bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutrient minimisation in the pulp and paper industry: an overview
Authors: Slade A.H. , Ellis R.J. , van den Heuvel M. , Stuthridge T.R.
Published: May 2018

This paper reviews nutrient issues within the pulp and paper industry summarising: nitrogen and phosphorus cycles within treatment systems; sources of nutrients within pulping and papermaking processes; minimising nutrient discharge; new approaches to nutrient minimisation; and the impact of nutrients in the environment. Pulp and paper industry wastewaters generally contain insufficient nitrogen and phosphorus to satisfy bacterial growth requirements. Nutrient limitation has been linked to operational problems such as sludge bulking and poor solids separation. Nutrients have been added in conventional wastewater treatment processes to ensure optimum treatment performance. Minimising the discharge of total nitrogen and phosphorus from a nutrient limited wastewater requires both optimised nutrient supplementation and effective removal of suspended solids from the treated wastewater. In an efficiently operated wastewater treatment system, the majority of the discharged nutrients are contained within the biomass. Effective solids separation then becomes the controlling step, and optimisation of secondary clarification is crucial. Conventional practice is being challenged by the regulatory requirement to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus discharge. Two recent developments in pulp and paper wastewater treatment technologies can produce discharges low in nitrogen and phosphorus whilst operating under conventionally nutrient limited conditions: i) the nutrient limited BAS process (Biofilm-Activated Sludge) which combines biofilm and activated sludge technologies under nutrient limited conditions and ii) an activated sludge process based on the use of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Aerated stabilisation basins often operate without nutrient addition, relying on settled biomass in the benthal zone feeding back soluble nutrients, or the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. Thus effective nutrient minimisation strategies require a more detailed understanding of nutrient cycling and utilisation. Where it is not possible to meet discharge constraints with biological treatment alone, a tertiary treatment step may be required. In setting nutrient control guidelines, consideration should be given to the nutrient limitations of the receiving environment, including other cumulative nutrient impacts on that environment. Whether an ecosystem is N or P limited should be integrated with wastewater treatment considerations in the further design and development of treatment technology and regulatory guidelines. End-of-pipe legislation alone cannot predict environmental effects related to nutrients and must be supplemented by an effects-based approach.
Biological treatment of whitewater in a laboratory process in order to determine kinetic parameters for model development
Authors: Alexandersson T. , Jeppsson U. , Rosen C.
Published: May 2018

Implementation of an in-mill biological treatment plant is one solution to the problems associated with closure of whitewater systems. It is, however, important to operate the treatment with low concentration of nutrients in the effluent. The effect on the COD reduction from decreased additions of NH4-N and PO4-P were investigated in three parallel aerobic suspended carrier reactors during treatment at 46 to 48°C of whitewater from a recycled paper mill producing liner and fluting. In the reference reactor, a COD reduction of 89% was achieved and 45.6 mg NH4-N/(g COD reduced) and 11.6 mg PO4-P/(g COD reduced) was consumed at an organic load around 20 kg COD/(m3·d). Reduced additions of NH4-N decreased the COD reduction. Addition of 56% of the consumption of NH4-N in the reference reactor resulted in a COD reduction of 80%. The response from decreased addition of PO4-P was different compared to NH4-N but it could not be determined if this is due to unsuitable experimental design or a different reaction mechanism. Reducing the addition of PO4-P to 26% of the consumption of PO4-P in the reference reactor, decreased the COD reduction to 83%. The main conclusion from the experiment is: biological treatment has the potential of treating whitewater from recycled paper mills with low effluent nutrient concentrations.
Investigation of heavy metals transportation from soil to the pine tree
Authors: Baltrénaité E. , Butkus D.
Published: May 2018

The Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is the most common tree in Lithuanian forests. Research on the impact of pollutants on pines allows us to evaluate pollutants in a major part of Lithuanian forests. Heavy metals (HMs) are among the major pollutants entering forest ecosystems in different ways: in their wet and dry form they come from local or distant sources of emission by being transported from seas alongside with nutrients and sea salt, washed up from the dead plants accumulated in soil, and together with mineral particles brought by wind or water. During the period of investigation, a decrease in the Cr concentration in pine rings is seen. High Zn concentrations (in 1987-1989 Zn concentration was 27.6 mg·kg-1) in the pine may be caused by emissions from heavy traffic. The results have shown that Mn has the highest concentration as compared with that of other HMs in the soil around the pine (at the depth of 30-40 cm, Mn concentration is 780 mg·kg-1). In comparison with other HMs, Cu and Zn have the largest factor of transport from the soil to the wood (0.39 and 0.49 respectively).
Ecological assessment of waste air treatment systems in the case of biological waste treatment
Authors: Steinberg I. , Bockreis A. , Rohde C. , Jager J.
Published: May 2018

In this paper, the authors present a technique aimed at increasing the efficiency of biological waste air treatment. The objective is to modify the existing biological waste air treatment systems (i.e. biofilters) to reduce the emitted substances and their potential environmental impacts. The principle of the ionization system is described, along with the first experiences of applying those methods during the rotting process. The investigated system is evaluated by means of life cycle impact assessment, with a focus on odour. It is demonstrated which of the measured substances (i.e. VOC) can potentially contribute to the odorant concentration. Further, it is shown which odour-intensive substances can be reduced by deploying ionization. Finally, the authors respond to the fact that the cleaning efficiency of ionization strongly depends on the humidity of the treated waste gas stream.
Formation of by-products in the course of intermediate ozonation of groundwater pretreated with ozone and polyaluminium chloride
Authors: Agbaba J. , Ivančev-Tumbas I. , Dalmacija B. , Klašnja M.
Published: May 2018

Formation of aldehydes and trihalomethanes during intermediate ozonation of water pretreated with ozone and polyaluminium-chloride was monitored in a pilot-scale study to optimize the drinking water treatment technology. The raw water was the groundwater, rich in natural organic matter, originated from the territory of the Northern Banat region in Vojvodina Province, Serbia and Montenegro. Monitoring of the parameters that have to meet prescribed criteria (permanganate value, TOC and THMFP removal) could not give an indication on how to split the required ozone dose between preozonation and intermediate ozonation. As the effects obtained regarding THMFP and TOC removal were similar, monitoring of aldehydes was performed, and this clearly showed that preozonation should be carried out with a dose ≥0.4 mg O3/mg TOC to obtain the water with the smallest contents of aldehydes and the lowest specific content of glyoxal in the GAC filter influent.
Photo-Fenton reaction using a nanocomposite
Authors: Yue P.L. , Feng J.Y. , Hu X.
Published: May 2018

A laponite RD clay-based Fe nanocomposite (Fe-Lap-RD) has been synthesized by the so-called pillaring technique. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results reveal that the Fe-Lap-RD mainly consists of Fe2O3 (maghemite) crystallites and Fe2SiO10(OH)2 (iron silicate hydroxide) crystallites, respectively. The photo-catalytic activity of the Fe-Lap-RD for the degradation of an organic azo dye Orange II is examined. It is found that the rate of mineralization of Orange II is slower than that of discoloration. Under optimal conditions, 100% color and 70% total organic carbon (TOC) of 0.2 mM Orange II can be removed in 45 and 90 minutes, respectively. In addition, the performance of a strongly acidic type of ion exchange resin based catalyst as a heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst for the degradation of salicylic acid is also discussed.
Monitoring of biological odour filtration in closed environments with olfactometry and an electronic nose
Authors: Willers H. , de Gijsel P. , Ogink N. , D'Amico A. , Martinelli E. , Di Natale C. , van Ras N. , van der Waarde J.
Published: May 2018

Air treatment with a compact biological membrane filter, and air quality monitoring with an electronic nose were tested in the laboratory on air from a cage containing six mice. Additional analyses of air to and from the filter were performed using olfactometry and ammonia and hydrogen sulphide gas detection tubes. The biological air filter is a module containing biofilm-coated membrane fibres that separate a closed liquid loop from a gas phase. Odour compounds and oxygen diffuse through the membranes from the gas phase to the biofilm, where they are degraded to carbon dioxide and water. The prototype “ENQBE” electronic nose is based on an array of eight thickness shear mode resonators (TSMR), also known in the literature as quartz microbalance sensors. The chemical sensitivity is given by molecular films of metalloporphyrins and similar compounds. Chemical interaction of compounds in the air with the vibrating sensors induces a frequency change of the vibration that can be measured as a signal. The air from the mouse cage had a strong odour (3490 OUE/m3). The biological membrane filter performed well, achieving over 80% odour and ammonia reduction. The electronic nose signal could be correlated with the inlet and outlet air-quality of the biological filter, making it a promising method for monitoring air quality in closed environments.
Treatment of oilfield wastewater by FentonÕs process
Authors: Gao Y.X. , Yang M. , Zhang Y. , Hu J.Y.
Published: May 2018

A combination of coagulation and Fenton's process was used for the removal of total oxygen carbon (TOC) from oilfield wastewater. Compared with aluminium sulfate, ferric coagulant had better TOC removal efficiency at the same mass dosage. In Fenton's process, the effect of H2O2 and Fe2+ dose on the removal of TOC was studied. The optimum conditions required for TOC removal were an Fe3+ concentration of 40-50 mg/L, an H2O2 dose of 50 mmol/L and an Fe2+ concentration of 1.0 mmol/L. GC-MS chromatographic analysis indicated that most of the alkyl hydrocarbons of carbon numbers <21 were removed in the first minute of FentonÕs process mainly through adsorption. Alkyl hydrocarbons and phenols were oxidized almost completely following 120 min of treatment. The pathway of newly formed intermediates in Fenton's process was proposed on the basis of the GC/MS chromatogram.
Removal of target odorous molecules on to activated carbon cloths
Authors: Le Leuch L.M. , Subrenat A. , Le Cloirec P.
Published: May 2018

Activated carbon materials are adsorbents whose physico-chemical properties are interesting for the treatment of odorous compounds like hydrogen sulfide. Indeed, their structural parameters (pore structure) and surface chemistry (presence of heteroatoms such as oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus) play an important role in H2S removal. The cloth texture of these adsorbents (activated carbon cloths) is particularly adapted for dealing with high flows, often found in the treatment of odor emissions. Thus, this paper first presents the influence of these parameters through adsorption isothermal curves performed on several materials. Secondly, tests in a dynamic system are described. They highlight the low critical thickness of the fabric compared to granular activated carbon.
Removal of odorous sulphur-containing gases by a new isolate from activated sludge
Authors: Geng A.L. , Chen X.G. , Gould W.D. , Ng Y.L. , Yan R. , Lee C.C. , Liang D.T.
Published: May 2018

Biological treatment of odorous sulphur-containing compounds is attracting attention due to its benign eco-friendliness, energy-savings and low operating costs. As the biological treatment efficiency of dimethylsulphide (DMS) reported was often low and variable, selection of useful DMS-degrading micro-organisms is of importance for the enhancement of the biological deodorizing process. This paper reports the successful isolation of a DMS-degrading bacterium from activated sludge, using the enrichment isolation technique. The isolate was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and found to belong to the alpha group of Proteobacteria, with an identity of 99.4% and 99.1% to the 16S rRNA gene sequences of Afipia felis and Pseudomonas carboxydohydrogena, respectively. The isolate was able to metabolize DMS as well as hydrogen sulphide (H2S). A batch experiment was performed to assess the removal characteristics of DMS by the isolate. The results showed that over half of DMS could be removed by the isolate in 3 hours when the initial DMS amount was approximately 10 mmol and 25 mmol. Removal of H2S by the isolate was evaluated by a continuous test in a 2-L gas-bubbling bottle. Although part of the H2S removal by the mineral medium itself was observed in the control test, the majority of H2S removal was believed to be attributed to the metabolic activity of the isolate. In conclusion, the isolate might be potentially useful for the enhancement of the biological deodorizing processes.
Batch experiment on H2S degradation by bacteria immobilised on activated carbons
Authors: Yan R. , Ng Y.L. , Chen X.G. , Geng A.L. , Gould W.D. , Duan H.Q. , Liang D.T. , Koe L.C.C.
Published: May 2018

Biological treatments of odorous compounds, as compared to chemical or physical technologies, are in general ecologically and environmentally favourable. However, there are some inefficiencies relative to the media used in biofiltration processes, such as the need for an adequate residence time; the limited lifetime, and pore blockage of media, which at present render the technology economically non-viable. The aim of the study is to develop novel active media to be used in performance-enhanced biofiltration processes, by achieving an optimum balance and combination of the media adsorption capacity with the biodegradation of H2S through the bacteria immobilised on the media. An enrichment culture was obtained from activated sludges in order to metabolise thiosulphate. Batch-wise experiments were conducted to optimise the bacteria immobilisation on activated carbon, so as to develop a novel “biocarbon”. Biofilm was mostly developed through culturing the bacteria with the presence of carbons in mineral media. SEM and BET tests of the carbon along with the culturing process were used to identify, respectively, the biofilm development and biocarbon porosity. Breakthrough tests evaluated the biocarbon performance with varying gas resistance time, inlet H2S concentration, and type of support materials. Fundamental issues were discussed, including type of support material, mode of bacteria immobilisation, pore blockages, and biodegradation kinetics, etc. This batch-wise study provides a basis for our future research on optimisation of the biofiltration process using a bio-trickling reactor.
Odour abatement in the integrated reactor concept for simultaneous treatment of liquid and solid pig manure fractions
Authors: Veeken A.H.M. , de Wilde V. , Willers H.C. , Hamelers H.V.M.
Published: May 2018

New technologies are needed for manure treatment that can capture nutrients, reduce emissions of ammonia and nuisance odours, and kill harmful pathogens. A reactor concept was developed for simultaneous treatment of separately collected liquid and solid fractions of pig manure. The liquid fraction is concentrated by evaporating the water using energy from the composting system and at the same time scrubbing ammonia from the composting off-gas by acidifying the urine to pH 4 with nitric acid. This results in two marketable products, a concentrated liquid nitrogen fertiliser (NH4NO3) without phosphorus, and a stabilised, solid organic fertiliser, which is free of pathogens and weeds. By connecting the two reactor systems, emissions of ammonia and odours are abated as ammonia emitted from the composting is trapped in the liquid fraction and odorous compounds emitted from the liquid are degraded in the composting reactor. The concept was physically simulated by coupling a 80-L compost reactor to a 10-L bubble column. Operation of the bench-scale system showed that the concept is very promising. All nutrients were captured, and emissions of ammonia and odours were almost completely abated.
A strategy for the assessment of hazardous substances in industrial effluents (IDA)
Authors: Reemtsma T. , Klinkow N.
Published: May 2018

A strategy for the assessment of industrial wastewater discharges with regard to the major hazard parameters toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation is presented. The modular design of the strategy named IDA (Industrial Discharge Assessment) allows us to successively determine the three hazard parameters. Starting with the parameter toxicity biological tests for acute and chronic as well as genotoxicity are performed. Next persistence in the aquatic environment is simulated by a biological degradation test. A method based on solid-phase extraction was developed to cover the parameter bioaccumulation by determination of the amount of potentially bioaccumulating substances. The strategy was applied to real wastewater samples to test its applicability. In one of the investigated discharges toxic and persistent but no potentially bioaccumulating substances were found to be present. The strategy IDA is generally applicable and provides reasonable results to allow for a deeper insight into the hazard potential of an effluent.
Combined biological and physico-chemical treatment of baker's yeast wastewater including removal of coloured and recalcitrant to biodegradation pollutants
Authors: Gladchenko M. , Starostina E. , Shcherbakov S. , Versprille B. , Kalyuzhnyi S.
Published: May 2018

The UASB reactor (35°C) was quite efficient for removal of bulk COD (62-67%) even for such high strength and recalcitrant wastewater as the cultivation medium from the first separation process of baker's yeasts (the average organic loading rates varied from 3.7 to 10.3 g COD/l/d). The aerobic-anoxic biofilter (20°C) can be used for removal of remaining BOD and ammonia from strong nitrogenous anaerobic effluents; however, it suffered from COD-deficiency to fulfil denitrification requirements. To balance the COD/N ratio, some bypass of raw wastewater should be added to the biofilter feed. The application of iron chloride coagulation for post-treatment of aerobic effluents may fulfil the discharge limits (even for colour mainly exerted by hardly biodegradable melanoidins) under iron concentrations around 200 mg/l.
Distribution of estrogen, nonylphenol and its derivatives in the sediments of a shallow lake
Authors: Mibu K. , Wada J. , Okayasu Y. , Tsumori J. , Komori K. , Tanaka H. , Li J.H. , Sasaki M. , Sato C.
Published: May 2018

To determine the distribution of endocrine disruptors (EDs) in lake water and sediments, field investigation was conducted in Lake Teganuma, which is a shallow eutrophic lake, highly affected by human activities. Concentration profiles with sediment depths were obtained for estrogens, nonylphenol (NP), nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPnEO), and nonylphenoxy acetic acids (NPnEC). 17β-Estradiol (E2) was rarely detected, and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and estriol (E3) were undetected at all depths (0-98 cm) in any of the sediment core samples. The sediment concentrations of estrone (E1) ranging from <0.05 to 3.5 μg/kg-dry wt. and NP from 11.8 μg/kg-dry wt. to 21 μg/kg-dry wt. were obtained. The maximum concentrations of NPnEO and NPnEC in the core sediments were 2.5 μg/kg-dry wt. and 1.4 μg/kg-dry wt., respectively. The EDs concentrations are higher at the inlet than at the outlet (except for NP) in the sediments near the surface. The longitudinal distributions of E1, NPnEO and NPnEC in the benthic sediments show that the concentrations are highest at the inlet, and are fairly constant at lower levels towards the downstream. The obtained results also indicate that NP tends to be adsorbed to the organic particulates produced by algae, followed by sedimentation near the outlet of the lake.
Assessing the elimination of estrogenic activity in advanced wastewater treatment with a reporter gene-based bioassay
Authors: Coors A. , Jones P.D. , Giesy J.P. , Ratte H.T.
Published: May 2018

Estrogen-like chemicals, so-called xenoestrogens, have become a topic of concern because they are potentially capable of disturbing the hormonal balance of wildlife and humans. Effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are presumably the major source of xenoestrogens in the aquatic environment. In this study, we investigated eight WWTPs with respect to their input, elimination efficiency, and output of estrogenic activity by means of a reporter gene-based bioassay. All WWTPs employed activated sludge treatment with nitrification/denitrification and tertiary treatment (second nitrification and/or filtration). Estradiol equivalents (EEQs) in the influents of the WWTPs were between 5.7 and 65.8 ng/L. The greatest inputs were found in plants treating pure domestic sewage and in samples collected in winter. Process waters either had no estrogenic activity or EEQs in the range of raw sewage, depending on the source of the process water. EEQs of effluents ranged from mostly below quantification limit (0.8 ng/L) to a maximum of 5.4 ng/L in secondary and 1.4 ng/L in tertiary effluents. These findings demonstrate the elimination efficiency of the activated sludge treatment and the further improvement by additional tertiary treatment. However, several concentrated effluents elicited little, but detectable estrogenic responses in the bioassay.
Microbial degradation of a single branched isomer of nonylphenol by Sphingomonas TTNP3
Authors: Corvini P.F.X. , Vinken R. , Hommes G. , Mundt M. , Hollender J. , Meesters R. , Schröder H. Fr. , Schmidt B.
Published: May 2018

The endocrine disrupting chemical nonylphenol (NP) is a technical product which consists of a complex mixture of nonylphenols with different alkyl side-chain isomers. Since the bio-degradation of each NP isomer may lead to its own range of metabolites, the isolation and identification of transformation products is very difficult. In order to overcome this difficulty, the nonylphenol isomer 4(3′,5′-dimethyl-3′-heptyl)-phenol (p353NP) was synthesized, and its degradation by an axenic culture of Sphingomonas TTNP3 was investigated with [ring-U-14C]-labelled and non-labelled p353NP including a time-course study. Radioactive mass balancing resulted in different polar soluble fractions, in insoluble radioactivity associated with biomass, and volatile radioactivity in the form of the mineralization product 14CO2. In the extracellular media, the presence of nonanol corresponding to the nonyl chain of the NP isomer was confirmed and its concentration was determined during the course of fermentation. No other radioactive compounds were detected beside the parent isomer. Radioactive metabolites were only found in the intracellular fraction of S. TTNP3.
Occurrence of benzothiazoles in municipal wastewater and their fate in biological treatment
Authors: Kloepfer A. , Gnirss R. , Jekel M. , Reemtsma T.
Published: May 2018

A number of 2-substituted benzothiazoles that are known to be used as fungicides, corrosion inhibitors and vulcanization accelerators in industry have been analyzed in municipal wastewater and the effluents of activated sludge and membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment over a three month period. All six analytes were regularly detected in the municipal wastewater by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and amount to a total concentration of 3.4 μg/L. Of these compounds benzothiazole-2-sulfonic acid (1,700 ng/L), benzothiazole (850 ng/L) and 2-hydroxybenzothiazole (500 ng/L) were most prominent. The source of the benzothiazole emission is yet unknown. Activated sludge treatment did not reduce total benzothiazole concentration significantly. Removals of the individual compounds ranged from 90% for 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and 70% for hydroxybenzothiazole to 40% for benzothiazole. The concentration of benzothiazole-2-sulfonic acid increased by 20%, whereas 2-methylthiobenzothiazole increased by 160% during activated sludge treatment, likely due to the methylation of mercaptobenzothiazole. Total benzothiazole removal in two parallely operated MBRs was significantly better (43%) than in the conventional activated sludge treatment. Namely benzothiazole and benzothiazole-2-sulfonic acid were more effectively removed. This first systematic study on the occurrence of benzothiazoles in municipal wastewater has shown that this is a relevant class of trace contaminants in municipal wastewater which is only incompletely removed in biological wastewater treatment. Emission from sewage treatment is dominated by the most polar benzothiazole-2-sulfonic acid. MBR treatment may reduce but cannot avoid this emission.
Modelling the degradation of low concentration pollutants in membrane bioreactors
Authors: Peev M. , Schönerklee M. , De Wever H.
Published: May 2018

This paper deals with the development of a description of membrane bioreactor systems, focussing on wastewater treatment and removal of specific low concentration persistent organic pollutants (e.g. persistent polar pollutants - P3 compounds). In the present work we offer a basic model, adapted to Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) conditions, which reflects the biodegradation of recalcitrant (organic) substances. We put a particular focus on organic aromatic pollutants and demonstrate a model parameter estimation approach, with experiments carried out for linear alkylbenzene sulphonates (LAS).
Integrated systems analysis of persistent polar pollutants in the water cycle
Authors: van der Voet E. , Nikolic I. , Huppes G. , Kleijn R.
Published: May 2018

Persistent polar pollutants (P3) are difficult to degrade in standard waste water treatment plants. As a result, they end up in the effluent and are emitted to the surface water. In some areas, this problem is aggravated through “closed loop recycling”, causing concentrations of P3 in surface water to build up over time. This could cause violation of (future) EU regulations. In the P-THREE project, various alternative waste water treatment techniques are investigated regarding their effectiveness in eliminating these substances, especially membrane bioreactor treatment and advanced oxidation processes, MBR and AOP. The integrated systems analysis which is the subject of this paper assesses these techniques in a broader systems context: (1) the life-cycle of the P3, (2) the life cycle of the WWTPs, and (3) the WWTP life cycle costs.
Assessment of ecological status in small urban streams of Prague agglomeration
Authors: Nábělková J. , Komínková D. , Št'astná G.
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this research was to compare ecological status of a few small urban watersheds in Prague agglomeration (the Botič creek, the Zátišský creek and the Komočanský creek) with different sources of pollution, different sewer systems and with different hydraulic regimes of the recipient. Concentrations of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) were measured in water and sediment samples and in different species of benthic organisms. The biological assessment of macrozoobenthos has also been carried out using two biotic indexes: the saprobic index and the ASPT. The assessment of the environmental risk in an aquatic environment has been based on three different coefficients: the Distribution coefficient (Kd), the Hazard Quotient (HQ) and the Metal Pollution Index (MPI). In the Botič creek there was found out chronic load of bottom sediment by heavy metals. There is higher ecological risk of sediment toxicity in this creek. Outlets of combined sewer system in the Botic creek degrade water quality and consequently deteriorate biological indicators. In the Zátišský creek the main problem is connected with storm sewer outlets. The comparison of the Zátišský creek with the reference stream, the Komořanský creek demonstrates strong hydraulic impact, which induces frequent changes of watercourse morphology reflecting on the composition and representation of benthic macroorganisms.
Nitrogen removal from pharmaceutical manufacturing wastewater with high concentration of ammonia and free ammonia via partial nitrification and denitrification
Authors: Peng Y.Z. , Li Y.Z. , Peng C.Y. , Wang S.Y.
Published: May 2018

In this study, laboratory-scale experiments were conducted applying a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) activated sludge process to a wastewater stream from a pharmaceutical factory. Nitrogen removal can be achieved via partial nitrification and denitrification and the efficiency was above 99% at 23°C ± 1. The experimental results indicated that the nitrite oxidizers were more sensitive than ammonia oxidizers to the free ammonia in the wastewater. The average accumulation rate of nitrite was much higher than that of nitrate. During nitrogen removal via the nitrite pathway, the end of nitrification and denitrification can be exactly decided by monitoring the variation of pH. Consequently, on-line control for nitrogen removal from the pharmaceutical manufacturing wastewater can be achieved and the cost of operation can be reduced.
Modeling response of nitrifying biofilm to inhibitory shock loads
Authors: Rajbhandari B.K. , Annachhatre A.P.
Published: May 2018

To study the response of nitrifying biofilm to inhibitory shock loads, a lab-scale nitrifying biofilm reactor was operated in ambient conditions. Shock loads of various concentrations of inhibitory compound were applied to the biofilm. Aniline was used as an inhibitory compound. The experimental results were utilized to develop a model for predicting the variation of effluent nitrate concentration from the biofilm reactor for given shock loads of aniline concentration and exposure time both in exposure as well as in recovery phase. Close agreement between model and experimental observation of bulk aniline concentration and effluent nitrate concentration was obtained which indicates the usefulness of the model to estimate bulk aniline concentration and to predict the response of inhibitory shock loads on nitrifying biofilm.
Simultaneous organic stabilization and nitrogen removal in multi-stage biodrum system
Authors: Chiemchaisri C. , Liamsangoun C.
Published: May 2018

This paper presents the performance of a multi-stage biodrum system applied to domestic wastewater treatment. The organic stabilization and nitrogen removal efficiency in the system was investigated at different hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 12, 6 and 3 hours. The rotational speed of the biodrum was examined at 2,4 and 8 rpm. Average organic removal efficiencies in the system at different HRTs of 12, 6 and 3 hours were 96.3, 94.4 and 90.9%. Simultaneously, average nitrogen removal efficiencies were 91.5, 90.6 and 81.0%. The effect of rotational speed on nitrogen removal efficiencies in the system was clearly observed at a low HRT of 3 hours. The experimental results suggested that optimum HRT in the system was 6 hours. Moreover, they revealed that nitrogen removal efficiencies in the reactors operated at different rotational speed were in the same degree when considering the effluent nitrogen concentration. However, the reactors operated at lower rotational speed needed to employ higher numbers of biodrums (4 stages) than the others with higher rotational speed (3 and 2 stages at 4 and 8 rpm.) in order to achieve similar effluent qualities. At a rotational speed of 2 rpm, maximum nitrogen removal rate was found to be 0.2 kg/m3/d.
BICT biological process for nitrogen and phosphorus removal
Authors: Huang Y. , Li Y. , Pan Y.
Published: May 2018

An updated biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal process - BICT (Bi-Cyclic Two-Phase) biological process - is proposed and investigated. It is aimed to provide a process configuration and operation mode that has facility and good potential for optimizing operation conditions, especially for enhancing the stability and reliability of the biological nutrient removal process. The proposed system consists of an attached-growth reactor for growing autotrophic nitrifying bacteria, a set of suspended-growth sequencing batch reactors for growing heterotrophic organisms, an anaerobic biological selector and a clarifier. In this paper, the fundamental concept and operation principles of BICT process are described, and the overall performances, major operation parameters and the factors influencing COD, nitrogen and phosphorus removal in the process are also discussed based on the results of extensive laboratory experiments. According to the experimental results with municipal sewage and synthetic wastewater, the process has strong and stable capability for COD removal. Under well controlled conditions, the removal rate of TN can reach over 80% and TP over 90% respectively, and the effluent concentrations of TN and TP can be controlled below 15 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L respectively for municipal wastewater. The improved phosphorus removal has been reached at short SRT, and the recycling flow rate of supernatant between the main reactors and attached-growth reactor is one of the key factors controlling the effect of nitrogen removal.
Nitrite oxidation inhibition by hydroxylamine: experimental and model evaluation
Authors: Noophan P. (Lek) , Figueroa L.A. , Munakata-Marr J.
Published: May 2018

A proposed approach for biological nitrogen removal significantly reduces cost by reducing biomass production and carbon requirements via inhibition of nitrite oxidation (NO2− to NO3−). Batch experiments were conducted to examine the effect of hydroxylamine (HM) on nitrite oxidizers, ammonia oxidizers, and nitrite reducers. Hydroxylamine effect experiments were done at initial pH values of 7.4-8.4, nitrogen concentrations of 100 mg N/L, biomass concentrations of 100-400 mg VSS/L and HM dosages up to 43 mg/L. Nitrite oxidizer activity was completely inhibited by HM at dosages of 7.0 and 8.9 mg/L for pH values of 8.4 and 7.6, respectively. Relatively low HM concentrations (0.35-5.5 mg/L) can be used to completely inhibit nitrite oxidation, but do not significantly affect ammonia oxidizers and nitrite reducers. A model developed to describe the effect of pH on nitrite oxidation rate fits the data well (R2 = 0.89) with values for Vmax of 0.372 (mg N/mg VSS-hr), pH* of 7.72, and the inhibition constant Kh of 0.154. Incorporation of HM inhibition into the model provided a good fit to relative nitrite oxidation rate as a function of undissociated HM concentration (R2 = 0.80, Vmax = 0.028 mg N/mg VSS-hr, pH* = 7.89, Kh * 0.302, a * 0.195, and Ki = 0.277 mg/L).
Nutrient removal from shrimp farm effluent by aquatic plants
Authors: Ruenglertpanyakul W. , Attasat S. , Wanichpongpan P.
Published: May 2018

Duckweed was used to treat effluent from a shrimp farm in a batch wise and recirculation system. The result showed that duckweed could efficiently remove nutrients in the effluent, especially ammonia, which seemed to be the preferred nitrogen source of the plant. Red tilapia was used in the recirculation system and showed high potential in removal of uneaten shrimp feed.
Modeling of a large-scale wastewater treatment plant for efficient operation
Authors: Gokcay C.F. , Sin G.
Published: May 2018

Environmental legislations in the Western world impose stringent effluent quality standards for ultimate protection of the environment. This is also observed in Turkey. The current paper presents efforts made to simulate an existing 0.77 million m3/day conventional activated sludge plant located at Ankara, AWTP. The ASM1 model was used for simulation in this study. The model contains numerous stoichiometric and kinetic parameters, some of which need to be determined on case by case bases. The easily degradable COD (SS) was determined by two methods, physical-chemical and respirometric methods, namely. The latter method was deemed unreliable and rejected in the further study. Dynamic simulation with SSSP program predicted effluent COD and MLSS values successfully while overestimating OUR. A complete fit could only be obtained by introducing a dimensionless correction factor (ηO2 = 0.58) to the oxygen term in ASM1.
Biological solution to storm water?
Authors: Bixio D. , Thoeye C. , De Gueldre G.
Published: May 2018

Standard practice in Flanders is to limit the hydraulic capacity of sewage treatment works to 6Q14 (Q14 = 1.7 dry weather flow QDWF). A maximum of 3Q14 is treated biologically, while the excess flow undergoes only physical treatment in storm tanks. This practice has been challenged by a new high-flow activated sludge operation concept, consisting of the treatment of the full storm sewage flow in the biological train and of the use of the storm tanks as additional secondary clarifiers.

After successful testing in two installations, 56 works of different sizes and types were switched to high-flow activated sludge operation from 1999 to 2002. This paper reports on progress and experiences gained since then. The analysis focuses on the parameters subject to regulatory discharge (BOD, COD, suspended solids, total nitrogen and total phosphorus) plus ammonia. Special attention is paid to the performance of the clarification and of the nitrification processes.

The results indicate that high-flow biological treatment provides a substantial reduction in wet weather discharges while maintaining acceptable process operating conditions.
Influence of sludge properties and hydraulic loading on the performance of secondary settling tanks - full-scale operational results
Authors: Vestner R.J. , Wolfgang Günthert F.
Published: May 2018

Full-scale investigations at a WWTP with a two-stage secondary settling tank process revealed relationships between significant operating parameters and performance in terms of effluent suspended solids concentration. Besides common parameters (e.g. surface overflow rate and sludge volume loading rate) feed SS concentration and flocculation time must be considered. Concentration of the return activated sludge may help to estimate the performance of existing secondary settling tanks.
Dynamics in maximal settling capacity in an activated sludge treatment plant with highly loaded secondary settlers
Authors: Wilén B.-M. , Lumley D. , Nordqvist A.
Published: May 2018

Secondary settling dynamics at maximal capacity were investigated at a full scale wastewater treatment plant which utilizes a unique process solution incorporating pre-denitrification with postnitrification in nitrifying trickling filters. Since nitrogen removal is greater when more secondary effluent is recirculated to the trickling filters, the secondary settlers generally operate at close to their maximal capacity. The settling and flocculation properties of the activated sludge are therefore a major capacity-determining factor for plant operation. Due to the short sludge age, the flocculation properties, with respect to both thickening and clarification, can change quickly. The dynamics in these changes were studied and the factors that determine the maximal settling capacity were assessed. Solids flux curves were constructed from batch settling tests and compared with the actual maximal settling capacities.
Comparison of the 1D flux theory with a 2D hydrodynamic secondary settling tank model
Authors: Ekama G.A. , Marais P.
Published: May 2018

The applicability of the 1D idealized flux theory (1DFT) for design of secondary settling tanks (SSTs) is evaluated by comparing its predicted maximum surface overflow (SOR) and solids loading (SLR) rates with that calculated from the 2D hydrodynamic model SettlerCAD using as a basis 35 full scale SST tress tests conducted on different SSTs with diameters from 30 to 45m and 2.25 to 4.1m side water depth, with and without Stamford baffles.

From the simulations, a relatively consistent pattern appeared, i.e. that the 1DFT can be used for design but its predicted maximum SLR needs to be reduced by an appropriate flux rating, the magnitude of which depends mainly on SST depth and hydraulic loading rate (HLR). Simulations of the sloping bottom shallow (1.5-2.5 m SWD) Dutch SSTs tested by STOWa and the Watts et al. SST, all with doubled SWDs, and the Darvill new (4.1 m) and old (2.5 m) SSTs with interchanged depths, were run to confirm the sensitivity of the flux rating to depth and HLR. Simulations with and without a Stamford baffle were also done. While the design of the internal features of the SST, such as baffling, have a marked influence on the effluent SS concentration for underloaded SSTs, these features appeared to have only a small influence on the flux rating, i.e. capacity, of the SST.

In the meantime until more information is obtained, it would appear that from the simulations so far that the flux rating of 0.80 of the 1DFT maximum SLR recommended by Ekama and Marais remains a reasonable value to apply in the design of full scale SSTs – for deep SSTs (4 m SWD) the flux rating could be increased to 0.85 and for shallow SSTs (2.5 m SWD) decreased to 0.75. It is recommended that (i) while the apparent interrelationship between SST flux rating and depth suggests some optimization of the volume of the SST, that this be avoided and that (ii) the depth of the SST be designed independently of the surface area as is usually the practice and once selected, the appropriate flux rating is applied to the 1DFT estimate of the surface area.
Economic and environmental optimization of phosphorus removal
Authors: Clauson-Kaas J. , Sander Poulsen T. , Neergaard-Jacobsen B. , Guildal T. , Thirsing C.
Published: May 2018

Do operating costs conform to environmental impact after introduction of charges on discharge of wastewater? A study on optimization of phosphorus removal at two Danish wastewater removal plants shows that this is actually the case. By measurement of inlet and outlet concentrations and of chemicals added it was possible to determine the relationships between chemical dosing and phosphorus discharge and thus calculate the operational cost and environmental impact of different dosing/discharge levels.
Environmental engineering education for developing countries: framework for the future
Authors: Ujang Z. , Henze M. , Curtis T. , Schertenleib R. , Beal L.L.
Published: May 2018

This paper presents the existing philosophy, approach, criteria and delivery of environmental engineering education (E3) for developing countries. In general, environmental engineering is being taught in almost all major universities in developing countries, mostly under civil engineering degree programmes. There is an urgent need to address specific inputs that are particularly important for developing countries with respect to the reality of urbanisation and industrialisation. The main component of E3 in the near future will remain on basic sanitation in most developing countries, with special emphasis on the consumer-demand approach. In order to substantially overcome environmental problems in developing countries, E3 should include integrated urban water management, sustainable sanitation, appropriate technology, cleaner production, wastewater minimisation and financial framework.
Evaluation of air pollution modelling tools as environmental engineering courseware
Authors: Souto González J.A. , Bello Bugallo P.M. , Casares Long J.J.
Published: May 2018

The study of phenomena related to the dispersion of pollutants usually takes advantage of the use of mathematical models based on the description of the different processes involved. This educational approach is especially important in air pollution dispersion, when the processes follow a non-linear behaviour so it is difficult to understand the relationships between inputs and outputs, and in a 3D context where it becomes hard to analyze alphanumeric results. In this work, three different software tools, as computer solvers for typical air pollution dispersion phenomena, are presented. Each software tool developed to be implemented on PCs, follows approaches that represent three generations of programming languages (Fortran77, VisualBasic and Java), applied over three different environments: MS-DOS, MS-Windows and the world wide web. The software tools were tested by students of environmental engineering (undergraduate) and chemical engineering (postgraduate), in order to evaluate the ability of these software tools to improve both theoretical and practical knowledge of the air pollution dispersion problem, and the impact of the different environment in the learning process in terms of content, ease of use and visualization of results.
Computer-aided tutorials and tests for use in distance learning
Authors: Nirmalakhandan N.
Published: May 2018

Compared to the traditional on-campus students, remote students in distance education courses find it more difficult to develop problem-solving skills. In this paper, we propose the use of computer-aided tutorials and tests (CATTs) as convenient tools for remote students to practice and improve problem-solving and test taking skills at their own pace. Example of CATTs developed with Authorware software for use in distance education is presented.
Environmental engineering education at Ghent University, Flanders (Belgium)
Authors: Demeestere K. , Dewulf J. , Janssen C. , Van Langenhove H.
Published: May 2018

Since the 1980s, environmental engineering education has been a rapidly growing discipline in many universities. This paper discusses the history, the current status and the near future of environmental engineering education at Ghent University. This university, with about 50% of the Flemish university environmental engineering students, can be considered as representative for the situation in Flanders, Belgium. In contrast to many other universities, environmental engineering education at Ghent University does not have its historical roots in civil engineering, but has been developed from the curricula organized by the former Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. As part of a reorganisation of the education and research activities at this faculty, a curriculum leading to the degree of “bio-engineer in environmental technology” was established in 1991. This curriculum covers a 5-year study and is constructed around 8 main components. Exchange of students with other European universities, e.g. within the Socrates framework, has become a prominent aspect of student life and education. This paper also briefly describes the employment opportunities of graduated bio-engineers in environmental technology. Finally, the current implementation of the bachelor's-master's structure, leading to a “master of science in environmental technology” degree is summarized.