Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-22T22:01:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Suzane Oliveira.pdf: 2048877 bytes, checksum: 869e28ee9b61636d46a277f139c576e3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-04-16 / It is essential that there is proper treatment of industrial wastewater before its release to the receiving body. Therefore, it is necessary to know which type of treatment to suit particular type of effluent generated, so that it can comply with the environmental regulations to prevent damage to the environment, such as water pollution. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of microorganisms to reduce the amount of organic matter (COD, BOD), nitrogen and phosphorus in an activated sludge system in an industry concentrates of non-alcoholic beverages during the period 2009 and 2010, featuring the effluent before and after analyzing the treatment, assessing also the major classes of microorganisms that participated in the process of removing nitrogen and phosphorus loads, BOD and COD, and statistically evaluate the process variables determining the ratio of the organic load factor / microorganisms. The physico-chemical analyzes were performed according to methods described in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th Edition (1998) and 21st Edition (2005). For data analysis techniques were used for statistical analysis of variance, and trend graphs and efficiency in order to check the possibility of optimizing the treatment. All data were tabulated and statistical methods were applied using Minitab software version 14.0. The results were analyzed using boxplots for the years 2009 and 2010, where there was greater removal efficiency for the parameters of color, COD, BOD and phosphorus. Correlated result Nitrogen ammonia versus Total Nitrogen, in which we observed greater efficiency in removing Total Nitrogen. Exploratory analysis of data for the two years studied show dendograms characterized by formation of groups have different type and characteristic result of the effluent generated during the production process in particular. The average efficiency station for removal of solids, COD, BOD, color, and phosphorus was 91%, 94%, 88%, 98% and 99% in 2009 and 95%, 95%, 95%, 99% and 98% in 2010, respectively, even with parameters ranging entry in the system was able to reduce them to values that met the legal requirements of CONAMA Resolution 357/2005. / É indispensável que haja o tratamento adequado dos efluentes industriais antes do seu lançamento ao corpo receptor. Para tanto, torna-se necessário saber qual tipo de tratamento se adequa a determinado tipo de efluente gerado, a fim de que se possa cumprir com a legislação ambiental vigente para evitar danos ao meio ambiente, como a poluição das águas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência dos microorganismos em reduzir a quantidade de matéria orgânica (DQO, DBO), nitrogênio e fósforo em um sistema de lodos ativados em uma indústria de concentrados de bebidas não alcoólicas durante o período de 2009 e 2010, caracterizando o efluente antes e analisando-o após o tratamento, avaliando também as principais classes de microorganismos que participaram do processo de remoção das cargas de Nitrogênio e Fósforo, DBO e DQO, e avaliar estatisticamente as variáveis do processo determinando a relação do fator carga orgânica/microorganismos. As análises físico-químicas foram realizadas segundo as metodologias descritas no Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th Edition (1998) and 21st Edition (2005). Para a análise dos dados usaram-se as técnicas estatísticas de análise de variâncias, além de gráficos de tendência e eficiência a fim de verificar a possibilidade de otimização do tratamento. Todos os dados foram tabulados e os métodos estatísticos foram aplicados usando programas do MINITAB versão 14.0. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados através de boxplots referentes aos anos de 2009 e 2010, onde observou-se maior eficiência de remoção para os parâmetros de cor, DQO, DBO e fósforo. Correlacionou-se resultado de Nitrogênio amoniacal versus Nitrogênio Total, no qual foi possível verificar maior eficiência em remoção de Nitrogênio Total. A análise exploratória dos dados relativos aos dois anos estudados mostram dendogramas caracterizados por ter a formação de grupos diferentes resultado do tipo e característica do efluente gerado pelo processo produtivo no período em específico. A eficiência média da estação para remoção de SST, DQO, DBO, cor e fósforo foi de 91%, 94%, 88%, 98% e 99% no ano de 2009 e 95%, 95%, 95%, 99% e 98% no ano de 2010, respectivamente, mesmo com parâmetros variando na entrada o sistema foi capaz de reduzi-los a valores que atendessem aos requisitos legais da Resolução CONAMA 357/2005.

