Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment.

An update on the current research and development of the treatment technologies, which utilize natural processes or passive components in wastewater treatment, is provided in this paper. The main focus is on wetland systems and their applications in wastewater treatment (as an advanced treatment unit or decentralized system), nutrient and pollutant removal (metals, industrial and emerging pollutants including pharmaceutical compounds). A summary of studies involving the effects of vegetation, wetland design and modeling, hybrid and innovative systems, storm water treatment and pathogen removal is also included.

Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment.

This paper provides a review of the treatment technologies, which utilize natural processes or passive components in wastewater treatment. In particular, this paper primarily focuses on wetland systems and their applications in wastewater treatment (as an advanced treatment unit or decentralized system), nutrient and pollutant removal (single and multiple pollutants, and metals), and emerging pollutant removal (pharmaceuticals). A summary of studies involving the plant (vegetation) effects, wetland design and modeling, hybrid and innovative systems, storm water treatment and pathogen removal is also included.

Optimization of operating parameters of intermittent aeration-type activated sludge process for nitrogen removal: a simulation-based approach.

Biological nitrogen removal is becoming a proven approach to reducing the total nitrogen discharged from wastewater treatment facilities. Simulation performed with intermittent aeration-type activated sludge process using Activated Sludge Model No. 1 predicted that up to 90% total nitrogen removal could be attained when the total cycle time and its anoxic phase were balanced adequately. This control limits electron donor and acceptor levels--ammonia-nitrogen (NH4(+)-N) in the aerobic phase and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3(-)-N) in the anoxic phase. Specifically, maximum nitrogen removal appears to be achieved with a 2- to 3-hour cycle time, during which, anoxic conditions were present for 40 to 50% of the time. A 10- to 16-hour hydraulic retention time appears adequate to achieve these results. The solids retention time studied was between 15 and 25 days, as this range was deemed sufficient to establish the nitrifying organism population in most applications. Predictions indicate that the conventional activated sludge system can be retrofitted for better nitrogen management at the treatment plants.

Combined ozone and ultraviolet inactivation of Escherichia coli.

The kinetics of Escherichia coli inactivation using ozone and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, separately and simultaneously, was evaluated at 25 degrees C in buffered (pH 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0), demand-free media. While ozone was found to be a stronger disinfectant than UV radiation, using both simultaneously was more effective than using them individually. Inactivation kinetics was pseudo first-order for the three treatment processes, while the disinfection rate was a linear function of the disinfectant dose. The synergism observed in microbial inactivation when the disinfectant processes were combined was illustrated by estimates of kinetic model parameters. This synergy was attributed to the generation of hydroxyl radicals via ozone photolysis. Subsequently, dosage calculations, as based on disinfectant level and exposure time, indicated that the simultaneous use of UV and ozone could substantially reduce their individual doses.

Characterization of soluble microbial products (SMP) derived from glucose and phenol in dual substrate activated sludge bioreactors.

Soluble microbial products (SMP) generated by activated sludge cultures receiving a mixed feed of phenol and glucose were characterized with respect to molecular weight (MW) distribution, octanol-water partition coefficient (K(ow)), and Microtox toxicity. Short-term batch reactor tests using 14C-labeled substrates were performed to collect SMP derived from each substrate, while long-term tests were performed with SMP accumulated over multiple feed cycles using fed-batch reactors receiving non-labeled substrates. Yield of SMP in the batch tests, 10%-20% for phenol and 2%-5% for glucose, differed for each substrate and was independent of initial concentration. The MW distribution (MWD) of SMP was independent of feed composition, and was bimodal in the < 1 kDa and 10-100 kDa MW ranges for phenol-derived SMP and predominantly < 1 kDa for glucose-derived SMP. In the non-labeled tests, the fraction of SMP of MW > 100 kDa increased with the proportion of glucose in the feed. The K(ow) of phenol-derived SMP was higher compared to glucose-derived SMP, indicating that the phenol-derived SMP were more hydrophobic. This was particularly true at an acidic pH, where the K(ow) was 4.2 +/- 1.0 for phenol-derived SMP versus 0.13 +/- 0.13 for glucose-derived SMP. Toxicity testing indicated that phenol-derived SMP, exerting a mean Microtox inhibition of 1%, were less toxic than phenol itself, and showed little correlation between toxicity and concentration. However, glucose-derived SMP were generally more toxic than glucose itself (a non-toxic substrate), and the toxicity increased linearly with the concentration of SMP.

Relative efficacy of intrinsic and extant parameters for modeling biodegradation of synthetic organic compounds in activated sludge: dynamic systems.

The utility of intrinsic and extant kinetic parameters for simulating the dynamic behavior of a biotreatment system coupled with a distributed, unstructured, balanced microbial growth model were evaluated against the observed response of test reactors to transient loads of synthetic organic compounds (SOCs). Biomass from a completely mixed activated-sludge (CMAS) system was tested in fed-batch reactors, while a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was tested by measuring SOC concentrations during the fill and react period. Both the CMAS system and the SBR were acclimated to a feed containing biogenic substrates and several SOCs, and the transient loading tests were conducted with biogenic substrates along with one or more SOCs. Extant parameters more closely reflect the steady-state degradative capacity of activated-sludge biomass than intrinsic parameters and, hence, were expected to be better predictors of system performance. However, neither extant nor intrinsic parameters accurately predicted system response and neither parameter set was consistently superior to the other. Factors that may have contributed to the inability of the model to predict system response were identified and discussed. These factors included the role of abiotic processes in SOC removal, disparity in the bases used to evaluate parameter estimates (substrate mineralization) and reactor performance (substrate disappearance), inhibitory substrate interactions under the severe loading conditions of the SBR, changes in the physiological state of the biomass during the transient loading tests, and the presumed correlation between the competent biomass concentration and the influent SOC concentration.

Relative efficacy of intrinsic and extant parameters for modeling biodegradation of synthetic organic compounds in activated sludge: steady-state systems.

The performance of intrinsic and extant kinetic parameters as predictors of synthetic organic compound (SOC) concentration in biotreatment systems operated at steady state was evaluated. Two laboratory-scale, completely mixed activated-sludge systems were sampled on a routine basis, and SOC concentrations were quantified using gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection coupled with solid-phase microextraction for analyte concentration. At the same time, intrinsic and extant respirometric tests were performed periodically, and the kinetic parameter estimates obtained were used to predict effluent SOC concentrations for comparison with the measured values. Out of 28 comparisons that could be made between intrinsic and extant predictions, extant parameters were superior in 27 cases and intrinsic parameters were comparable, at best, to extant parameters in the remaining case. Given their superior performance and relative ease of measurement, extant parameters are preferable for use in design and operational decision-making.