Effects of dissolved oxygen on performance and microbial community structure in a micro-aerobic hydrolysis sludge in situ reduction process.

A sludge process reduction activated sludge (SPRAS), with a sludge process reduction module composed of a micro-aerobic tank and a settler positioned before conventional activated sludge process, showed good performance of pollutant removal and sludge reduction. Two SPRAS systems were operated to investigate effects of micro-aeration on sludge reduction performance and microbial community structure. When dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the micro-aerobic tank decreased from 2.5 (SPH) to 0.5 (SPL) mg/L, the sludge reduction efficiency increased from 42.9% to 68.3%. Compared to SPH, activated sludge in SPL showed higher contents of extracellular polymeric substances and dissolved organic matter. Destabilization of floc structure in the settler, and cell lysis in the sludge process reduction module were two major reasons for sludge reduction. Illumina-MiSeq sequencing showed that microbial diversity decreased under high DO concentration. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi were the most abundant phyla in the SPRAS. Specific comparisons down to the class and genus level showed that fermentative, predatory and slow-growing bacteria in SPL community were more abundant than in SPH. The results revealed that micro-aeration in the SPRAS improved hydrolysis efficiency and enriched fermentative and predatory bacteria responsible for sludge reduction.

A micro-aerobic hydrolysis process for sludge in situ reduction: performance and microbial community structure.

A sludge process reduction activated sludge (SPRAS) system by inserting a sludge process reduction (SPR) module, composed of a micro-aerobic tank and a settler, before activated sludge process was operated for sludge in situ reduction. The average removal efficiencies of COD and ammonium nitrogen were 86.6% and 87.9%, respectively. Compared to anoxic/aerobic (AO) process, SPRAS process reduced sludge production by 57.9% with observed sludge yield of 0.076 gVSS/gCOD. Pyrosequencing analyses revealed that the relative abundance and stability of microbial communities in SPRAS system were higher than AO system. Fermentative acidogenic classes Anaerolineae, Actinobacteria, Cytophagia and Caldilineae were enriched in the SPR module and responsible for sludge reduction. Specific comparison down to the genus level identified the enrichment of oxyanion-reducing bacteria (Sulfuritalea; Azospira; Ramlibacter), fermentative acidogenic bacteria (Propionivibrio; Opitutus; Caldilinea), slow growers (Ramlibacter) and predatory bacteria (Myxobacteria) in SPRAS system. Nitrifiers were also more abundant in SPRAS system than AO system.

Phosphonate removal from discharged circulating cooling water using iron-carbon micro-electrolysis.

Phosphonate is a commonly used corrosion and scale inhibitor for a circulating cooling water (CCW) system. Its discharge could cause eutrophication of receiving waters. The iron-carbon (Fe/C) micro-electrolysis technology was used to degrade and remove phosphonate from discharged CCW. The influences of initial pH, Fe/C ratio (FCR) and temperature on phosphonate removal were investigated in a series of batch tests and optimized by response surface methodology. The quadratic model of phosphonate removal was obtained with satisfactory degrees of fitness. The optimum conditions with total phosphorus removal efficiency of 95% were obtained at pH 7.0, FCR of 1.25, and temperature of 45 °C. The phosphonate removal mechanisms were also studied. Phosphonate removal occurred predominantly via two consecutive reactive phases: the degradation of phosphonate complexes (Ca-phosphonate) and the precipitation of Fe/C micro-electrolysis products (PO4(3-), Ca²âº and Fe³âº).

[Optimization for phosphorous removal in thickening and dewatering sludge water by polyaluminum chloride].

Based on the comparison of phosphorous removal in sludge water and its supernatant by polyaluminum chloride (PAC), separate and combined effects of Al/P mole ratio, pH and mixing speed (MS) on phosphorus removal by PAC for the supernatant of thickening and dewatering sludge water were analyzed by the response surface methodology (RSM), and kinetics of phosphorous removal by PAC was also investigated. The results showed that direct addition of PAC into sludge water deteriorated its settling characteristics, and suspended solids in the sludge water could decrease the phosphorus removal efficiency. The RSM analysis results demonstrated that the effect of individual operation parameter on phosphorus removal was followed as the order of Al/P > pH > MS, and the optimal process parameters with phosphorus removal efficiency of 97.8% were Al/P = 2.49, pH = 8.3 and MS 398 r x min(-1), respectively. The verification experiment showed that the RSM model was valid and effective. Kinetic analysis illustrated that phosphorus removal by PAC was divided into two stages, a chemical precipitation and rapid adsorption stage, followed by a chemical precipitation stage that conformed to the second-order kinetics.

Sludge reduction and performance analysis of a modified sludge reduction process.

A modified sludge process reduction activated sludge (SPRAS) technology was developed by inserting a sludge process reduction (SPR) module, composed of an aeration tank and a settler, before the activated sludge system was proposed in this study. Compared with the anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (AAO) process, the SPRAS resulted in a remarkable decrease in sludge production by 76.6%; sludge decay owing to lengthy solids retention time (about 121.5 d) could be the major cause. During the 217-day operation, the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) (from 54 to -198 mV) and pH (from 7.8 to 5.0) at the bottom of the SPR settler gradually decreased, and low ORP and pH were in favor of sludge reduction in the SPRAS system. The insertion of the SPR module improved the removal efficiencies of suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand and ammonium nitrogen, and total nitrogen concentration in the effluent was reduced from 23.89 ± 4.82 to 14.16 ± 3.98 mg/L by 50% influent bypassing the SPR module. These results indicated that the SPRAS process could produce much less excess sludge and guarantee better effluent quality than the AAO process.