best used in conjunction with chemicals
Reduces chemical consumption
Reduces sludge production
Usually not cost effective to build new tankage (anaerobic zones)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chemical Precipitation
Aluminum, iron, and calcium compounds are used for phosphorus removal.
Selection of chemicals depends on several factors:
Effectiveness
Cost
Availability
Ease of handling
Effect on metals in effluent
Copper removal
Increase in aluminum
Chemical Caution: UV Disinfection and ferric addition may not mix
Large dosages are needed to reach low concentrations
Chemical precipitation increases sludge production

Effluent filters lower effluent P and provide greater reliability

Tertiary clarification ahead of filtration provides low phosphorus concentrations.
Membranes can also be used
Optimization of Chemical P Removal
Automate chemical feed controls
Reduce recycle P
Provide rapid mix / flocculation
Evaluate different chemicals and doses
Multiple point chemical addition

Biological Nitrogen Removal

1.
2.

Too often measured as Ammonia

Forms of nitrogen in wastewater:
Organic
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) is organic plus ammonia
Inorganic Nitrogen is ammonia plus nitrate plus nitrite
Biological Nitrogen Removal
Two Step Process
Nitrification (NH3 to NO2 then NO2 to NO3)
Denitrification (nitrate reduced to nitrogen gas)
Nitrification/Denitrification:
Design for N removal must be based on influent TKN
Nitrification:
Nitrifiers are very slow growers
Only grow on ammonia and nitrite
Only grow in presence of dissolved oxygen
Substantial consumption of DO and destruction of alkalinity
Denitrification
Nitrate converted to nitrogen gas
Denitrification very easy to do if given:
Anoxic conditions
Nitrate
Carbon source
Denitrification rates:
Increase with higher F/M
Decrease with temperature
Carbon sources for denitrification:
Raw wastewater (free carbon source)
External carbon (typically methanol)
Endogenous (biomass decay and release)
Denitrification Rates are a function of carbon source
Supplemental Carbon Addition
Methanol
Ethanol
Micro-C
Glycerin
On-site sources (primary sludge fermentation & WAS lysis)
N Removal via MLE
MLE works as a dilution process
Sensitive to TKN/BOD ratio
Higher removals with no primary treatment
Lower influent TKN/BOD ratio yields lower effluent N concentrations
Primary treatment increases influent TKN/BOD ratio
Alternative Processes
Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Process
Much more energy intensive

No clarification
Membrane tank highly aerated

Aeration

History of Wastewater Aeration

First experiments England 1882

Air initially introduced through open tubes or perforations
English patent issued in 1904 for metal plate diffuser
In 1915 Jones & Atwood of England introduced porous plate concrete diffuser
US Carborundum, Ferro Corp, Norton Co. offered porous plate diffusers in US
Clogging problem from onset
Gradually led to coarser media
Air filtration introduced
Mechanical aeration
1916-Archimedean screw type aerator introduced in Sheffield, England
1919-Bury, England installed up-flow surface aerator
1950-coarse bubble diffusers
Sacrificed substantial transfer efficiency
Inability to transfer sufficient oxygen to front of aeration basins led to development of step feed
patterns
1970s-US Clean Water Act require secondary treatment, resulting in demand for more efficient
aeration
US turned to European technology
Fine bubble regained popularity
Properties of Air
Composition of earths atmosphere -AIR is more or less constant for about 300,000 ft
By volume (78% Nitrogen &21% Oxygen)
By weight (23.2 % Oxygen)
Density of air varies with Temperature and pressure (ie altitude)
Standard Air defined as: 68 F, 14.7 psia (sea level) and 36% relative humidity
Types of Aeration:
Classified into mechanical and diffused
Mechanical (surface or submerged)
Transfer O2 by entraining air from atmosphere into mixed liquor by pumping or agitating the
wastewater
Diffused
Compressed air from blowers introduced through diffusers located in the aeration basin, usually
near the bottom
Air Requirements
Air required to provide oxygen for biological oxidation of carbonaceous & nitrogenous matter
and to maintain solids mixed within the wastewater.
To be used in biological oxidation, oxygen present in air must be transferred to dissolved oxygen
within the wastewater.
Mixing required in influent channels if wastewater and RAS are mixed ahead of aeration.
Mixing required within aeration basins.
Mixing desirable in effluent channels. Aeration can be used to provide mixing.
Mixing: Aeration devices must provide energy to keep contents mixed. Oxygen transfer is not a
factor.
Biological Oxidation