published_or_final_version / Civil and Structural Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

High nitrogen discharge from the municipal wastewater is a major concern for the South Australian Government, primarily due to negative impacts on the marine environment. Therefore, under the South Australian Environmental Improvement Program, (SA EIP), all metropolitan wastewater treatment plants have been reconfigured to achieve enhanced nitrogen removal. Secondary treatment (denitrification process) at the metropolitan wastewater treatment plants must be optimised to meet the discharge guideline of 10 mg/L total nitrogen. However, secondary treatment at some plants is carbon limited (low C/N ratio), and external carbon supplementation is required to meet this discharge guideline. Molasses provides the current external carbon source at two plants. It is relatively inexpensive, but other carbon sources, particularly industrial waste streams, may be more attractive, due to the potentially lower material cost, as it is practically free, and environmentally friendly. Potato starch and sonicated return activated sludge (RAS) were considered. In this study, the bioavailability of the soluble carbon in potato starch and ultrasound treated RAS were assessed. The associated objective was to investigate the potential of both carbon sources as an external carbon donor for the denitrification zone of wastewater treatment plants to economically improve biological nitrogen removal. The economic analysis was performed using mainly United States dollars and the fixed capital investments and total capital costs were converted to Australian dollars. This was due to the United States dollars currency quotes obtained for the materials and unit operations required. SCOD from the three sources was quantified and preliminary results were presented. Molasses provided the highest SCOD release of 1.1285 x 10⁶ mg-SCOD/L, sonicated RAS produced 5.6 to 68.4 times the SCOD release of the untreated RAS (35.6 mg-SCOD/L) depending on the ultrasound intensity and treatment time, while the highest soluble carbon release obtained using potato starch was 809 mg-SCOD/L (using 20.9 g/100 mL potato starch concentration). Based on the experimental SCOD results, batch denitrification tests using the proposed carbon sources were carried out. The nitrogen removal efficiency at low dose (12.48 mg-SCOD/L) using molasses, potato starch and sonicated RAS were 77.54%, 57.24%, and 72.76% respectively, whilst at high dose (124.80 mg-SCOD/L) were 94.04%, 66.32%, and 92.10% correspondingly. In similar order of the proposed carbon sources, the nitrate removal rates for the first phase denitrification with low dose were 1.44, 1.16, and 1.18 mg-NO₃ − /h respectively, whilst the nitrate removal rate of the first phase denitrification with high dose improved to 2.01, 1.26, and 1.96 mg-NO₃ −/h correspondingly. From the denitrification test results, molasses proved to be the optimal carbon source in terms of nitrate removal. However sonicated RAS possesses similar denitrification performance and may be a suitable alternative. An economic analysis for sonicated RAS Option 2 confirmed it as the most viable substitute. The time to recover the initial investment (payback period) is approximately 6.5 years and the breakeven point is approximately 8 years. Both denitrification tests and economic analyses demonstrate that sonicated RAS may be a viable and attractive substitute for the molasses. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1337059 / Thesis (M.Eng.Sc.) - University of Adelaide, School of Chemical Engineering, 2008

High nitrogen discharge from the municipal wastewater is a major concern for the South Australian Government, primarily due to negative impacts on the marine environment. Therefore, under the South Australian Environmental Improvement Program, (SA EIP), all metropolitan wastewater treatment plants have been reconfigured to achieve enhanced nitrogen removal. Secondary treatment (denitrification process) at the metropolitan wastewater treatment plants must be optimised to meet the discharge guideline of 10 mg/L total nitrogen. However, secondary treatment at some plants is carbon limited (low C/N ratio), and external carbon supplementation is required to meet this discharge guideline. Molasses provides the current external carbon source at two plants. It is relatively inexpensive, but other carbon sources, particularly industrial waste streams, may be more attractive, due to the potentially lower material cost, as it is practically free, and environmentally friendly. Potato starch and sonicated return activated sludge (RAS) were considered. In this study, the bioavailability of the soluble carbon in potato starch and ultrasound treated RAS were assessed. The associated objective was to investigate the potential of both carbon sources as an external carbon donor for the denitrification zone of wastewater treatment plants to economically improve biological nitrogen