A subsurface flow constructed wetland planted with the common reed (Phragmites australis) and softstem bulrush (Scirpus validus) was built in East Central Indiana. The objective of this study was to determine if temperature had an effect on nitrogen (N) removal from the wetland. The research was conducted from the first week of October 3, 1995 to the first week in December 5, 1995 why the wetland froze. Water samples were taken from 5 samplings sites in the system. Each sample was analyzed for organic-N, ammonia, nitrate, and total-N. In the system statistically significant amounts of organic-N, nitrate, and total-N were removed. Ammonia lever reductions, however, were not significant. Organic-N had a mean removal of 37% (8 mg/1) 'Nitrate had a mean removal of 96% (2.3 mg/1). Total-N removal over the sampling period averaged 30% (12 mg/1). The N results were regressed against air and wastewater temperatures. Wastewater temperature was more important because it had a direct impact can the plants and microbes in the system. Warmer temperatures sustained a higher metabolism for the biota in the system. Air temperature had an indirect impact on efficiency of N removal from the wastewater flowing through the wetland. The primary impact .: f the air temperature was on water temperature which then affected the metabolism of or a nc ns in the wetland cell. Greater removal efficiencies were seen during high temperature periods and lower removal efficiencies were noted when the temperatures were low. / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

An Entrapped-Mixed-Microbial-Cell (EMMC) process was investigated for its simultaneous removal of carbon and nitrogen in a single bioreactor with the influent COD/N ratio varying from 4 to 15 and influent alkalinity of 140 mg CaCO3/L and 230 mg CaCO3/L. The reactor was operated with alternate schedules of intermittent aeration. Two different sizes of carriers (10 * 10 * 10 mm3 and 20 * 20 * 20 mm3) were studied. The medium carrier (10 * 10 * 10 mm3) system presents higher nitrogen removal and COD removal compared to the large carrier system. The nitrogen removal efficiency is related to the ratio of COD/N in the influent. With the increase of the COD/N ration in the influent, the nitrogen removal efficiency is increased. The average reductions of nitrogen were over 92% and the average reductions of SCOD and BOD5 are over 95% and 97%, respectively, in the medium carrier system. This is operated at the HRT of 12 hours and 0.5 hour aeration and 2 hours of non-aeration, and the COD/N ratio of 15 in the influent. Changing alkalinity from 140 to 230 mg CaCO3/L has no effect in both large and medium carriers for the nitrogen removal efficiency. The pH, oxidation – reduction potential (ORP) and dissolved oxygen (DO) were used to monitor the biological nitrogen removal. It was found that the ORP (range from -100 to 300 mV) can be used to provide better effluent quality measured as total-nitrogen of less than 10 mg/L. Also, the impact of influent COD/N ratio on the effluent quality (measured as Inorg.-nitrogen) for the EMMC process is very important. Compared to other two compact biological wastewater treatment processes, membrane bioreactor (MBR) and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), the EMMC process with the intermittent aeration has higher removal efficiencies of carbon and nitrogen, easier operation, lower O&M cost, lower energy requirement, and more compact. The total cost requirement is less than $3.27 per 1000 gallons (3.785 m 3) of treated settled domestic sewage per day. It is apparent that the EMMC process is technically feasible for the simultaneous removal of carbon and nitrogen under the operation on a schedule of intermittent aeration and suitable to be used for replacement or upgrading of existing treatment plant at land limited area.