Dissolved oxygen required for:

oxidation of carbonaceous BOD
oxidation of ammonia (and organic N going to ammonia) to nitrate
Oxygen for Nitrification:
Common practice is to use Influent Ammonia as the basis of design. YOU MUST USE TKN
which is ammonia plus organic nitrogen. Organic nitrogen is converted to ammonia during BOD
oxidation.
Oxygen demand:
varies hourly and daily
varies within aeration tank
Advantages of diffused air systems:
Turndown (with proper design) = maximization of energy efficiency
Ability to move air where you want it without varying tanks in service
Oxygen transfer
Aeration performance tested and reported as Standard Oxygen Transfer Rate (SOTR) or
Standard Oxygen Transfer Efficiency (SOTE)
Transfer Efficiency of mechanical aerators is reported as Standard Aeration Efficiency (SAE)

Organic Carbon

Removal of organic carbon

Biological removal of:
Soluble organic matter
Insoluble matter too small for physical removal (BOD)
Removal using suspended growth and/or attached growth systems
Removal achieved by:
conversion of BOD to CO2 + H2O
new cell growth (biomass)
Biomass removed with physical sedimentation process (ie clarifiers)
Suspended Growth Biology
Electron acceptors for biological reactions
Oxygen
Inorganic compounds
Organic compounds
Biological environments
Aerobic: dissolved oxygen (DO) present
Anaerobic: absence of oxygen (CO2, sulfate and organic compound serve as electron acceptors)
Anoxic: No DO; oxygen present in nitrate (NO3) which serves as electron acceptor
Growth Rate:
Aerobic > anoxic > anaerobic
Suspended growth reactors
Completely mixed
Concentrations uniform throughout the reactor
concentrations in effluent equal to concentrations in reactor
biomass is in constant, average growth regime.
Complete mix reactors :
no longer common for municipal suspended growth systems
advantageous for wastes prone to biological toxicity
Plug flow
Flow moves through reactor in the order it entered
No longitudinal mixing.
Growth conditions vary length of the reactor
Batch
Influent loaded as a batch
Biological reaction occurs without additional influent.
Batch reactors are true plug flow based on time (not flow)
Heterotrophs: Use organic compounds as electron donor and as carbon source for cell synthesis.
Autotrophs:
Use inorganic compounds as electron donor and carbon dioxide carbon source.
Most important are nitrifiers.
Obligate aerobes
Use only oxygen as the electron acceptor
Most significant are nitrifiers

Obligate anaerobes
Function in absence of molecular oxygen
Facultative
Use oxygen as the electron acceptor when it is available
Shift to alternate acceptor in the absence of oxygen.
Tend to predominate in biochemical operations
Organisms function in condition that is most efficient for growth
Aerobic conditions more efficient than anaerobic.
Fermentation: use organic compounds as terminal electron acceptor in absence of oxygen - create
reduced organic end products
Anaerobic respiration: absence of oxygen - inorganic compound serves as the terminal electron
acceptor
Floc formation
necessary for effective sedimentation of biomass
Single bacteria are 0.5-1.0 m
too small for individual gravity separation
Under proper growth conditions, bacteria grow in clumps or biofloc 0.05-1.0 mm.
Nuisance bacteria
Need to be aware of these organisms and their growth characteristics
Design (and operate) to discourage or prevent growth.
Foam formers:
Copious quantities of surface foam in aeration tanks
can completely cover aeration tanks and clarifier
Filaments:
Very small number strengthen floc
Excessive numbers BULKING
significantly reduce settling rates, overload clarifiers
Conditions favoring filamentous growth
low DO
high SRT
completely mixed reactor
nutrient defiency
low pH
Fungi
Can compete with bacteria for soluble organic matter
Seldom competitive in suspended growth environments.
Can predominant causing problems similar to filaments with DO or nutrient deficiencies or low
pH
Protozoa
Important in suspended growth treatment
Graze on colloidal organic matter and dispersed bacteria
reduce effluent turbidity
increasing bioflocculation (and thus settling rates)
Indicators of healthy process
Tolerate very little changes in environment
Consume large amount of viable bacteria.