removal. The economic analysis was performed using mainly United States dollars and the fixed capital investments and total capital costs were converted to Australian dollars. This was due to the United States dollars currency quotes obtained for the materials and unit operations required. SCOD from the three sources was quantified and preliminary results were presented. Molasses provided the highest SCOD release of 1.1285 x 10⁶ mg-SCOD/L, sonicated RAS produced 5.6 to 68.4 times the SCOD release of the untreated RAS (35.6 mg-SCOD/L) depending on the ultrasound intensity and treatment time, while the highest soluble carbon release obtained using potato starch was 809 mg-SCOD/L (using 20.9 g/100 mL potato starch concentration). Based on the experimental SCOD results, batch denitrification tests using the proposed carbon sources were carried out. The nitrogen removal efficiency at low dose (12.48 mg-SCOD/L) using molasses, potato starch and sonicated RAS were 77.54%, 57.24%, and 72.76% respectively, whilst at high dose (124.80 mg-SCOD/L) were 94.04%, 66.32%, and 92.10% correspondingly. In similar order of the proposed carbon sources, the nitrate removal rates for the first phase denitrification with low dose were 1.44, 1.16, and 1.18 mg-NO₃ − /h respectively, whilst the nitrate removal rate of the first phase denitrification with high dose improved to 2.01, 1.26, and 1.96 mg-NO₃ −/h correspondingly. From the denitrification test results, molasses proved to be the optimal carbon source in terms of nitrate removal. However sonicated RAS possesses similar denitrification performance and may be a suitable alternative. An economic analysis for sonicated RAS Option 2 confirmed it as the most viable substitute. The time to recover the initial investment (payback period) is approximately 6.5 years and the breakeven point is approximately 8 years. Both denitrification tests and economic analyses demonstrate that sonicated RAS may be a viable and attractive substitute for the molasses. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1337059 / Thesis (M.Eng.Sc.) - University of Adelaide, School of Chemical Engineering, 2008

Submitted by Morgana Andrade (morgana.andrade@ufes.br) on 2016-06-30T14:35:29Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Larissa Cabral Milen.pdf: 666421 bytes, checksum: 48d74190c050473dfe1b7d32a9089ebb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Patricia Barros (patricia.barros@ufes.br) on 2016-07-11T19:05:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Larissa Cabral Milen.pdf: 666421 bytes, checksum: 48d74190c050473dfe1b7d32a9089ebb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-11T19:05:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Larissa Cabral Milen.pdf: 666421 bytes, checksum: 48d74190c050473dfe1b7d32a9089ebb (MD5) / CAPES / A disposição de águas residuárias no solo é um método de tratamento que envolve mecanismos físicos, químicos e biológicos na remoção da carga orgânica e nutrientes contidos no efluente. Entre as técnicas de disposição no solo tem-se o escoamento superficial em rampas vegetadas, que se baseia na capacidade depuradora do sistema solo-planta para a remoção dos poluentes. Diante do exposto, objetivou-se com a realização deste trabalho estudar os efeitos da aplicação de esgoto doméstico bruto na produção e teor de nutrientes minerais em duas espécies de forrageiras adaptadas ao cultivo no outono/inverno. O experimento foi conduzido na área experimental do Centro de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (CCA-UFES) e montado no esquema de parcelas sub-subdivididas 2 x 2 x 3, sendo nas parcelas espécies de forrageiras em dois níveis: aveia preta (Avena strigosa Schreb.) e azevém (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), nas subparcelas taxas de aplicação de efluentes em dois níveis: 50 e 100 kg/ha/dia de demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO5) e nas subsubparcelas seções da rampa de tratamento em três níveis: terço superior, terço intermediário e terço inferior, em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições. O plantio das forrageiras foi feito em rampas de tratamento de 3,0 x 0,9 x 0,25 metros (comprimento, largura e profundidade), dispostas a uma declividade de 5%. As rampas foram preenchidas com um solo retirado do perfil natural de um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo. O material vegetal foi cortado após 30 dias de aplicação do efluente e encaminhado para o laboratório onde foi determinada massa seca e determinação dos teores foliares de nutrientes. De acordo com os resultados obtidos conclui-se que não houve efeito significativo para as variáveis analisadas na interação forrageira x taxa x seções da rampa. A aveia preta apresentou maior produção em massa seca, e obteve resposta positiva em relação ao aumento da taxa de esgoto doméstico aplicada; por sua vez, o azevém apresentou maior absorção de nutrientes, com exceção para o fósforo e manganês. A menor taxa de efluente aplicada proporcionou