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Grit is usually removed from sewage flow just prior to treatment by some type of grit chamber, often little more than a wide channel with a depressed trough to trap the grit. Three shapes of grit chamber troughs were studied in a model to determine which was the most efficient for the selective capture of grit. The model was constructed of wood, with plastic, interchangeable troughs, and was six inches wide by about ten feet long, including a three foot approach channel to the chamber. The three troughs were six inches deep with 2:1, side slopes and differed, therefore, only in bottom length. Trough 1 tapered to a point, Trough 2 had a four inch bottom length, and Trough 3 had an eight inch bottom length. Water from a town main was run through the apparatus at velocities varying from 0.11. to 0.8 fps and depths from 0.1 to 0.33 feet. Grit was added, as the flow entered the approach channel, through a funnel. Ordinary construction sand was used as grit after being sieved to obtain 0.1 and 0.2 mm diameter particles. When all the grit had been added the flow was stopped and all grit which had not passed the trough was removed and measured. This measurement when compared with the known amount of grit which was added produced a value of per cant grit passing the trough for each run. Trough 2, the medium length trough, was found to be relatively most efficient for the selective capture of grit. / Master of Science

The objective of this study was to examine the regrowth of E. coli and &. faecalis in chlorinated, secondary-treated sewage effluent using a continuous flow system. Regrowth was evaluated at varying chlorine contact times and chlorine residuals. In addition, chemical and physical characteristics of the sewage were evaluated in relation to regrowth. The results showed that while a 99% kill of E. coli could be achieved, regrowth always occurred regardless of the chlorine residual and contact time. S. faecalis never regrew in the chlorinated sewage. No single parameter could be identified as the most important in controlling the extent of regrowth. / Master of Science

The object of this was to investigation the effect of continuous mechanical mixing on the disinfection of settled domestic of settled domestic sewage with iodine. The variable investigated was the power input to the system which was a function of mixing intensity. Five experiments were run usfrtt a six-bladed turbine agitator in a fully baffled tank. The mixing intestines of the first three experiments were 0.292, 0.00748, and 0.0641 foot pounds per second per 1,000 gallons, respectively. The mixing was contInuous throughout the experiment. The last two experiments employed a mixing intensity of 0.000876 foot pounds per second per 1,000 gallons. Most Probably Number determinations of Escherichia coli were made at time intervals of 0, 0.5, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10 minutes respectively, for each experiment. All ten minute Iodine residuals were in the range of 1.70 to 1.80 parts per million. Alt experiments were conducted at 20 degrees centigrade. Similar rates of disinfection were obtained at mixing intestines of 0.292, 0.0641, and 0.00748 foot pounds per second per 1,000 gallons. The disinfection rate at 0.000876 foot pounds per 1,000 gallons was inferior to that of the previously mentioned rates. The following conclusions were made after comparing these results with a previous investigation. 1. Similar continuous mixing disinfection occurred in the range of power to volume ratio of 0.00748 to 148 foot pounds per second per 1,000 gallons. 2. Inferior continuous mixing disinfection·occurred at the power to volume ratio of 0.000876 foot pound per second per 1,000 gallons and under the condition of no mixing. 3. A system operating at the power to volume ratio of 0.00748 foot pounds per second per 1,000 gallons for one minute·appears to provide for complete blending of iodine with the sewage under the conditions of the present Investigation. The suggested power requirement is equivalent to 9.46 x 10⁻⁶ horsepower per million gallons per day. / Master of Science

The chlorine demand correlations, which exist in the settled domestic sewage at the V.P.I. Sewage Treatment Plant between the limits of one and seven ppm, of applied chlorine dosage were determined. / Master of Science