A pesquisa propôs avaliar o desempenho e o comportamento de reatores seqüenciais em batelada com biomassa suspensa e imobilizada, em escala de bancada, na remoção de compostos de nitrogênio. Tais sistemas foram testados como tratamento complementar de reatores sulfetogênico e metanogênico utilizados no tratamento de água residuária industrial com alta concentração de sulfato e amônia. Visou o desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de operação que viabilizasse o uso dos próprios constituintes da água residuária para a maximização da eficiência do tratamento. O estudo foi dividido em 3 etapas principais. Na etapa 1 (181 dias de operação), o reator com biomassa suspensa foi mantido com 4 fases alternadas aeróbio/anóxico e ciclo de 24 horas, e verificou-se a presença da desnitrificação endógena (eficiência de remoção de nitrogênio de 65 \'+ OU -\' 27%). Para a etapa 2 (127 dias de operação), o reator de biomassa suspensa foi submetido ao tempo de ciclo de 12 horas, com uma fase aeróbia (6 horas) e com posterior fase anóxica (6 horas). Nessa etapa adicionou-se efluentes dos reatores metanogênico e sulfetogênico, ricos em ácidos voláteis (ácido acético), com intuito de acelerar o processo desnitrificante. Os resultados obtidos foram baixos em termos de remoção de nitrogênio (42 \'+ OU -\' 21%). Para a etapa 3 (134 dias de operação), foram ensaiados vários meios suportes, através de técnica de microsensores de oxigênio dissolvido, a fim de verificar a formação de biofilme específico (nitrificante/desnitrificante) e optou-se pelo uso do carvão mineral no reator com biomassa imobilizada. Nesta última etapa, foi mantida a estratégia operacional adotada na etapa 2 (ciclo 12 horas), bem como a adição de parcela do afluente na fase anóxica. A remoção de nitrogênio, com períodos aeróbio e anóxico e ciclo de 12 horas, mostrou-se viável no reator com biomassa imobilizada (eficiência de remoção de nitrogênio de 72 \'+ OU -\' 13%). Ao final dos ensaios experimentais, realizaram-se modelagens cinéticas que permitiram a compreensão dos processos convencionais e não convencionais ocorridos nas várias etapas para remoção de nitrogênio, tais como desnitrificação em fase aeróbia e o processo ANAMMOX. / The purpose of this research was to evaluate the performance and the behavior of sequential batch reactors with suspended and immobilized biomass, in benches scale, for the nitrogen composite removal. Such systems had been tested as sulphetogenic and methanogenic reactors complementary treatment, used in an industrial waste water treatment with high sulphate and ammonia concentrations. The research aimed for the development of an operation strategy that could make possible the use of the proper waste water constituent for the improvement of the treatment efficiency. The study was divided into 3 main stages. In stage 1 (181 days of operation), the reactor with suspended biomass was kept with 4 alternating phases aerobic/anoxic and a 24-hour cycle was used, and the endogenous denitrification was verified (nitrogen removal efficiency of 65 \'+ OU -\' 27%). For stage 2 (127 days of operation), the suspended biomass reactor was submitted to a cycle of 12 hours, with an aerobic phase (6 hours) and posterior anoxic phase (6 hours). In this stage effluent of the methanogenic and sulphetogenic reactors, rich in volatile acid (acetic acid), was added to accelerate the denitrify process. The achieved results had been low in terms of nitrogen removal(42 \'+ OU -\' 21%). For stage 3 (134 days of operation), some supports media was tested through dissolved oxygen microsensors technique, in order to check the specific biofilm formation (nitrificant/denitrificant) and the mineral coal was opted to be used in the immobilized biomass reactor. In this last stage it was adopted an operational strategy similar in stage 2 (12 hours cycle), as well as the addition of part of the affluent in the anoxic phase. The nitrogen removal, with aerobic and anoxic periods and 12 hours cycle, revealed feasible in the reactor with immobilized biomass (nitrogen removal efficiency of 72 \'+ OU -\' 13%). In the end of the experimental tests, kinetic modelings were done and had allowed the understanding of conventional and not conventional processes occurred in the stages for nitrogen removal, such as desnitrification in aerobic phase and ANAMMOX process.