incremento no teor da maior parte dos nutrientes pelas forrageiras. No geral, as plantas apresentaram maior produção nas primeiras seções da rampa de tratamento, no entanto, este comportamento não foi observado no teor de todos os nutrientes. / The disposal of wastewater in the soil is a treatment method that involves physical, chemical and biological mechanisms in the removal of organic load and nutrients in the wastewater. Among the techniques disposal in the soil has the superficial runoff in vegetated ramps, based on the scrubbing capacity of the plant-soil system for the removal of pollutants. Given the above, the aim with this work was to study the effects of the application of raw domestic sewage in the production and content of the minerals nutrients in two grass species adapted to cultivation in the fall/winter. The experiment was conducted at experimental area of the CCAUFES and mounted on the sub-plot scheme 2 x 2 x 3 subdivided, and forage species in the plots of at two levels: black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), the subplots application rates of effluent on two levels: 50 and 100 kg/ha/day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and the sub-subplots of the ramp sections treatment at three levels: upper, middle and lower third, in a completely randomized with five replications. The planting of forage was done on the ramps of 3.0 x 0.9 x 0.25 meters (length, width and depth), disposed at a slope of 5%. The ramps were filled with soil taken from the natural profile of a Red-Yellow. The plant material was cut after 30 days of application of effluent and sent to the laboratory where it was determined dry mass and of foliar nutrients concentrations. According to the results it was concluded that there was no significant effect for any variable in interaction rate x forage x sections of the ramp. The oats showed higher dry matter production, and obtained positive response regarding the increasing rate of applied sewage; turn ryegrass showed higher absorption of nutrients, except for phosphorus and manganese. The lowest rate applied effluent provided an increase in the concentration of most of the nutrients by the forage. Overall, the plants showed higher production in the first sections of the ramp treatment, however, this behavior was not observed in the levels of all nutrients .

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-12-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:55:52Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 paulino_cz_me_araca.pdf: 323136 bytes, checksum: 6854d586f088791d23b4e269a253d293 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Rubrivivax gelatinosus é uma Bactéria Púrpura Não Sulfurosa (BPNS) que apresenta a capacidade de realizar a biorremediação de águas residuárias e, ao mesmo tempo, produzir pigmentos carotenóides. Os objetivos desse estudo foram a caracterização da curva de crescimento da bactéria no efluente de abatedouro avícola em nível de 1% (v/v) de inóculo, a determinação da produtividade do processo de obtenção de biomassa e a avaliação da capacidade de remoção da Demanda Química Oxigênio do processo. R. gelatinosus apresentou maior crescimento no oitavo dia de cultivo (Absorvância = 1.177; peso-seco = 0.18 g l-1), produtividade de 0.085 g biomassa (massa seca) l-1 d-1 e uma redução de 91% na DQO do efluente de abatedouro avícola. / Purple nonsulfur phototrophic bacterium Rubrivivax gelatinosus was used to promote the bioremediation of poultry slaugtherhouse wastewater. The aims of this study were to characterize the bacterium growth curve in that effluent at 1% (v/v) inoculum level, to determine the productivity of the biomass production process and to evaluate the Chemical Oxygen Demand removal activity of the process. R. gelatinosus showed the highest growth on the 8th day of cultivation (Absorbance = 1.177; Dry weight = 0.18 g l-1), productivity was around 0.085 g biomass (dry weight) l-1 d-1 and the COD of the poultry slaugtherhouse wastewater decreased in 91%.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:09:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2928443 bytes, checksum: 37e82db316e259923fdc5e5e21f98116 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The water is usually classified as a renewable natural resource in quantity but not quality. The quality and quantity of it, will depend on how the man uses, but it is known that the man often uses this resource in an inappropriate way, causing often irreversible damage. The Tambay river is located in the city of Bayeux, state of Paraiba - Brazil, used in some places as municipal boundary between the towns of Bayeux and Santa Rita, with its river mouth located in the town of Bayeux in Paroeiras river and its source in the same town in the district of Alto da Boa Vista. This river has a length of approximately 3.51 km from the mouth to the source. Nearby its mouth river there is the dam of Santo Amaro, which years ago had breached its spillway and now appear as two distinct bodies of water. Water pollution originates from various sources, among which stand out domestic effluent, industrial effluents, the urban and agricultural runoff surface and is therefore associated with the use type and land occupation. It was observed that the population living around the basin using the river water for different uses such as irrigation, watering the animals, eviction of effluents, solid waste disposal, recreation, among others. To perform the research, some parameters were analyzed: pH, turbidity, color, total dissolved solids, nitrite, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and thermotolerant coliform. The results of this analysis were compared with the values allowed by the CONAMA Resolution number 357/2005, to Class II river. It is observed that the parameters nitrite, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, thermotolerant coliform, behaved mostly above those permitted by the above resolution. Organic pollution of a watercourse can be evaluated by the decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration and / or the concentration of organic matter in terms of concentration of oxygen needed to oxidize it. Dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and thermotolerants coliforms were used as parameters to evaluate the self-purification of Tambay river. Evaluations were made of organic pollution profile through water sampling conducted over a period of one year and five months and were identified the areas of self-purification, over the course of the river, where it was possible to correlate DO with the BOD, but according with the results, Tambay river is in poor condition, silted, very polluted and unable to self-purify. / A água é comumente classificada como um recurso natural renovável em quantidade, mas não em qualidade. Tanto a qualidade quanto a quantidade da mesma vão depender da forma que o homem a usa, embora seja sabido que o homem utiliza muito esse recurso de forma inadequada, causando danos muitas vezes irreversíveis. O Rio Tambay está localizado no município de Bayeux, Estado da Paraíba - Brasil, servindo em alguns pontos como limite intermunicipal entre os municípios de Bayeux e Santa Rita, tendo a sua foz localizada na cidade de Bayeux no Rio Paroeiras e a sua nascente no mesmo município, no bairro Alto da Boa Vista. O referido rio tem extensão de aproximadamente 3,51 km da nascente à foz. Este trabalho tem como objetivo geral avaliar o processo de autodepuração do Rio Tambay na cidade de Bayeux Paraíba/Brasil, utilizando-se como parâmetros de qualidade da água o oxigênio dissolvido (OD) e a demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO5). Nas proximidades da nascente existe o Açude Santo Amaro, que há alguns anos teve seu vertedouro rompido e, atualmente, apresentam-se como dois corpos d água distintos. A poluição das águas origina-se de várias fontes, dentre as quais se destacam os efluentes domésticos, os efluentes industriais, o deflúvio superficial urbano e agrícola estando, portanto, associada ao tipo de uso e ocupação do solo. Observou-se que a população residente na bacia utiliza a água do rio para os mais diversos usos, tais como: irrigação, dessedentação de animais, despejos de efluentes, descarte de resíduos sólidos, lazer, dentre outros. Para realização da pesquisa alguns parâmetros foram analisados: pH, turbidez, cor, sólidos totais dissolvidos, nitrito, nitrato, oxigênio dissolvido, demanda bioquímica de oxigênio e coliformes termotolerantes. Os parâmetros OD, DBO5 e coliformes foram utilizados para avaliar e identificar as zonas de autodepuração do rio em estudo. Para tanto foram construídos perfis sanitários ao longo do curso do rio, contudo foi possível correlacionar os parâmetros citados. Os resultados obtidos dessas análises foram comparados com os valores máximos permitidos pela Resolução no 357/2005 do Conselho Nacional de Meio Ambiente - CONAMA, para Rio de Águas Doce - Classe II, na qual está inserido o rio Tambay. Observa-se que os parâmetros nitrito, nitrato, oxigênio dissolvido, demanda bioquímica de oxigênio, coliformes termotolerantes, se comportaram na maioria das vezes acima do valor permitido pela Resolução supracitada. A poluição orgânica de um curso d água pode ser avaliada pelo decréscimo da concentração de oxigênio dissolvido e/ou pela concentração de matéria orgânica em termos de concentração de oxigênio necessário para oxidá-la. O oxigênio dissolvido (OD), a demanda bioquímica do oxigênio (DBO5) e os coliformes termotolerantes foram utilizados como parâmetros para avaliar a autodepuração do Rio Tambay. Foram feitas avaliações do perfil de poluição orgânica através de coletas de água realizada num período de um ano e cinco meses e foram identificadas as zonas de autodepuração, ao longo do curso do rio, onde foi possível correlacionar o OD com a DBO5. De acordo com os resultados obtidos o Rio Tambay encontra-se em péssimo estado, assoreado, bastante poluído e sem condições de se autodepurar.