Thesis (M.Tech.)-Department of Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, 2006 xvi, 126 leaves / The microbial community present in a laboratory-scale modified Ludzack-Ettinger activated sludge system was investigated using a combination of novel molecular techniques. The parent system was investigated for a duration of one year and samples were taken at regular intervals to determine the profile and structure of the microbial community present within the anoxic and aerobic zones of the MLE system. The combination of molecular techniques included fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). FISH was performed using oligonucleotide probes, which were complementary to conserved regions of the rRNA for the alpha, beta and gamma subclasses of the gram negative family Proteobacteria as well as a group-specific HGC oligonucleotide probe as a representative of the gram positive actinomycetes branch. The total eubacteria present was determined using the EUB oligonucleotide probes, EUB388, EUB388-II and EUB388-III. The DGGE analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA gene segments was used to examine the microbial community profile in the anoxic and aerobic zones. The profile for each of the zones revealed a number of consistent bands throughout the duration of the laboratory-scale process. However, the profiles obtained suggested that a diverse microbial community existed within the aerobic and anoxic zones. The bands also indicated the presence of dominant and less dominant species of bacteria. Hybridisations obtained from the FISH analyses indicated that the alpha and gamma subclasses were predominant within the anoxic zone and the aerobic zone showed a dominance of the beta subclass of Proteobacteria. The steady state behaviour of the MLE system was confirmed with the results obtained from COD, TKN, nitrates and OUR analytical tests. COD and nitrogen mass balances were conducted to confirm the acceptance of the results obtained for each batch as an indication of the system performance for the MLE model. Nitrogen mass balances indicated an upset in the nitrogen levels for batches two and seven.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Biotechnology)-Dept. of Biotechnology, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 xiv, 114 leaves : ill. 30 cm / The activated sludge process is the mostl used biological treatment process. Engineers and microbiologists are constantly seeking ways to improve process efficiency, which can be attributed to the increasing demand for fresh water supplies and proper environmental management. Since the inception of the activated sludge process, bulking and foaming have been major problems affecting its efficiency. Filamentous bacteria have been identified as the primary cause of bulking and foaming. Numerous attempts have been made to resolve this problem. Some of these attempts were effective as interim measures but failed as long term control strategies. The identification of filamentous bacteria and the study of their physiology have been hampered by the unreliability of conventional microbiological techniques. This is largely due to their morphological variations and inconsistent characteristics within different environments. To fully understand their role in promoting bulking and foaming, filamentous bacteria need to be characterized on a molecular level. The aim of this study was, therefore, to identify filamentous bacteria in pure culture with the purpose of validating these findings to the physiological traits of the pure cultures when they were isolated. Fourteen different filamentous cultures were used for this study. The cultures were identified using specific oligonucleotide probes via fluorescent in situ hybridisation and nucleotide sequencing. Prior to sequencing, an agarose gel and a denaturing gradient gel Electrophoresis profile were determined for each isolate. The various techniques were optimised specifically for the filamentous isolates. The isolates were identified as Gordonia amarae, Haliscomenobacter hydrossis, Acinetobacter sp./Type 1863, Type 021N, Thiothrix nivea, Sphaerotilus natans and Nocardioform organisms.