Submitted in fulfillment of the degree of Master of Applied Science: Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Domestic wastewater contains a high nutrient load, primarily in the form of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), and Phosphorous (P) compounds. If left untreated, these nutrients can cause eutrophication in receiving environments. Biological wastewater treatment utilizes a suspension of microorganisms that metabolize this excess nutrient load. Nitrogen removal in these systems are due to the synergistic processes of nitrification and denitrification, each of which requires its own set of operating parameters and controlling microbial groups. An alternative N-removal pathway termed the anammox process allows for total N-removal in a single step under anoxic conditions. This process, mediated by the anammox bacterial group, requires no organic carbon, produces negligible greenhouse gases and requires almost 50 % less energy than the conventional process, making it a promising new technology for efficient and cost-effective N-removal. In this study, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was established for the autotrophic removal of N-rich wastewater through an anammox-centric bacterial consortia. The key microbial members of this consortia were characterized and quantified over time using molecular methods and next generation sequencing to determine if the operational conditions had any effect on the seed inoculum population composition. Additionally, local South African wastewater treatment plants were screened for the presence of anammox bacteria through 16S rRNA amplification and enrichment in different reactor types. A 3 L bench scale SBR was inoculated with active biomass (~ 5 % (v/v)) sourced from a parent anammox enrichment reactor, and maintained at a temperature of 35 °C ± 1 °C. The reactor was fed with a synthetic wastewater medium containing no organic C, minimal dissolved oxygen (< 0.5 mg/L), and N in the form of ammonium and nitrite in the ratio of 1:1.3. The reactor was operated for a period of 366 days and the effluent ammonium, nitrite and nitrate were measured during this period. The hydraulic retention time was controlled at 4.55 days from Day 1 to Day 250, and thereafter shortened to 1.52 days from Day 251 to Day 360 due to an increased nitrogen removal rate (NRR). During Phase I of operation (Day 1 to Day 150), the reactor performance gradually increased up to an NRR of ~160 mg N/day. During Phase II (Day 151 to Day 250), the overall reactor performance decreased with the NRR decreasing to ~90 mg N/day, while Phase III (Day 251 to Day 366) displayed a gradual recovery of NRR back to the reactor optimum of ~160 mg N/day. The accumulation of nitrate in the effluent during the latter parts of Phase II and Phase III, coupled with oxygen ingress (~2.1 mg/L) in the same period, indicated that it was not the anammox pathway that was dominating N-removal within the reactor, but more likely the second half of the nitrification pathway mediated by the nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). This was further confirmed through molecular analysis, which indicated that the bacterial population had shifted significantly over the course of reactor operation. Quantitative PCR methods displayed a decrease in all the key N-removing population groups from Day 1 to Day 140, and a marginal increase in anammox and aerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria from Day 140 – Day 260. From Day 300 onwards, NOB had started dominating the system, simultaneously suppressing the growth of other N-removing bacterial groups. Despite this, the NRR peaked during this period, indicating an alternative mechanism for ammonia removal within the reactor system. A total population analysis using NGS was also performed, which corroborated the QPCR results and displayed a population shift away from anammox bacteria towards predominantly NOB and members of the phylum Chloroflexi. The proliferation of aerobic NOB and Chloroflexi, and the suppression of anammox bacteria, indicated that DO ingress was indeed the primary cause of the population shift within the reactor. Despite this population shift, N-removal within the reactor remained high. New pathways have recently emerged which implicate these two groups as potential N oxidizers, with specific NOB groups showing the ability for oxidation of ammonia through the comammox process, and members of the Phylum Chloroflexi being capable of nitrite reduction. This could imply that an alternate pathway was responsible for the majority of N-removal within the system, in addition to the anammox and conventional nitrification pathways. Additionally, in an attempt to detect a local anammox reservoir, eleven wastewater systems from around South Africa were screened for the presence of anammox bacteria. Through direct and nested PCR-based screening, anammox bacteria was not detectable in any of the activated sludge samples tested. Based on the operating conditions of the source wastewater systems, a subset of three sludge samples were selected for further enrichment. After 60-110 days of enrichment in multiple reactor configurations, only one reactor sample tested positive for the presence of anammox bacteria. Although this result indicates that anammox bacteria might not be ubiquitous within every biological wastewater system, it is more likely that anammox bacteria might only be present at undetectable levels, and that an extended enrichment prior to screening is necessary for a true representation of anammox bacterial prevalence in an environmental sample. / M