The purpose of this Bachelor thesis was to establish a method for determining the chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractionation in wastewater from cruise liners. COD fractions of interest were soluble biodegradable (SS), particulate biodegradable (XS), soluble unbiodegradable (SI) and particulate unbiodegradable (XI). Three types of wastewater (gray water, black water and permeate) were analysed and a method with a physiochemical approach was established. The method was originally elaborated by Jun Wu et al in the study “Wastewater COD biodegradability fractionated by simple physical–chemical analysis” (2014) Chemical Engineering Journal[ES1] [JB2]  258, p 450-459. The method was also used for comparison reasons of the COD fractionation in permeate before and after advanced treatment with nanofiltration and ozonation. Total COD in permeate was almost half of the initial value after nanofiltration and XI was eliminated. After ozonation no significant difference was observed neither in total COD concentration or fractionation pattern. The conclusion is that this method to determine the COD fractions has potential but it needs further optimization in form of adjusting the methods matrix specifically based on wastewater from cruise liners. / NAUTEK

No description available.

Although the A-stage high-rate activated sludge (HRAS) process destroys some of the chemical energy present in municipal wastewater, this process has been gaining attention as a viable technology for achieving energy neutrality at water resource recovery facilities. In addition to carbon capture for energy recovery, A-stages are also being utilized upstream of shortcut biological nitrogen removal (BNR) processes as these BNR processes often require a controlled influent carbon to nitrogen ratio that is lower than required for conventional BNR processes. While there is extensive knowledge on conventional activated sludge processes, including process controllers and activated sludge models, there has been little detailed research on the carbon removal mechanisms of A-stage processes operated at solids retention times (SRT) less than about one day. The overall objective of this study was to elucidate the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal mechanisms of short SRT activated sludge processes with a specific focus on the removal of the different COD fractions under varying operating conditions including dissolved oxygen, hydraulic retention time, temperature, and SRT. Once understood, automatic process control logic was developed with the purpose of producing the influent characteristics required for emerging shortcut BNR processes and capturing the remaining COD with the intent of redirecting it to an energy recovery process. To investigate the removal and assimilation of readily biodegradable substrate (SS), this study evaluated a respirometric method to estimate the SS and active heterotrophic biomass (XH) fractions of the raw wastewater influent and effluent of an A-stage pilot process. The influent SS values were comparable to the SS values determined using a physical-chemical method, but the effluent values did not correlate well. This led to the measurement of the heterotrophic aerobic yield coefficient and decay rate of the pilot process. The yield coefficient was estimated to be 0.79±0.02 gCOD/gCOD, which was higher than the accepted value of 0.67 g/g. It was speculated that the batch respirometry tests resulted in the aerobic storage of SS and this likely contributed to the error associated with the determination of SS and XH. Therefore, physical-chemical fractionation methods were used to determine the removal of the individual COD fractions. It was concluded that the SRT was the primary control parameter and below a 0.5 day SRT the dominate COD removal mechanisms were assimilation and oxidation of readily degradable substrate and sedimentation of particulate matter. At SRTs between 0.5-1 days, COD removal became a function of hydrolysis, as adsorption of particulate and colloidal matter was maximized but not complete because of limited adsorption sites. Once adequate adsorption sites were available, effluent quality became dependent on the efficiency of bioflocculation and solids separation. While the SRT of the pilot process could not be directly controlled because of severe biofouling issues when using in situ sensors, a MLSS-based SRT controller was successfully implemented instead. The controller was able to reduce total COD removal variation in the A-stage by 90%. This controller aslo provided the capability to provide a consistent carbon to nitrogen ratio to the downstream B-stage pilot process. To ascertain the settling, dewaterability, and digestibility of the sludge produced by the pilot A-stage process, several standardized and recently developed methods were conducted. The results from these tests indicated that the A-stage had similar dewaterability and digestibility characteristics to primary sludge with average achievable cake solids of 34.3±0.4% and average volatile solids reduction (VSR) of 82±4%. The A-stage sludge also had an average specific methane yield of 0.45±0.06 m3CH4/kgVS. These results were attributed to low extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) content. However, further research is needed to better quantify EPS and determine the effect of HRAS operating parameters on EPS production. Overall the A/B pilot study was able to capture 47% of the influent COD as waste sludge while only oxidizing 45% of the influent COD. Of the COD captured, the A-stage contributed over 70% as dry solids. Coupled with high sludge production, VSR, and methane yield the A/B process was able to generate 10-20% more biogas and 10-20% less dry solids after anaerobic digestion than a comparable single-sludge BNR process. / Ph. D.