Thesis (MTech (Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009. / This project was started as a result of strict environmental and health regulations together with a demand for cost effective operation of wastewater treatment plants (WNTPs). The main aim of this project is how to keep effluent concentration below a prescribed limit at the lowest possible cost Due to large fluctuations in the quality and quantity of the influent concentrations, traditional control methods are not adequate to achieve this aim The major drawback with these methods is that the disturbances affect the process before the controller has time to correct the error (Olsson and Newell, 1999: 454). This problem IS addressed through the use of modern control systems Modern control systems are model based predictive algorithms arranged as feed-forward controllers (Olsson and Newell, 1999: 454) Normally a controller is equipped with a constant set point; the goal In this project IS to calculate an optimal DO trajectory that may be sampled to provide a varying optimal set-point for the Activated Sludge Process. In this project an optimal control problem is formulated usmq 00 concentration as a control variable This requires a model of the process to be controlled, a mathematical expressions of the limitations on the process input and output variables and finally the objective functional which consists of the objectives of the control. The structures of the Benchmark plant (developed within the COST 682 working group) and the Athlone WWTPs are used to implement this optimal control strategy in MATLAB, The plant's full models are developed based on the mass balance principle incorporating the activated sludge biological models. ASM1, ASM2 ASM2d and ASM3 (developed by the IWA. working groups) To be able to develop a method that may later on be used ~or online control. the full models are reduced based on the technique in Lukasse (1996) To ensure that the reduced models keep the same prediction capabilities as the full models paran-eters of the reduced models are calculated based on the Least Squares principle. The formulated optimal control problem IS solved based on the decomposition-coordination method that involves time decomposition 111 a two layer structure, MATLAB software is developed to solve the problems for parameter estimation full and reduced model simulation and optimal control calculation for the considered different cases of plant structures and biological models, The obtained optimal DO trajectories produced the effluent state trajectories within prescribed requirements. These DO trajectories may be implemented in different SCADA systems to be tracked as set points or desired trajectories by different types of controllers.

Thesis (MTech (Biomedical Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are designed to remove/decrease conventional pollution parameters from the wastewater influent, so that the final effluent (run off) does not compromise the receiving surface water source. However, as hospital and clinical effluent may form part of the initial influent at a WWTP, bacteria may be exposed to various antibiotics or pharmaceuticals throughout the various stages of primary, secondary and tertiary processes utilised to remove or reduce the level of pollutants. Numerous studies have then indicated that WWTPs have become potential reservoirs for antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and due to ineffective treatment practices, antibiotics are being released into the environment. Consequently, research has shown that relatively low concentrations of these compounds still promotes the development of bacterial resistance, which potentiates the rapid spread of ARB in the environment. The primary aim of this study was thus to identify and trace the antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) throughout the Stellenbosch WWTP. This was done in order to determine the persistance of the ARB organisms at the various stages of treatment and to ascertain which identification and antibiotic resistance detection methods are ideal for the routine application and detection of these organisms. / National Research Foundation

(DTech (Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009. / The problem for effective and optimal control of wastewater treatment plants is very important recently because of the increased requirements to the quality of the effluent. The activated sludge process is a type of wastewater process characterized with complex dynamics and because of this proper control design and implementation strategies are necessary and important for its operation. Since the early seventies, when a major leap forward was made by the widespread introduction of dissolved oxygen control, little progress has been made. The most critical phase in the solution of any control problem is the modelling stage. The primary building block of any modern control exercise is to construct and identify a model for the system to be controlled. The existing full Activated Sludge Model 1 (ASM1) and especially University of Cape Town (UCT) models of the biological processes in the activated sludge process, called in the thesis biological models, are highly complex because they are characterised with a lot of variables that are difficult to be measured on-line, complex dependencies and nonlinear interconnections between the biological variables, many kinetic parameters that are difficult to be determined, different time scales for the process dynamics. The project considers reduction of the impact of the complexity of the process model over the methods for control design and proposes a solution to the above difficulties by development of a reduced model with small number of variables, but still with the same characteristics as the original full model for the purposes of real time control design. Then the research problem can be stated in the following way: To develop mathematical methods, algorithms and programmes for transformation of the complex biological and mass balance models of the activated sludge process into simpler reduced models of the process convenient to be used for optimal parameter estimation, control design and control implementation in real- time.

Waste is not only harmful to the environment alone but it is also a threat to human health and as such its proper management becomes critical. This study which adopted a qualitative approach focused on the review of policies for sustainable solid waste management service in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in an effort to seek what the municipality’s Solid Waste Department should consider in ensuring that all the communities live in a litter free, clean and healthy environment, and ensure that such a service is received by all communities within its jurisdiction. The most sustainable solid waste management strategy would be to adopt the solid waste hierarchy of promoting waste minimisation, re-use, recycling, waste treatment and disposal as the last resort.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The Bottelary River area is located in a Mediterranean climate region, where the agricultural sector plays an important role. During the dry summer season, there is not enough precipitation to meet the agricultural irrigation requirements. Some farmers extract river water which is practically the final treated effluent from the Scottsdene Wastewater Treatment Works to irrigate crops. This research investigated the use of treated effluent for agricultural irrigation in this area, particularly focused on the effluent quality, farmers perception, and the potential extent. / South Africa

This study documents that external and internal forces were causes of change at VCWTP. External forces caused. Fort Worth to reorganize and introduce new management at VCWTP after 1982. These improvements led to VCWTP being selected best managed wastewater treatment plant in the nation by EPA in 1988. This study first analyzes external and internal forces responsible for changes at VCWTP. A history of plant operations also is reviewed. Personnel interviews were conducted of perceptions of employees. Finally, statistics obtained of the plant operation from 1969 to 1988 are compared with personal interviews. Five forces effect change at VCWTP; population, regulatory requirements, political conflicts, an organizational and managerial factors. Turnaround occurred as external and internal corrections were made.

Ph.D. (Chemistry) / Phosphorus in the form of phosphate needs to be removed from the aqueous environment as it is primarily responsible for eutrophication of water bodies. In an attempt to limit the discharged of phosphorus into the aqueous environment, the phosphate discharge limits for wastewater treatment plants have been decreased. These limits are not easily or economically met by current phosphorus removal technologies. In addition phosphorus is a non-renewable resource. To ensure the ongoing quality of water bodies and security of food production it is vital that phosphate in water be removed and recovered. In order to address these issues, novel hybrid metal oxide ion exchange resins based on Fe(III), Cu(II), Mn(IV and Ti(IV) oxides have been prepared and their phosphate adsorption characteristics determined.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:20:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_andrea_vilar.pdf: 887797 bytes, checksum: ea9c7cffa914ff47506cd955125f7a3d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-13 / The main environmental impacts caused by the dairy industries are related to discharge of liquid effluents, usually without any kind of control or treatment. The dairy effluent is characterized by high content of organic matter, being important the implementation of techniques for its effective treatment and low cost. This study aims to evaluate the performance of a flotation column operating in batch for the pre-treatment of a dairy effluent. The first step was to investigate the processes of flocculation / sedimentation and flotation of a synthetic dairy effluent in the isoelectric point. This was prepared by the addition of milk powder to water under mechanical stirring, to obtain a homogeneous suspension. It was used a milk concentration of 6.5% (w/v), aiming simulate the characteristics of a real effluent. The optimal condition of flocculation was determined using a jar test by the addition of an aqueous solution of HCl 1:10 (v/v). Settling tests using the flocculated suspension were performed in duplicate through the observation of the displacement of flocs along the time. Flocs density was evaluated through centrifugal technique and the flocs diameter was determined according equations that describe the flocculent systems fluidodynamic. Flotation test was carried out in a column operating in batch. The optimal condition of flocculation was observed at pH 4.0, with a flocs recovery efficiency of 88% in the jar test. Settling tests showed that after 15 minutes flocs had already reached the compactation region, being observed a stabilization of the sediment height. Settling maximum velocity was similar for both experiments, with values of 0.97 cm/min and 0.84 cm/min. Density and flocs diameter were 1,016±0,012 g/cm3 and 275 mm, respectively, and the solids recovery efficiency was 93%, demonstrating the efficiency of the flocculation/sedimentation process for primary treatment of a flocculated synthetic dairy effluent. Moreover, flotation was not satisfactory, with a effluent sedimentation in the flotation column. In the second stage of work was used an industrial dairy effluent (obtained from cheese processing) from a small industry located in the agreste region of Pernambuco State. Physical-chemical characterization of effluent was made to determine the contents of protein, ash, lipids, carbohydrates and pH. The effluent had approximately 5 g/100mL carbohydrates, 0.8 g/100mL of proteins and lipids of 0.6 g/100mL and pH 5.0. The visual observation of flocs formation in the range pH 2,5 to pH 5,5 was not possible. A factorial design was used to evaluate the efficiency of the flotation column to remove the COD content, and the variables investigated were pH and air flow. The maximum removal of COD (70%) was achieved for an air flow of 1.362 mL/min, while pH was not statistically significant. Flotation efficiency reaches 76% in the presence of a flocculating agent in a concentration of 0.1%. The effluent showed low hydrophobicity, isoelectric point at pH 4.0 and mean particle diameter of 0.43mm. Experimental data were fitted satisfactorily to a first-order kinetic model / Os principais impactos ambientais causados pelas indústrias de laticínios estão relacionados ao lançamento dos efluentes líquidos, geralmente sem nenhum tipo de controle ou tratamento. O efluente lácteo é caracterizado pelo elevado teor de matéria orgânica, sendo de fundamental importância a implementação de técnicas de tratamento eficazes e de baixo custo. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar o desempenho de uma coluna de flotação operando em batelada para o pré-tratamento de um efluente lácteo. A primeira etapa consistiu em investigar os processos de floculação/sedimentação e flotação de um efluente lácteo sintético em seu ponto isoelétrico. Este foi preparado pela adição de leite em pó à água, sob agitação mecânica, de maneira a obter-se uma suspensão homogênea. Foi utilizada uma concentração de leite de 6,5% (p/v), visando simular as características de um efluente real. A condição ótima de floculação foi determinada através do teste de jarro pela adição de uma solução aquosa de HCl na proporção de 1:10 (v/v). Testes de sedimentação da suspensão na condição ótima de floculação foram realizados em duplicata por meio da observação do deslocamento da altura de flocos em função do tempo. A densidade dos flocos foi avaliada por meio da técnica de centrifugação e o diâmetro dos flocos foi determinado de acordo com equações que descrevem a fluidodinâmica de sistemas floculentos. O ensaio de flotação foi realizado em uma coluna operando em batelada. A condição ótima de floculação foi observada a pH 4,0, sendo obtida uma eficiência de recuperação dos flocos de 88% no teste de jarro. Os ensaios de sedimentação demonstraram que após cerca de 15 minutos os flocos já atingiam a região de compactação, sendo observada uma estabilização da altura do sedimento. A velocidade máxima de sedimentação observada foi semelhante para ambos os experimentos, com valores de 0,97 cm/min e 0,84 cm/min. A densidade e o diâmetro médio dos flocos foram de 1,016±0,012 g/cm3 e 275 mm, respectivamente, e o percentual de recuperação dos sólidos foi de 93%, demonstrando a eficiência do processo de floculação/sedimentação para o tratamento primário de efluente lácteo sintético floculado. Por outro lado, a flotação não foi satisfatória, sendo observada a sedimentação dos flocos na coluna de flotação. Na segunda etapa do trabalho foi utilizado um efluente lácteo industrial (soro de queijo), obtido de uma pequena indústria localizada no Agreste pernambucano. A caracterização físico-química do efluente foi realizada em termos do teor de proteínas, cinzas, lipídios, carboidratos e pH. O efluente apresentou aproximadamente 5 g/100mL de carboidratos, 0,8 g/100mL de proteínas e 0,6 g/100mL de lipídios e um pH igual a 5,0. Não foi possível a observação visual de formação de flocos variando-se o pH da suspensão entre 2,5 e 5,5. Um Vilar, A.C. Utilização da flotação em coluna para o tratamento de efluente da indústria Láctea planejamento fatorial foi empregado para avaliar a eficiência da coluna de flotação na remoção da DQO do efluente, tendo como variáveis o pH e a vazão de ar do sistema. A máxima remoção de DQO (70%) foi atingida para uma vazão de ar de 1.362 mL/min, enquanto que o pH não apresentou-se como uma variável significativa. A eficiência de flotação atinge 76% na presença de um floculante catiônico a uma concentração de 0,1%. O efluente apresentou baixa hidrofobicidade, ponto isoelétrico a pH 4,0 e diâmetro médio de partícula de 0,43 mm. Os dados experimentais foram ajustados de maneira satisfatória a um modelo cinético de primeira ordem

According to valid legislation inorganic substance determination will be analyzed in the sludges withdrawn from the Modrice sewage disposal plant. Based on gained results subsumption of the sludge into categories will be carried out and method of their use will be suggested.

Gefährliche Stoffe gelangen durch Abwässer aus Haushalten, Industrie und Landwirtschaft in Kläranlagen. Während der mechanisch-biologischen Abwasserbehandlung in konventionellen Kläranlagen werden nur wenige Stoffe mit toxischen, persistenten und bioakkumulierenden Eigenschaften eliminiert. Der Bericht beschreibt die Eigenschaften gefährlicher Stoffe - darunter Industriechemikalien, Pflanzenschutzmittel, Arzneistoffe, Hormone und Metalle, ermittelt Quellen des Stoffeintrages und leitet Möglichkeiten zur Verringerung der Stoffeinträge ab. In Laborkläranlagen wurde eine Methodik entwickelt, mit der bei Anlagen mit biologischer Grundreinigung und weitergehender Reinigung (Stickstoffeliminierung) die Eliminierungsrate für ausgewählte gefährliche Stoffe ermittelt werden kann. Die Eliminationsraten der untersuchten gefährlichen Stoffe sind sehr unterschiedlich. Während ausgewählte Pestizide nur in geringem Umfang eliminiert werden (Bentazon < 40 Prozent, Dichlorprop < 30 Prozent, Dibutylzinn < 50 Prozent), werden für Nonylphenolethoxylate, Phthalate und Trichlormethan hohe Eliminationsraten mit bis zu 99 Prozent ermittelt.