Non-point sources (NPS) of pollution are non-discernable, diffuse sources of pollution that are often difficult to localize and in turn mitigate. NPS can include stormwater runoff, agricultural/aquaculture wastes and wastes from small decentralized wastewater treatment systems, such as conventional septic systems. The mitigation of these NPS is imperative to reduce their potential detrimental effects on the water environment. This dissertation addresses novel treatment technologies for the mitigation of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). The removal of trace organics limiting RAS production and water reuse were also investigated. The first question this dissertation addressed is: Can the application of a UV-TiO2 reactor reduce the concentration of off-flavor compounds in RAS? In the UV-TiO2 reactor, spray-coated TiO2 plates were placed in an aluminum reactor and exposed to UV light. The process was applied in both a full-scale sturgeon RAS and a bench-scale RAS for the degradation of Geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB). Improved performance on the removal of GSM and MIB was observed when the UV-TiO2 was applied as a batch reactor since it allowed for a longer treatment time without the effect of constant production of the compounds in the biological treatment processes. Treatment performance of UV-TiO2 was affected by GSM and MIB concentrations and dissolved oxygen. No harmful effects were observed on other water quality parameters when the UV-TiO2 reactor was operated as a batch or side stream process. The second question this dissertation addressed is: Does the application of Tire-Sulfur Hybrid Adsorption Denitrification (T-SHAD) in RAS improve nutrient and off-flavor compound removal when compared to conventional heterotrophic denitrification? T-SHAD combines tire mulch as an adsorbent and sulfur oxidizing denitrification for the removal of NO3--N from the aquaculture waters. Adsorption studies showed the tire has significant adsorption capacity for the off-flavor compounds GSM and MIB but can be limited by contact time and, possibly, the presence of competing organic matter in RAS. The application of T-SHAD as an effluent polishing step in RAS with a high empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 720 min removed 96.6% of NO3--N and 69.6% of GSM. The application of T-SHAD within RAS as denitrification side treatment for NO3--N removal resulted in lower EBCT (185 min) that limited NO3--N removal to 21% and showed no significant removal of off-flavor compounds. The comparison between T-SHAD and a molasses fed heterotrophic upflow packed bed reactor (UPBR), showed no significant differences in N species concentrations as well as off-flavor compound removal. However, high production of SO42- resulted from sulfur oxidizing denitrification (SOD) processes was noted. Hybrid Adsorption and Biological Treatment Systems (HABiTS), is composed of two biofilters in series employing ion exchange (IX) and nitrification for removal of NH4+ and tire scrap coupled with sulfur chips and oyster shells for both adsorption and SOD of NO3-. The third question addressed in this dissertation is: What IX/adsorption media best balances both ammonium removal and cost effectiveness for application in OWTS? Adsorption isotherms performed with different media materials showed that the zeolite material, clinoptilolite, was the best medium for the nitrification stage of HABiTS due to its high IX capacity for NH4+and cost. An adsorption capacity of 11.69 mg g-1 NH4+-N when in competition with other cations present in septic tank effluents was determined by the IX model fit to the data. The cost of clinoptilolite is significantly higher than the other media materials tested. However, the high adsorption capacity would allow for low dosages that can be combined with non-adsorptive material reducing overall costs. The fourth question this dissertation addressed is: How is the BNR process within HABiTS affected by IX? Results from side-by-side biofilter studies with HABiTS and a conventional nitrification/denitrification biofilter showed that the combined IX and nitrification in HABiTS can allow for faster startup, sustain variable loading, and achieve over 80% removal of NH4+ at a hydraulic loading rate of 0.34 m3 m-2-d-1 when compared to the conventional biofilter with 73% removal. Under lower loading rates the biological treatment was enhanced and dominated the NH4+ removal processes in both columns. The addition of a denitrification stage decreased Total Inorganic Nitrogen (TIN) by 53.54% and 40.97%, for the HABiTS treatment and the control treatment, respectively, under loading rates of 0.21 m3 m-2-d-1. Further decrease of NH4+-N loading rates results in high desorption of exchanged NH4+ in the clinoptilolite, resulting in lower TIN removal efficiencies (28.7%) when compared to the conventional control treatment (62%). The final question addressed in this dissertation is: Does the proposed hybrid system enhance the removal of TIN in OWTS under transient loading conditions? Further studies with HABiTS and the conventional biofilter were performed to determine N removal performance on an hourly basis. It was found that the performance of HABiTS varies with daily and hourly loads, particularly when recovering from periods of very low loading to high loadings and vice versa. If recovering from low loading periods, IX is observed for HABiTS and the biofilter outperforms the conventional treatment in overall TIN removal. However, recovery from a high loading period results in release of NH4+-N stored in the clinoptilolite and increased production of NO3--N that could affect the performance of the denitrification stage.

The discharge of point- and non-point source pollutants into surface waters resulting from industrial and/or municipal activities is a major focus of environmental regulation in the United States. As a result, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program was established in 1972 in an effort to regulate discharges from industrial or municipal sources, including wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). To further protect Florida water quality, in 1978, State legislation enacted the Grizzle-Figg Act for Tampa Bay, which requires advanced wastewater treatment for any discharge into sensitive water bodies. A common use of wastewater effluent in the Tampa Bay area is for reclaimed water for irrigation. This leads to an estimated 90% reduction of total nitrogen (TN) load to the bay in comparison to direct discharge (TBEP, 2016). One type of wastewater treatment process that has been shown to have low aeration and chemical requirements is simultaneous nitrification denitrification (SND), which can be carried out in an oxidation ditch. SND is a biological process for nitrogen removal where nitrification and denitrification occur at the same time within the same reactor. An oxidation ditch is a race-track type reactor that promotes the occurrence biological conversion of reactive nitrogen to nitrogen gas (N2) and additionally can provide enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). Many theories exist as to the mechanisms that allow SND to occur, but the literature is inconclusive as to whether the presence of different zones within the floc, within the reactor itself, a combination of the two or unique microorganisms are responsible for SND. Advantages of SND include efficient (80-96%) nitrogen removal, with significant reductions in energy, chemical, equipment and spatial requirements. Specifically, oxygen requirements are reduced and dedicated aerobic/anoxic zones, internal recirculation and supplemental carbon and alkalinity are not required. Despite these advantages, widespread use of SND is limited because of a lack of understanding of SND kinetics as well as interactions between factors affecting SND performance. This research was carried out at the Falkenburg Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWWTP) in Hillsborough County Florida, which carries out SND, biological and chemical phosphorous removal in an oxidation ditch system. Although this facility continually meets and exceeds its permit requirements, improvements in process control strategies have the potential to improve energy efficiency, as well as decrease chemical use, sludge production, greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions and costs. Therefore, the overall goal of this research was to investigate mechanisms of nitrogen and phosphorus removal at the Falkenburg AWWTP. These goals were achieved through bench scale SND studies carried out at varying temperatures. Kinetic parameters were determined using a simple kinetic model of nitrification/denitrification. Additionally, carrying out sampling campaigns completed the investigation of the fate of phosphorus in the Falkenburg AWWTP. The results were combined with information on alum dosing and sludge wasting to determine the overall fate of phosphorus in the system and make additional recommendations regarding the addition of alum. To mimic an oxidation ditch at Falkenburg AWWTP, bench scale bioreactor experiments were set up in glass beakers at 22°C and 29.5 C. Influent wastewater and return activated sludge (RAS) for these experiments were collected from the Falkenburg AWWTP. Bioreactors were constantly mixed and aeration was controlled to maintain a target dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration based on measurements of DO at the facility. Three phosphorous sampling campaigns (October, November and December) were also carried out to understand the fate of phosphorous, nitrogen and organic carbon at the facility. In these campaigns, samples were taken at six locations at Falkenburg AWWTP and samples were analyzed for filtered and unfiltered total phosphorus, orthophosphate and polyphosphates, filtered and unfiltered total nitrogen, soluble, total and readily biodegradable COD (rbCOD), volatile acids, cations, anions, alkalinity, total suspended solids (TSS) and volatile suspended solids (VSS). pH and DO were also measured on site. In the nitrification batch reactors, in four hours, 50% of ammonia was successfully removed at a rate of 6.31 mg-N/L/hr indicating that four hours is not sufficient time to achieve complete removal. In the denitrification batch reactors, in six hours, there was successful removal of nitrate and nitrite at a rate of 23.70 mg-NO3-/L/hr and 3.6 mg-NO2-/L/hr. In an SND batch reactor experiments at 22° C, ammonia oxidation successfully occurred in 12 hours but denitrification was inhibited due to insufficient rbCOD in the reactor. In an SND batch reactor at 29.5° C, no accumulation of nitrate or nitrite was observed, indicating successful SND. At a higher temperature, sludge bulking occurred in the reactor resulting in variations in TSS and VSS concentrations. Results from the sampling campaigns at the treatment plant indicate that successful phosphorus removal was achieved. Alum addition varied before each sampling and a relationship between alum addition and sulfate can be made. rbCOD was consumed throughout the treatment process as expected and noticeable results can be noted when rbCOD was low in terms of phosphorus removal. The results of the bench-scale experiments showed that the SND was successfully achieved at the Falkenburg facility and that temperature, DO and rbCOD are all important factors controlling biological nutrient removal at SND facilities. DO is much more difficult to maintain and control at a higher temperature further supporting the idea that stricter operator control is needed in warmer months. Additionally, because SND removal still occurred with poor DO control at 29.5°C, it further supports the idea that SND occurs because of zones within the floc, the reactor or that novel microorganisms exist that allow denitrification to occur above ideal DO concentration and nitrification to occur below ideal concentrations of DO. A variation in rbCOD in the influent wastewater at the treatment plant caused nitrification and denitrification to be inhibited in different trials. With too much rbCOD, nitrification was inhibited and with too little rbCOD, denitrification was inhibited. Additionally, alkalinity consumption was minimal which supports the idea that supplemental alkalinity is not needed in SND processes. The results from the phosphorous sampling campaign show how important influent COD is for successful phosphorus removal in the system. The objectives were achieved and overall, the plant is achieving SND and EBPR and the plant is performing as designed. The addition of alum should continue to be studied to determine a better dose and save the county ratepayers money while still meeting permit regulations. Jar tests should be used to determine the proper dosing that will not hinder the settling properties further in the treatment train. Additionally, alum feed pipe sizes should be investigated at the plant to ensure no clogging occurs with a decrease in alum flow and automated aeration based on ammonia concentrations should be considered to remove the manual operation of aerators.

Le titane contenu dans un acier maraging se combine avec l'azote résiduel pour former des inclusions de nitrure de titane (TiN), néfastes du point de vue des propriétés en fatigue de l'alliage. La compréhension de leur origine doit permettre de trouver les moyens de réduire leur taille. Des expériences de Sieverts ont été réalisées pour étudier d'un point de vue thermodynamique et cinétique les réactions de dénitruration de l'alliage et de précipitation des TiN. Au regard de ces expériences et des données thermodynamiques disponibles dans la littérature et compte-tenu des teneurs en azote résiduel, la formation des TiN est supposée avoir lieu lors de la solidification sous l’effet de la ségrégation interdendritique. Un certain nombre d'inclusions de TiN sont associées à un germe de type oxyde ou sulfure. L'observation au MET d'une de ces inclusions mixte révèle l'existence d’une relation d'orientation entre le nitrure TiN, un sulfure CaS et un spinelle MgAl2O4, ce qui suggère une croissance par épitaxie du TiN sur ces deux germes. L’étude a été complétée par des calculs ab initio d’énergies de surface et d’énergies d’adsorption. Ces travaux appuient l'hypothèse d'une germination hétérogène des nitrures de titane sur des particules préexistantes et stables dans l'acier liquide. Un modèle numérique de précipitation couplée à la ségrégation interdendritique a été développé puis intégré au logiciel SOLAR simulant la solidification du lingot VAR. Ces calculs quantifient l'influence déterminante sur la taille des plus grands nitrures de la teneur initiale en azote, de la densité de germes, et du temps local de solidification / The titanium contained in maraging steels combines itself with residual Nitrogen to form Titanium nitride precipitates (TiN), which are detrimental to fatigue properties. Understanding their formation may give some ways to reduce their sizes. A Sieverts apparatus was used to study denitriding reactions and precipitation reactions from a thermodynamic and kinetic point of view. According to these experiments, to thermodynamical data from literature, and to the Nitrogen content in the steel, the TiN inclusions are supposed to form during the solidification of the steel thanks to interdendritic segregation. A certain number of the TiN inclusions are found under SEM observations to be located next to another oxide or sulfur particle. A TEM observation reveals the existence of an orientation relationship between a nitride, a sulfur CaS and a spinel MgAl2O4. It suggests an epitaxial growth of the TiN on these two germs. This study was completed with ab initio calculations of surface energies and adsorption energies. This work supports the hypothesis of a heterogeneous nucleation of the Titanium nitrides on preexisting, stable particles in the liquid steel. A numerical model of the precipitation coupled to the interdendritic segregation of solutes is developed and introduced in the SOLAR software modelling the VAR ingot solidification. It evaluates the determinant influence of the initial Nitrogen mass fraction, germ number density and local solidification time on the TiN sizes

In order to size the anoxic reactors in nutrient (N and P) removal activated sludge plants, it is essential to know the denitrification kinetics that are operative in such systems. To date, denitrification kinetics have been accurately defined only for systems that remove N alone; little research has been performed on denitrification in N and P removal plants.

Avloppsreningsverket i Hallsberg kommun är beläget i direkt anslutning till Hallsberg, med Ralaån som recipient. Tekniken på reningsverket bygger på principerna för en klassisk aktivslamanläggning med mekanisk rening, kemisk rening, biologisk rening och en slambehandling där rötning av primär- och sekundärslam används för utvinning av biogas. Hallsberg ARV har under en längre tid haft problem med kvävereningen. Under senaste åren har man överskridit riktvärdet för kväveutsläpp vid ett flertal tillfällen och under 2009 överskreds även gränsvärdet. Riktvärdet för Hallsberg ARV är i dagsläget satt till 10mg NH4-N/l som medelvärde per månad, gränsvärdet är satt till 10 mg NH4-N/l som medelvärde per kalenderår. Då Hallsberg ARV inte drivs vid full kapacitet antas en minskning av kväveutsläppen vara möjlig att genomföra genom trimning av befintligutrustning och processer på verket. Detta antagande låg till grund för det här examensarbetet som syftar till att optimera kvävereningen på Hallsberg ARV. I optimeringen ingick en teknisk, ekonomisk och miljömässig utvärdering av olika alternativa lösningarna för att förbättra funktionen hos anläggningen. Extra hänsyn togs till energi- och kemikalieåtgång i syfte att få en så effektiv drift av verket som möjligt. Arbetet genomfördes genom en initial litteraturstudie på området, vartefter en provtagningsserie om fyra veckor realiserades på verket. Data som ligger till grund för slutsatserna i projektet har också inhämtats från onlinemätare på verket samt från äldre externt analyserade prover. Efter analys av insamlad data antas orsakerna till Hallsberg ARV:s höga utsläpp av kväve bero på en kombination av flera faktorer: -Vid vår och höst kan brunnsslamintaget vara så stort att bräddning sker ut till verket. Detta leder till att kvävebelastningen höjs så kraftigt att nitrifierarna inte hinner acklimatisera sig och får förhöjda kväveutsläpp till följd. -Mycket kväve följer med slammet från simultanfällningen till rötningen. Detta kan påverka halten kväve i rejektet från rötkamrarna som i sin tur kan leda till störningar i kvävereningen. -Centrifugens rejekt innehåller mycket kväve och körs idag endast under ett par dagar i veckan vilket leder till stora variationer i inkommande kvävehalt. -En hög förfällning av fosfor och organiskt material har bidragit till en låg halt av organiskt material i denitrifikationen. Sammantaget föreslås att vidare studier bör genomföras av ovan nämnda områden för att driften på Hallsberg ARV ska kunna drivas med så låga miljömässiga och ekonomiska kostnader som möjligt. / The waste water treatment plant in Hallsberg municipal is situated adjacent to Hallsberg, with Ralaån as a recipient. The technique at the waste water treatment plant is based on the principles for a classical activated sludge treatment plant and includes mechanical treatment, chemical treatment, biological treatment, and a sludge treatment where the digestion of primary and secondary sludge is used for extraction of biogas. Hallsberg waste water treatment plant has during some time had problems with the nitrogen removal with high nitrogen emissions as a consequence. The target value has been exceeded a couple of times during the last years and in 2009 the limit value was exceeded as well. The target value for Hallsberg waste water treatment plant is 10 mgNH4-N/l as an average value per month, the limit value is set to 10 mg NH4-N/l, as an average value per year. Since the waste water treatment plant in Hallsberg not is operating at full capacity, a lowering of the nitrogen emissions is assumed to be possible though a trimming of the existing equipment and of the processes on the site. This assumption formed the basis for this thesis, designed to optimize the nitrogen removal at the waste water treatment plant in Hallsberg. A technical, economical and environmental evaluation was included in the optimization to improve the function of the plant. Extra evaluations were made in the energy- and chemical consumption in order to streamline the operations at the plant as much as possible. The project was carried out through an initial literature-investigation followed by a four week period of sampling and analyzing at the site. The data that form the conclusion in this project has also been collected through online measurements at the plant as well as through analyses of older samples. After analyzing the collected data, the reasons for the high emissions of nitrogen is thought to be due to a combination of reasons: -During the spring and the autumn the external intake of well sludge can lead to a direct release of sludge in to the plant. The change of nitrogen content will not give enough time for the nitrifying bacteria to acclimatize, with elevated emissions of nitrogen as a consequence. -The usage of simultaneous precipitation could lead to an irregular concentration of nitrogen released to the treatment plant from the digesters. This in turn could contribute to higher nitrogen emissions. -The irregularities of the usage of the centrifuge contribute to nitrogen irregularities and contribute to the difficulties of acclimatization of the nitrifying bacteria. -A high pre-precipitation of phosphorus and organic matter has contributed to a level of organic material in the denitrifikation below what is recommended. To sum up, further investigations are suggested in the above mentioned areas to make the operations at the plant carried trough at the lowest possible environmental and economically cost.

Nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater with application of Anammox process offers cost reduction, especially if it is combined with maximal use of organic content of wastewater for biogas production. In this study a new technology is proposed, which is based on ammonium concentration from municipal wastewater by ion exchange followed by biological removal of ammonium from the concentrated stream by partial nitritation/Anammox process. In experiments on ammonium concentration four the most common ion exchange materials were tested in packed bed columns, namely strong and weak acid cation exchange resins, natural and synthetic zeolites. Experiments with synthetic wastewaters with different content and municipal wastewater showed that strong acid cation resin is the most suitable for ammonium concentration from municipal wastewater due to its high exchange capacity and fast regeneration. Since NaCl was used for regeneration of ion exchange materials, spent regenerant had elevated salinity. Experiments with activity determination showed that both nitritation and Anammox bacteria are inhibited by NaCl, where effect on Anammox bacteria is more severe. Adaptation of partial nitritation/Anammox biomass was studied using two strategies of salinity increase and it was possible to adapt the biomass to NaCl content of 10-15 g/L. The technology was tested in batch mode using strong acid cation resin for ammonium concentration from pretreated municipal wastewater, and partial nitritation/Anammox biomass for nitrogen removal from concentrated stream. It was shown that it is possible to remove 99.9% of ammonium from wastewater with ion exchange while increasing concentration of ammonium in spent regenerant by 18 times. Up to 95% of nitrogen from spent regenerant was removed by partial nitritation/Anammox biomass in batch tests. Moreover, possibilities of integrati on of the technology into municipal wastewater treatment technology, challenges and advantages were discussed. / <p>QC 20140219</p>