CEE 333: Waste Water Treatment

Biological Treatment: Activated sludge

Different phases in
wastewater treatment Tertiary
treatment
Secondary • Adsorption
treatment
• RO
Primary/physical • Biological
treatment • Chemical
Preliminary • Air floatation • Land treatment
treatment • Sedimentation
• Screen tank
• Cutting screen • Septic tank
• Grit chamber • Imhoff tank
• Skimming tank
Different phases in wastewater
treatment (cont.)

Neutralization
Chemical
Redox
Stabilization Pond
Secondary
treatment Trickling Filters
Biological
Activated Sludge
Land Rotating Biological Contactors
treatment
Suspended growth: Activated sludge process

‘’ A biological process that coverts non-settleable

substances which exist in dissolved and colloidal
forms are into settleable sludge though
microorganism that floats around the reactor’’
Process configuration
Basic activated sludge process consists of several interrelated components

 Aeration tank: where the

biological reactions occur
 Clarifier: liquid-solid
separator
 Recycling system: solids
to return them to the
aeration tank,
Process
 Wastewater containing organic matter is aerated in an aeration basin/tank in
which micro-organisms metabolize the soluble and non settleable organic
matter
 Aerobic bacterial yields in presence of oxygen and food and multiply rapidly.
 Between four to eight hours, the bacteria used most of the organic matter to
produce new cells.
 The new cells formed in the reaction are removed from the liquid stream in the
form of a sludge in settling tanks/clarifier.
 A part of settled biomass (contain live and active species) that describes as
activated sludge is returned to the aeration tank where it is mixed with
incoming wastewater (mix liquor) and remaining forms excess sludge that must
be disposed off.
Wasting

 Wasting means that a portion of the micro-organisms is discarded or

removed from the process as excess sludge.
 These microorganisms are known as Waste Activated Sludge (WAS)
 In case of higher ‘wasting’, the available microorganism in return
sludge will become too low to ensure effective treatment
 In case of lower ‘wasting’, a large concentration of microorganism will
accumulate, and ultimately overflow within the secondary tank and
into the receiving stream
Factors affecting activated sludge process

1. pH (6.5-8.5)
2. Temperature
3. Reactor type
4. Amount of oxygen
5. Aerator type
6. Bacteria community/sludge age
7. F/M ratio
8. Toxicity, salt concentration
pH
 Enzyme system works at a narrow range of tolerance
 Best option (6-9)
Temperature
 Rate constant increases with temperature within the range of 0-55 oC
 Reaction rate doubles with every 10 oC increase.
Toxicants
 Toxicants may be poisonous to the microganisms
 Salt concentration creates the internal-external pressure
 Sometimes may lead to damage the entire culture
Reactor types
 Reactors may be of two types a) suspended b) attached
 Air/oxygen: why is it necessary?

 Mixing of activated sludge with

influent
 Supply of oxygen within the system
to ensure the degradation of organic
matter aerobically
 Keeping of sludge in suspension

Source: http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module21/WhattoRemove-WW.htm
 Role of different types of bacteria
 Free-swimming: single or pair-forming bacteria
that are suspended freely in water, are the ones
that multiply fastest in an activated sludge
process
 Floc-forming: normally account for the majority
of the biomass in an activated sludge process,
are able to grow in clumps (bioflocs)
 Filamentous: normally multiple the slowest, a
high concentration can cause operating
problems
Source: http://web.deu.edu.tr/atiksu/ana52/acti4.html
 Significance of F/M ratio
• At a high F/M ratio –
• Microorganisms are in the exponential growth phase, characterized by excess food and
maximum rate of metabolism.
• The microorganisms undergoes dispersed growth such that they do not settle out of solution by
gravity.
• Offers poor BOD removal efficiency.
• At a low F/M ratio –
• Initially there is rapid growth but when a small amount of food is available to the large mass of
microorganisms results in near-starvation conditions for the majority of microorganisms within a
short period of time.
• Under these conditions, continued aeration results in auto-oxidation of the microbial mass
through autolysis and re-synthesis.
• The good settling characteristics exhibited by activated sludge provides high BOD removal
efficiency.
Mixing mechanism

Complete mixing
 Both Influent and return sludge are stirred, mixed
homogenously throughout.
 Thus, at steady state, the effluent from the aeration
tank has the same composition as aeration tank
contents
Plug flow
 Influent and return sludge enters at the head of the
aeration basin through a series of channel tank and
are completely mixed in the traverse direction.
 Composition of influent varies point to point
 Complete mixing (type-1)

Mean cell residence time (SRT), θ𝑐 or

sludge age is the average amount of time
that micro-organism are kept in the
system.
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑎𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑘
θ𝑐 =
𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦
𝑉𝑋
=
𝑄−𝑄𝑤 𝑋𝑒 +𝑄𝑤𝑋𝑤

a) Completely mixed activated sludge

process with wasting from aeration tank

Source: Metcalf and Eddy

Complete
mixed
reactor :
type 1

1
= 𝑌k − 𝐾𝑑
𝜃𝑐
Complete mixing (type-2)
b) Completely mixed activated sludge process with wasting
from sludge return line
𝑉𝑋
θ𝑐 = / /
𝑄 − 𝑄 𝑤 𝑋𝑒 + 𝑄 𝑤𝑋𝑢

If Xe=0,
𝑉𝑋
θ𝑐 = /
𝑄 𝑤𝑋𝑢
similar to type 1

Prove the same for type 2 mixing

1
= 𝑌k − 𝐾𝑑
𝜃𝑐
 𝐹 𝑑𝑠
∗ 𝐸 𝑄(𝑆𝑜 − 𝑆𝑒) ∗ 𝐸 − μ𝑚𝑎𝑥
k= specific substrate utilization rate = 𝑀 = = 𝑑𝑡 =
Some basic 𝐹𝑜𝑜𝑑
100 𝑋𝑉𝐸
𝐹 𝑄(𝑆𝑜 − 𝑆𝑒) 𝑄𝑆𝑜
𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜, = =
𝑋 𝑌

𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑚 𝑀 𝑋𝑉𝐸 𝑋𝑉
formulas F/M 0.2-0.3 (usually)
𝑆𝑜 − 𝑆𝑒
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 (%), 𝐸 = ∗ 100
𝑆𝑜
𝑉
𝐻𝑅𝑇, ϴ =
𝑄
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑠
= −𝑌 − 𝐾𝑑 𝑋
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑋 𝑆
Net biomass growth, 𝑑𝑡 = 𝑟𝑔 = μ𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝐾 +𝑆 𝑋 − 𝐾𝑑 𝑋 = 𝑟𝑔 = 𝑟𝑠𝑢 𝑌 − 𝐾𝑑 𝑋
𝑠
𝑑𝑆 𝑆
− = 𝑟𝑠𝑢 = 𝑘 𝑋
𝑑𝑡 𝐾𝑠 + 𝑆
𝑑𝑋
= μ𝑋 − 𝐾𝑑 𝑋
𝑑𝑡
𝑆
μ = μ𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑋
𝐾𝑠 + 𝑆
1 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦
= = 𝑌k − 𝐾𝑑
𝜃𝑐 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑎𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑘

X usually 2000-3000mg/l
• Settleability of sludge may be
measured as sludge volume (SV)
in a 1000 ml measuring cylinder
(height of 36 cm) after 30 minutes
sedimentation and is expressed
for a known initial sludge
concentration as sludge volume
index (SVI), sludge quality index
(SQI), diluted sludge volume index
(DSVI) and index, IVF.
• Stirred specific volume (SSV) is
measured in a 3.5 l cylinder (10
cm diameter and calibrated with a
0-50 cm scale) with slowly stirring
(1r.p.m.) and is expressed as
stirred specific volume index
(SSVI3.5)
Different phases in wastewater
treatment (cont.)
Neutralization
Chemical
Redox
Stabilization Pond
Secondary Trickling Filters
treatment
Biological Activated Sludge
Rotating Biological Contactors
Land
treatment Sequential batch reactor
 Submerged Attached growth process: Trickling filter

Advantages of attached growth

system over activates sludge system:

• Less energy required

• Simple operation with no issue of
wasting
• No problems of bulking sludge in
the secondary clarifiers
• Better sludge thickening
properties
• Less maintenance
 Attached growth process: Trickling filter
 Trickling filters are attached growth
biological beds where wastewater is
spread on the surface of media supporting
microbial population.
 The media can be crushed stone, plastic
sheet packing formed into modules, or
random plastic packing of various surface.
 As wastewater flows between the rocks,
aerobic bacteria metabolize the organic
material in the wastewater.
 As the biomass grows, the influent
wastewater flow sloughs off the excess,
which settles out in a secondary clarifier.
 Trickling filter: biofilm growth
Wastewater is sprayed on the media surface and trickled down
through the media on which biofilm is attached.

Biofilm growth is outwards from the media surface. Formation of

Biological Slime Layers:
Filter media is aerobic to a depth of only 0.1-0.2 mm
The zone adjacent to the medium is anaerobic.
The slime layers consist of bacteria, protozoa, and fungi.
Microorganisms near the surface of the bed are in a rapid
growth phase, while near the bottom they are in a state of
starvation.
Final sedimentation tank is an integral part of the trickling
filter. The function of this tank is to remove the large masses of
Schematic diagram showing the form of
biological growth which flow with the effluent from the filter the biological process in a trickling filter.
media
 Trickling filter: Configuration

1. Distribution System
2. Filter Media
3. Underdrain System
4. Ventilation system
5. Settling tank
 Trickling filter: Configuration
Factors to be designed

1. Type and physical characteristics of filter

packing to be used
2. Type and dosing rate of the distribution system
3. Configuration of the underdrain system
4. Provision of adequate airflow (ventilation)
5. Settling tank design

1. Filter media (packing material)

1. Rock (stones, crushed stones)

2. brick khoa
3. Redwood
4. Inert materials (Plastic)
5. Biosheet/ biocarrier
Depth of filtering media: Minimum of 3ft to maximum of 10ft
Particle Size: ranges from 1 ~ 4inch in diameter.
 Trickling filter: Configuration
4. Underdrain System: The underdrain system collects
treated wastewater and solids discharged from the filter
media and conveys them to a sedimentation tank. The
system is located below, or underneath, the filter media
and operates
by gravity flow. It provides support for the filter media,
which sits on top of the underdrain system. It allows air
circulation through the media
Different phases in wastewater
treatment (cont.)

Neutralization
Chemical
Redox
Stabilization Pond
Secondary Trickling Filters
treatment
Biological Activated Sludge
Rotating Biological Contactors
Land
treatment
Sequential batch reactor
 Attached growth process: Sequential batch reactor

• SBR is one of the activated sludge

process in which all of the
treatment occurs in the same
reactor tank.
• In an SBR process, a time controlled
sequence of operations occur in a
single reactor, such as equalization,
biological treatment and secondary
clarification (EPA, 1999).
• Microorganism responsible for the
treatment are attached to some
inert medium like (rock, ceramic,
plastic materials
 Sequential batch reactor: working principle
Fill: wastewater influent is added to the reactor. Equalization occurs during
this step and some mixing or aeration is possible if needed. Thus the fill can
be: static, mixed, or aerated.
 React: No more wastewater influent is added to the reactor. Mixing and
aeration enable reactions to complete the biological removal processes
 Settle: Sludge forms a blanket and settles at the bottom of the reactor.
During this phase there is no mixing or aeration and no wastewater inflow
or effluent outflow interferes with the process.
 Draw or decant: Either a floating or fixed decanter removes the clear
supernatant effluent from the reactor
 Sequential batch reactor: Design guideline
1. Obtain influent characterization data, define effluent requirements, and
safety factors.
2. Select the number of SBR tanks
3. Select the react/aeration, settling, and decant times. Determine fill time
and total time per cycle. Determine the number of cycles per day.
4. Determine the fill volume per cycle
5. Select MLSS and determine decant depth and tank volume
6. Determine the SRT for the SBR process
7. Determine the decant pumping rate, oxygen requirement rate and transfer
rate.
8. F/M ratio and BOD volumetric loading
9. Alkalinity needs