Swing in dominant protozoa with start up of activated sludge system (replaced by ciliates)
Primary benefit from protozoa
predation on free-living bacteria
reduction in the bacterial population in the clarifier effluent
reduction in turbidity and non-settleable solids
no direct metabolism of dissolved substrate by ciliated protozoa; flagellates metabolize
dissolved organics
Rotifiers and nematodes
Present in suspended growth systems
Feed on protozoa and bacteria flocs
Indicative of a well-stabilized/high-quality effluent
Activated Sludge
Two components: aeration tanks and clarifiers
Designers must provide system with enough operational flexibility to allow continual
compliance with required levels of treatment under constantly varying conditions
Basics of Activated Sludge-Aeration Tank
Aeration tank (AT) provides a controlled environment for the growth of the activated sludge and
resultant removal of organic matter
Think of AT as a bug house
Growth and reactions of the MLSS controlled via
AT configuration
SRT
Air addition
Keeps the MLSS contents mixed
Provide oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor in the oxidation of the organic matter.
Environment of AT directly impacts the settleability characteristics of the MLSS in the
subsequent clarifiers.
Yield
The net or apparent yield can be determined directly from treatment plant operations data and
incorporates microbial growth kinetics directly (growth and decay rates).
Correct kinetic parameters, determined from the waste in question, must be applied when
modeling and in nondomestic wastes.
For municipal designs the net yield can be directly applied
Existing plant data
From literature
Solids Retention Times (SRT)
Equal to time in days that the biomass is held in the AT.
Is critical parameter in setting system effluent quality.
Selectors
Used to control settleability of mixed liquor
Selector provides conditions favoring growth of bugs that settle well
Smaller clarifiers provided with designs incorporating selectors
Provided at influent to AT (part of AT) as 3-stage volumes
Three types
Aerobic
Anaerobic

Anoxic
AT volume increased to accommodate anaerobic and anoxic selectors
Total AT volume = volume reqd for aeration + volume for selectors
AT volume not increased for aerobic selectors
Basics of Activated Sludge-Clarifier
AT effluent MLSS is introduced to the top of the secondary clarifiers and allowed to settle.
Settled flow discharged over clarifier weirs
Settled solids collected on the bottom of the clarifier
Recycled back to AT.
Portion of settled solids wasted
To maintain the desired AT MLSS level
To maintain desired system SRT.
Upper regions of the clarifier function in a zone or hindered settling mode (Type III Settling).
Lower levels function in a compression mode (Type IV Settling).
Required clarifier surface area directly related to:
downward settling rate of the zone settling region
solids flux rate in the compression zone
Return Activated Sludge (RAS)
RAS is the solids which are settled and collected in the secondary clarifier and returned to AT
RAS solids are described in terms of lbs per day and the concentration in mg/L.
This material is also referred to as underflow

Alternative Filtration Systems

Major components of a drinking water treatment system

Pretreatment Options
RiverBank Filtration
RiverBed Filtration
Plain Sedimentation
Tilted Plate Sedimentation
Dynamic Bed Filtration
Roughing Filtration
Processes taking place at an RBF site

Viable Water Treatment Options for Small System

Packaged Coagulation Treatment Systems
Pressure Filtration Systems
Granular Media
Diatomaceous Earth/Precoat
Ceramic Media
Membrances
Biological Filtration Systems
Riverbank Filtration
Slow Sand Filtration
Conventional Treatment: Rapid Sand Filtration = Chemical Clarification Treatment

Basic Filtration Equation:

Rate of Flow = Driving Head (Filter Resistance - Filter Deposition)
Typical Rapid Sand Filter

Purpose of Body Feed

Create Permeable Cake
Increase Dirt-Holding Capacity
Provide Longer Filter Cycles
Proven modifications to enhance slow sand filter performance
Concern

Modification

Increase raw water applicability

Roughing filters
Microstrainers

Minimize filter downtimes and ripening

periods

Filter harrowing

Improve organic precursor

Preozonation
Granular media amendments

Selected Multi-stage Prefabricated Treatment System