Thesis (MScIng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recent years have seen the development of various treatment methods for the purification of industrial waste waters due to the increased demand for reduced pollutant effluents. Aqueous waste streams containing toxic organic compounds are of special interest, since conventional treatment methods such as biological waste treatment can not always be used. Other popular treatment methods are often ineffective. Catalytic oxidation of organic wastes has been investigated since the 1960s with varying degrees of success. A major problem associated with this method is the high temperatures and pressures required to improve the activation energies involved. Electrochemical oxidation has become a popular method in the literature of treating these wastes, since the applied voltage determines the activation energy, and therefore the process can often be performed at ambient conditions. This thesis investigates the capability of a unique reactor system in the treatment of these wastes. The reactor utilises proton-exchange membrane technology to eliminate the requirement of conductivity in treated waste streams; thus the membrane serves as a solid electrolyte. The reactor system has therefore been referred to as a solid-polymer-electrolyte reactor. Novel metal oxide anodes are responsible for the oxidation of the organic molecules. These metal oxide catalysts show promise in the treatment of a wide variety of organic wastes. A SnO2 catalyst doped with ZrO2 is used as anode in this study. Dopants are added to the catalyst to improve properties such as catalytic activity and conductivity. Kinetic data was obtained on a wide range of values for the chosen experimental parameters (current density and flow rate). Phenol, an organic molecule often referred to in the literature as model contaminant due to its resistance to oxidation,was also used as contaminant in this study. The use of the reactor system in the disinfection of water containing selected pathogens, were included in the experimental work. This kinetic data served in the development of a simple model of the process, and provided the basis for a full analysis regarding potential scale-up and economic feasibility. A requirement of the study was the accurate determination of the various oxidation breakdown products of phenol. This led to the refinement of an HPLC analytical method in order to quantitatively determine these products. The full analysis showed that the current reactor system would not be economically viable — mainly due to very long reactor lengths required for the complete removal of all organic material. Both mass transfer and charge transfer at the chosen experimental conditions influenced the electrochemical oxidation of phenol. High pressure drops, causing low flow rates in the reactor, accounted for this because of the narrow flow channels required in the reactor. Some catalyst deactivation was also suspected to affect the overall reaction, but the full extent of the deactivation was not investigated thoroughly. There is still room for improvement in the electrochemical oxidation of organic wastes. The design of the flow channels, a factor that was not investigated, can significantly improve efficiency. Another aspect that was not investigated was the catalyst type. The catalyst has been identified in the literature as the main contributing factor to the success of the oxidation reaction. A wide variety of metal oxide catalysts are currently being researched and may improve the kinetics of the process even further. Further improvement needs to be made on the membrane/electrode assembly to improve current density distribution. Every improvement of the process in terms of the reactor design and catalyst will impact on the economics of the process, thus making the process more competitive with current treatment technologies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die afgelope paar dekades, is daar ’n wye verskeidenheid metodes ontwikkel wat gebruik kan word om industri¨ele afvoer strome te behandel. Hierdie ontwikkeling het plaasgevind as gevolg van die verhoogde eis aan skoner afvoerstrome. Wateragtige afvoerstrome wat organiese verbindings bevat, is van besonderse belang omdat hierdie tipe strome soms besonders moeilik kan wees om te behandel. Gebruiklike metodes is in die meeste gevalle ongeskik vir behandelings-doeleindes. Katalitiese oksidasie is sedert die 1960’s gebruik, maar hierdie prosesse benodig dikwels ho¨e drukke en temperature om suksesvol te wees. Elektrochemiese oksidasie het intussen ’n populˆere behandelingsmetode geword, aangesien die aktiveringsenergie vir die oksidasieproses hoofsaaklik afhanklik is van die aangewende potensiaal en dus kan die proses by atmosferiese toestande gebruik word. In hierdie tesis word die geskiktheid van ’n unieke reaktorstelsel vir water-suiwering ondersoek. Die reaktor gebruik ’n proton-uitruilings-membraan om die behoefte vir konduktiwiteit in die water uit te skakel. Die membraan dien dus as ’n tipe soliede elektroliet en as gevolg hiervan word na die reaktorstelsel verwys as ’n soliede-polimeer-elektroliet reaktor. Nuwe metaal-oksied anodes word in die reaktor gebruik aangesien hulle belowende resultate toon in die oksidasie van organiese verbindings. In die navorsing, is ’n SnO2 katalis wat klein hoeveelhede ZrO2 bevat gebruik. Oksiede soos ZrO2 word dikwels gebruik om die aktiwiteit en konduktiwiteit van hierdie kataliste te bevorder. Kinetiese data is oor ’n wye bereik van parameter waardes ingesamel. Die hoof parameters in die eksperimentele werk was stroom digtheid en vloeitempo. Fenol, ‘n komponent wat volgens die literatuur in hierdie tipe van werk gebruik word, isas die besoedelende komponent gekies. Die doeltreffendheid van die reaktor in die ontsmetting van water, wat met ’n verskeidenheid skadelike mikro-organismes besmet is, is ook getoets. ‘n Eenvoudinge model is opgestel m.b.v. die kinetiese data, waarna ’n volledige analise met betrekking tot grootskaalse bedryf en ekonomiese uitvoerbaarheid gedoen is. ‘n Vereiste van die studie was om die konsentrasie van die afbreek-produkte van die oksidasie akkuraat vas te stel. As gevolg hiervan is ‘n ho¨e-druk-vloeistofchromatografie analitiese metode verfyn. Die analise het getoon dat die reaktorstelsel nie ekonomies sou wees nie. Een van die hoofredes hiervoor is die onrealistiese reaktorlengtes wat benodig sou word. Resultate het getoon dat die reaksie deur beide massa-oordrag en lading-oordrag be¨ınvloed word. Ho¨e drukvalle in die reaktor wat gelei het tot lae vloeitempo’s was hiervoor verantwoordelik. Die deaktivering van die katalis be¨ınvloed waarskynlik die reaksie, maar die deaktiveringsverskynsel is nie ten volle ondersoek nie. Die reaktorstelsel kan verder verbeter word deur verskeie elemente van die reaktor te ondersoek. Die ontwerp van die vloeikanale in die reaktor is nie ondersoek nie en kan die werksverrigting van die reaktor verhoog. Uit die literatuur is gevind dat die tipe metaaloksied wat as katalis gebruik word, die reaksie direk be¨ınvloed. Dus kan navorsing wat tans op die kataliste gedoen word nuwe kataliste na vore bring wat meer doeltreffend sal wees. Laastens, is die huidige membraan/elektrode samestelling nog oneffektief en kan die reaktor-opstelling dus nog verbeter word. Elke verbetering wat op die bogenoemde faktore van die reaktor ontwerp verkry word, sal die ekomoniese uitvoerbaarheid van die proses be¨ınvloed. So, sal die proses al meer kompeterend met huidige behandelingsmetodes word.

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy