Scientific basis of dissolved organic carbon limitation for landfilling of municipal treatment sludge--is it attainable and justifiable?

This study evaluated the scientific and technical basis of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) limitation imposed on municipal sludge for landfilling, mainly for assessing the attainability of the implemented numerical level. For this purpose, related conceptual framework was analyzed, covering related sewage characteristics, soluble microbial products generation, and substrate solubilization and leakage due to hydrolysis. Soluble COD footprint was experimentally established for a selected treatment plant, including all the key steps in the sequence of wastewater treatment and sludge handling. Observed results were compared with reported DOCs in other treatment configurations. None of the leakage tests performed or considered in the study could even come close to the prescribed limitation. All observed results reflected 10-20 fold higher DOC levels than the numerical limit of 800 mg/kg (80 mg/L), providing conclusive evidence that the DOC limitation imposed on municipal treatment sludge for landfilling is not attainable, and therefore not justifiable on the basis of currently available technology.

The effect of temperature and sludge age on COD removal and nitrification in a moving bed sequencing batch biofilm reactor.

This study investigates the effect of temperature and the sludge age on the performance of a moving bed sequencing batch biofilm reactor (MBSBBR) for COD removal and nitrification. The experiments are conducted in a lab-scale MBSBBR operated at three different temperatures (20, 15 and 10 degrees C) with a synthetic feed simulating domestic sewage characteristics. Evaluation of the results revealed that removal of organic matter at high rates and with efficiencies over 90% was secured at all operation conditions applied. The nitrification rate was significantly influenced by changes in temperature but complete nitrification occurred at each temperature. The nitrification rates observed at 20 and 15 degrees C were very close (0.241 mg NO(x)-N/m2d, 0.252 mg NO(x)-N/m2 d, respectively), but at 10 degrees C, it decreased to 0.178 mg NO(x)-N/m2d. On the other hand, the biomass concentration and sludge age increased while the VSS/TSS ratios that can be accepted as an indicator of active biomass fraction decreased with time. It is considered that, increasing biofilm thickness and diffusion limitation affected the treatment efficiency, especially nitrification rate, negatively.

Innovative technologies for wastewater treatment in coastal tourist areas.

The selection of appropriate wastewater treatment technologies for coastal tourist areas is important in the sense that they have to meet stringent effluent limits in a simple and easy to operate flow scheme. This paper outlines different effluent standards implemented in sensitive coastal areas and briefly discusses the merit of a number of innovative technologies, namely the sequencing batch reactor, the intermittent aeration process, the moving bed reactor and the biofim-filter-sequencing batch reactor system, either as a batch or continuous flow process applicable in these areas.

Effect of chemical treatment on soluble residual COD in textile wastewaters.

The effect of chemical treatment on the magnitude of soluble residual COD in the biological treatment effluent is investigated for knit fabric finishing wastewater. Bentonite is selected for its potential to remove soluble COD together with color and particulate components. Chemical treatment using bentonite, when applied prior to biological treatment removes around 40% of the biodegradable as well as soluble inert COD initially present in the wastewater. As a chemical post-treatment, it acts as a polishing step, removing particulate matter and a minor portion of around 20% of the remaining soluble COD. These findings suggest chemical pre-treatment as a better alternative for the optimization of soluble COD removal.

In-plant control applications and their effect on treatability of a textile mill wastewater.

Water minimization and exploration of the potential for wastewater recovery and reuse are priority issues of industrial wastewater management. They are extremely significant for the textile industry commonly characterized with a high water demand. The study presents a detailed in-plant control survey for a wool finishing plant. A comprehensive process profile and wastewater characterization indicate that process water consumption can be reduced by 34%, and 23% of the wastewater volume can be recovered for reuse. Treatability of reusable wastewater fraction and the effect of in-plant control applications on effluent treatability were also investigated.

Ozonation application in activated sludge systems for a textile mill effluent.

The study investigates the effect of partial ozonation of textile wastewater, both at the inlet (pre-ozonation) and the outlet (post-ozonation) of biological treatment, for the optimization of COD and color removals, both typical polluting parameters associated with the textile industry. Pre-ozonation provides at optimum contact time of 15 minutes 85% color removal, but only 19% COD reduction. Removal of the soluble inert COD fraction remains at 7%, indicating selective preference of ozone for simpler compounds. Post-ozonation is much more effective on the breakdown of refractory organic compounds and on color removal efficiency. Ozonation after biological treatment results in almost complete color removal and a 14% soluble inert COD reduction. The polishing effect of post-ozonation also proves quite attractive from an economical standpoint, involving approximately 50% of the ozone utilization at the same ozone flux rate and contact time, yet providing a lower soluble residual COD level.

Effect of ozonation on the biological treatability of a textile mill effluent.

Ozonation applied prior to biological processes, has proved to be a very effective chemical treatment step mostly for colour removal when soluble dyes are used in textile finishing operations. Its impact on biological treatability however has not been fully evaluated yet. This study evaluates the effect of ozonation on the quality of wastewater from a textile mill involving bleaching and reactive dyeing of cotton and synthetic knit fabric. The effect of ozonation on COD fractionation and kinetic coefficients defining major biological processes is emphasised. The results indicate that the extent of ozone applied greatly affects the remaining organic carbon composition in the wastewater. The relative magnitude of different COD fractions varies as a function of the ozone dose. Ozonation does not however exert a measurable impact on the rate of major biological processes.

A scientific approach to wastewater recovery and reuse in the textile industry.

Wastewater recovery and reuse in industries requires all the basic steps of quality management. It should involve a comprehensive in plant survey of processes with wastewater generation, identification of recoverable streams, and treatment requirements for reuse. It should equally undertake evaluation of wastewater quality remaining after segregation of the recovered portion, with specific emphasis on technological implications of appropriate treatment and compliance with effluent limitations. In this study, all these factors were experimentally assessed and evaluated for a knit fabric processing textile plant.