Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) systems were used for the development of a system and operating procedures for the high production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by wastewater treatment (activated sludge) bacterial cultures. It was found that unbalanced growth conditions stimulated massive PHA production in activated sludge biomass. Operating conditions had a significant effect on PHA production and the composition of the accumulated copolymer when either laboratory prepared mixtures of organics or a high acetic acid industrial wastewater were used as the organic substrate mixture. Fully aerobic (AE) conditions with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitations were the optimum conditions for PHA production when the laboratory prepared mixtures of orgnics were used, while fully AE with the combinations of N, P, and potassium (K) limitations were better for PHA production using a high acetic acid industrial wastewater as the substrate. One nutrient limitation or partial limitation of either N or P as used for commercial production using pure cultures did not promote massive PHA production in activated sludge biomass compared to the combination of nutrient limitations. A maximum cellular PHA accumulation of 70%TSS was obtained under fully AE conditions with multiple alternating periods of growth and N&P limitations. Microaerophilic/aerobic (MAA/AE) or anaerobic/aerobic (AN/AE) cycling promoted less PHA production compared to fully AE conditions. The relative amounts of the PHA copolymers formed, i.e., polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV) were different under different operating conditions, even though the types and amounts of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the feed were the same. It was determined that high total phosphorus (TP) content inside the bacterial cells had a significant detrimental impact on PHA production by activated sludge biomass. A two-stage bioprocess was a better approach for obtaining activated sludge PHA accumulation because a growth phase was necessary to grow the bacterial population that contains minimal TP before starting the subsequent PHA accumulation phase. Seeding sludge obtained from a conventional fully aerobic wastewater treatment system was more suitable than seed obtained from a biological phosphorus removal (BPR) system because bacterial populations from BPR systems tended to convert organic substrates to intracellular carbohydrate content rather than PHA under nutrient limitation conditions. The molecular weights and melting point temperatures of PHAs produced by the mixed culture of activated sludge biomass were comparable to those obtained from pure cultures and have the potential to be used for commercial applications. The results of this study indicate that activated sludge biomass has considerable potential for PHA production for commercial purposes, and likely could do so utilizing wastewater sources of organics. In particular organic rich, nutrient limited wastewaters have potential for efficient PHA production. / Ph. D.

No description available.

No description available.

The roles of cations and exocellular biopolymer on the settling and dewatering of activated sludge was investigated. Both laboratory and full-scale activated sludge systems were examined. The results of the study showed the settling and dewatering properties of the activated sludge were dependent on the calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium concentrations added to the feed. A minimum of 0.72 meq/L each of calcium and magnesium in the feed was necessary for acceptable settling and dewatering. Two types of microbial cultures were observed, one required both calcium and magnesium in the feed while the other required either calcium or magnesium, but not both, for optimization of settling and dewatering. Sodium addition to the feed improved the settling of activated sludge when the ratio of sodium to calcium plus magnesium was equal to approximately one on a meq/L basis. When this ratio was greater than two, the settling and dewatering properties deteriorated, but the deterioration could be reversed by increasing the calcium and magnesium concentration in the feed. In general, the data supported the cation bridging model for bioflocculation, and the cations act to bind protein to the biofloc structure. Results from the full-scale activated sludge plants correlated well with results from laboratory activated sludge systems and demonstrated the cation content in these systems had a direct impact on the settling and dewatering properties. Field trials in which divalent cations were added to activated sludge systems resulted in dramatic improvements in the settling properties of these systems. Characterization of the exocellular protein extracted from laboratory, industrial and municipal activated sludges revealed the presence of a single protein, which appears to be a lectin. The molecular weight of the protein measured by SDS PAGE was approximately 16,000 Daltons with similar amino acid composition as microbial lectins. Also, amino acid sequencing analysis indicated the N-terminal sequence of the protein was consistent with those of microbial lectins. In addition, the activated sludge cultures exhibited lectin activity as demonstrated by binding site inhibition experiments. A model of bioflocculation that includes the role of protein was proposed. / Ph. D.

Por razões técnicas e ambientais, o lodo gerado no tratamento de águas para abastecimento público deve ser adequadamente tratado antes de ser disposto no meio ambiente. Uma alternativa é a disposição do lodo de ETA em ETE, o que dispensa a implantação da linha de tratamento do lodo na ETA. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar os impactos ocorridos na ETE ABC, estação de lodos ativados convencional operada pela SABESP, devido ao recebimento do lodo da ETA Rio Grande. Trata-se de caso particular, pois envolve instalações reais, e pelo fato de a ETA apresentar vazão próxima de três vezes a vazão da ETE (vazão de lodo corresponde a 0,1% da vazão da ETE). Os dados utilizados incluem variáveis de qualidade do efluente (DBO, DQO, SST, SSV, nitrogênio amoniacal e total, fósforo e ferro) e do lodo (sólidos), e parâmetros operacionais das unidades da ETE (vazões, taxas de aplicação superficial e de sólidos, idade do lodo, tempo de detenção, entre outros). Foi possível analisar o processo de tratamento na ETE e comparar seu desempenho entre dois períodos: controle (anos de 2005 e 2006) e com lodo (janeiro de 2007 a março de 2008). Nestes períodos, a ETE operou com 50% de sua capacidade (taxas de aplicação abaixo dos valores de projeto), idade do lodo de 4 dias e taxa de reciclo em torno de 80%. No período com lodo, as variáveis que apresentaram maior aumento de concentração no esgoto afluente foram SST, SSV, fósforo e ferro; o lodo da ETA contribuiu para maiores eficiências de tratamento da fase líquida na ETE, uma vez que houve a manutenção da qualidade do efluente final, nos níveis exigidos pela legislação, mesmo com o aumento das concentrações afluentes. Este aumento de eficiência foi mais acentuado para o fósforo (de 52% para 88%), e maior no tratamento primário, com variações nos parâmetros operacionais que não influíram negativamente no desempenho das unidades. No tratamento de lodo, o maior impacto causado foi o aumento na produção final de lodo (de 50 t/d para 76 t/d). Tais conclusões são então favoráveis ao lançamento de lodos de ETA convencional em ETE de lodos ativados convencional, mesmo nos casos em que a vazão tratada na ETA exceda em muito a vazão da ETE. / For technical and environmental reasons, sludge from water treatment plants should be properly treated before being discharged into the environment. An emerging practice is the disposal of such sludge in WWTP, an alternative that does not require the installation of sludge treatment facilities in the WTP. The main purpose of this research was to study the impacts at the ABC WWTP, an activated sludge process facility operated by SABESP and located in São Paulo, Brazil, due to receiving sludge from the Rio Grande WTP, also located in the same region. It is a particular case due to the fact that the WTP provides a flow of three times the flow treated in the WWTP (sludge flow is 0,1% of WWTP flow). The used data include effluent quality variables (BOD, COD, TSS, VSS, ammonia and total nitrogen, phosphorus and iron), sludge (solids) and WWTP units operational parameters (flow, surface and solid application rates, sludge retention time, hydraulic detention time, among others). It was possible to analyze the treatment process at the WWTP and compare its performance between two periods: control (years 2005 and 2006) and with sludge (from January 2007 to March 2008). In these periods, the WWTP worked with half of its capacity (all loading rates stayed below design values), sludge retention time of 4 days and recycle rate around 80%. In the with sludge period, the quality variables with the highest inflow concentration increase were TSS, VSS, phosphorus and iron. During the same period, the WTP sludge contributed to greater efficiencies in the WWTP treatment process, since the effluent quality was maintained under levels legally required, even with the increase of influent concentrations. This fact is mostly evident in the case of phosphorus (from 52% to 88%), and higher in primary treatment, with changes in operational parameters that did not adversely affect the units performances. In solid phase treatment, the most important impact was the increase in final sludge production (from 50 t/d to 76 t/d). These conclusions are then favorable to the disposal of sludge from conventional WTP in an activated sludge WWTP, even in cases in which the flow treated in the WTP far exceeds the WWTP flow.

During the water treatment process, each processing unit releases the sludge from the sedimentation process, and the wastewater from the rapid sand wash and filtration process, to the wastewater pond followed by the wastewater sedimentation pond. The sediment sludge is allowed to enter the sludge thickening pond while the supernatant is recycled for further treatment. The sludge is released to the sludge pond where it is treated with certain chemicals and squeezed to form the sludge cake. The sludge cake is removed and transported by a legitimate cleaning service company to an authorized location. The present study is focused on the investigation of the feasibility of recycling the wastewater and the dewatering of the sludge from the water treatment plant. The analysis of the samples collected from the wastewater treatment plant showed that the recycled supernatant had a pH of 7.16~8.21, a conductivity of 371.1~769.1 £gmho/cm, a total dissolved solid (TDS) of 193.3~399.9 mg/L, and a turbidity of 0.901~54.3 NTU. The suspended solids (SS) of the recycled supernatant was found to be 0.4~45.6 mg/L, lower than the standard value in the Effluent Standards (50 mg/L). The ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) of the recycled supernatant were found to be 0.06~1.5 mg/L and 1.533~17.437 mg/L, respectively. The analysis of the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of the wastewater treatment plant showed a concentration of 12.1~128.5 mg/L in the sample of the recycled supernatant. The COD in the Effluent Standards is required to be no more than 100 mg/L. For sludge conditioning and dewatering, a sludge conditioning experiment was conducted in the laboratory to plot the curve of the experimental result. The curve was used for the actual sludge conditioning and dewatering in the Fongshan Water Treatment Plant to verify the feasibility of the application for the actual process in the water treatment plant.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-74).

Por razões técnicas e ambientais, o lodo gerado no tratamento de águas para abastecimento público deve ser adequadamente tratado antes de ser disposto no meio ambiente. Uma alternativa é a disposição do lodo de ETA em ETE, o que dispensa a implantação da linha de tratamento do lodo na ETA. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar os impactos ocorridos na ETE ABC, estação de lodos ativados convencional operada pela SABESP, devido ao recebimento do lodo da ETA Rio Grande. Trata-se de caso particular, pois envolve instalações reais, e pelo fato de a ETA apresentar vazão próxima de três vezes a vazão da ETE (vazão de lodo corresponde a 0,1% da vazão da ETE). Os dados utilizados incluem variáveis de qualidade do efluente (DBO, DQO, SST, SSV, nitrogênio amoniacal e total, fósforo e ferro) e do lodo (sólidos), e parâmetros operacionais das unidades da ETE (vazões, taxas de aplicação superficial e de sólidos, idade do lodo, tempo de detenção, entre outros). Foi possível analisar o processo de tratamento na ETE e comparar seu desempenho entre dois períodos: controle (anos de 2005 e 2006) e com lodo (janeiro de 2007 a março de 2008). Nestes períodos, a ETE operou com 50% de sua capacidade (taxas de aplicação abaixo dos valores de projeto), idade do lodo de 4 dias e taxa de reciclo em torno de 80%. No período com lodo, as variáveis que apresentaram maior aumento de concentração no esgoto afluente foram SST, SSV, fósforo e ferro; o lodo da ETA contribuiu para maiores eficiências de tratamento da fase líquida na ETE, uma vez que houve a manutenção da qualidade do efluente final, nos níveis exigidos pela legislação, mesmo com o aumento das concentrações afluentes. Este aumento de eficiência foi mais acentuado para o fósforo (de 52% para 88%), e maior no tratamento primário, com variações nos parâmetros operacionais que não influíram negativamente no desempenho das unidades. No tratamento de lodo, o maior impacto causado foi o aumento na produção final de lodo (de 50 t/d para 76 t/d). Tais conclusões são então favoráveis ao lançamento de lodos de ETA convencional em ETE de lodos ativados convencional, mesmo nos casos em que a vazão tratada na ETA exceda em muito a vazão da ETE. / For technical and environmental reasons, sludge from water treatment plants should be properly treated before being discharged into the environment. An emerging practice is the disposal of such sludge in WWTP, an alternative that does not require the installation of sludge treatment facilities in the WTP. The main purpose of this research was to study the impacts at the ABC WWTP, an activated sludge process facility operated by SABESP and located in São Paulo, Brazil, due to receiving sludge from the Rio Grande WTP, also located in the same region. It is a particular case due to the fact that the WTP provides a flow of three times the flow treated in the WWTP (sludge flow is 0,1% of WWTP flow). The used data include effluent quality variables (BOD, COD, TSS, VSS, ammonia and total nitrogen, phosphorus and iron), sludge (solids) and WWTP units operational parameters (flow, surface and solid application rates, sludge retention time, hydraulic detention time, among others). It was possible to analyze the treatment process at the WWTP and compare its performance between two periods: control (years 2005 and 2006) and with sludge (from January 2007 to March 2008). In these periods, the WWTP worked with half of its capacity (all loading rates stayed below design values), sludge retention time of 4 days and recycle rate around 80%. In the with sludge period, the quality variables with the highest inflow concentration increase were TSS, VSS, phosphorus and iron. During the same period, the WTP sludge contributed to greater efficiencies in the WWTP treatment process, since the effluent quality was maintained under levels legally required, even with the increase of influent concentrations. This fact is mostly evident in the case of phosphorus (from 52% to 88%), and higher in primary treatment, with changes in operational parameters that did not adversely affect the units performances. In solid phase treatment, the most important impact was the increase in final sludge production (from 50 t/d to 76 t/d). These conclusions are then favorable to the disposal of sludge from conventional WTP in an activated sludge WWTP, even in cases in which the flow treated in the WTP far exceeds the WWTP flow.

During anaerobic digestion bacteria inside the digester require a carbon source for their growth and metabolism, sewage sludge was used as a carbon source in this study. The COD content was used to measure the disappearance of the substrate. COD content was reduced by 48.3% and 49% in the methanogenic and sulphidogenic bioreactors, respectively, while sulphate concentration was reduced by 40%, producing 70mg/L of hydrogen sulphide as the end product over the first 5-7 days. Sulphate (which is used as a terminal electron acceptor of sulphur reducing bacteria) has little or no effect on the sulphidogenic and methanogenic proteases. Sulphite and sulphide (the intermediate and end product of sulphate reduction) increased protease activity by 20% and 40%-80%, respectively. Maximum protease activity occurred on day 21 in the methanogenic reactor and on day 9 in the sulphidogenic reactor. The absorbance, which indicates the level of amino acid increased to 2 and 9 for methanogenic and sulphidogenic bioreactors, respectively. Proteases that were active during anaerobic digestion were associated with the pellet (organic particulate matter) of the sewage. These enzymes have an optimum activity at pH 10 and at temperature of 50°C. The proteases that were active at pH 5 and 7, had optimum temperatures at 30°C and 60°C, respectively. Due to their association with organic particulate matter, these enzymes were stable at their optimum temperatures for at least five hours at their respective pH. Inhibition by PMSF, TPCK and 1.10-phenanthroline suggested that proteases inside the anaerobic digester are a mixture of cysteine, serine and metalloproteases. At pH 5, however, EDTA appeared to enhance protease activity by 368% (three-fold). Acetic acid decreased protease activity by 21%, while both propionic and butyric acid at 200 mg/L cause total inhibition of protease activity while these acids at higher pH (where they exist as their corresponding salts) exerted little effect. Copper, iron and zinc inhibited protease activity by 85% at pH 5 with concentrations ranging between 200 and 600 mg/L. On the other hand, nickel, showed an increase in protease activity of nearly 250%. At pH 7 and 10, copper had no effect on protease activity while iron, nickel and zinc inhibited these enzymes by 20-40%. Proteases at pH 7 were extracted from the pellet by sonication, releasing 50% of the total enzymes into the solution. The enzymes were precipitated by ammonium sulphate precipitation, and further purified by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Ion exchange chromatography revealed that most of the enzymes that hydrolyse proteins are negatively charged while gel filtration showed that their molecular weight is approximately 500 kDa.

The master’s thesis is focused on the issue of solar drying of sewage sludge. The sludge management of wastewater treatment plants is described in the first part of this thesis. This theoretical part also deals with description of drying and dryers used for sludge treatment. The second part of the thesis is focused on the experimental solar drying of sewage sludge and the evaluation of the results.