Nitrogen and phosphorus removal in pilot-scale anaerobic-anoxic oxidation ditch system

To achieve high efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus removal and to investigate the rule of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification phosphorus removal （SNDPR）, a whole course of SNDPR damage and recovery was studied in a pilot-scale, anaerobicanoxic oxidation ditch （OD）, where the volumes of anaerobic zone, anoxic zone, and ditches zone of the OD system were 7, 21, and 280 L, respectively. The reactor was fed with municipal wastewater with a flow rate of 336 L/d. The concept of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification （SND） rate （rSND） was put forward to quantify SND. The results indicate that： （1） high nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies were achieved during the stable SND phase, total nitrogen （TN） and total phosphate （TP） removal rates were 80% and 85%, respectively; （2） when the system was aerated excessively, the stability of SND was damaged, and rSND dropped from 80% to 20% or less; （3） the natural logarithm of the ratio of NOx to NH4^＋ in the effluent had a linear correlation to oxidation-reduction potential （ORP）; （4） when NO3^- was less than 6 mg/L, high phosphorus removal efficiency could be achieved; （5） denitrifying phosphorus removal （DNPR） could take place in the anaerobic-anoxic OD system. The major innovation was that the SND rate was devised and quantified.

An innovative integrated oxidation ditch with vertical circle(IODVC) for wastewater treatment

The oxidation ditch process is economic and efficient for wastewater treatment, but its application is limited in case where land is costly due to its large land area required. An innovative integrated oxidation ditch with vertical circle(IODVC) system was developed to treat domestic and industrial wastewater aiming to save land area. The new system consists of a single channel divided into two ditches(the top one and the bottom one by a plate), a brush, and an innovative integral clarifier. Different from the horizontal circle of the conventional oxidation ditch, the flow of IODVC system recycles from the top zone to the bottom zone in the vertical circle as the brush is running, and then the IODVC saved land area required by about 50% compared with a conventional oxidation ditch with an intrachannel clarifier. The innovative integral clarifier is effective for separation of liquid and solids, and is preferably positioned at the opposite end of the brush in the ditch. It does not affect the hydrodynamic characteristics of the mixed liquor in the ditch, and the sludge can automatically return to the down ditch without any pump. In this study, experiments of domestic and dye wastewater treatment were carried out in bench scale and in full scale, respectively. Results clearly showed that the IODVC efficiently removed pollutants in the wastewaters, i.e., the average of COD removals for domestic and dye wastewater treatment were 95% and 90%, respectively, and that the IODVC process may provide a cost effective way for full scale dye wastewater treatment.

Numerical simulation of a combined oxidation ditch flow using 3D k-ε turbulence model

The standard three dimensional（3D） k-ε turbulence model was applied to simulate the flow field of a small scale combined oxidation ditch. The moving mesh approach was used to model the rotor of the ditch. Comparison of the computed and the measured data is acceptable. A vertical reverse flow zone in the ditch was found, and it played a very important role in the ditch flow behavior. The flow pattern in the ditch is discussed in detail, and approaches are suggested to improve the hydrodynamic performance in the ditch.

Enhanced biological nutrients removal using an integrated oxidation ditch with vertical circle from wastewater by adding an anaerobic column

Compared to conventional oxidation ditches, an integrated oxidation ditch with vertical circle （IODVC） has the characters of concise configuration, simple operation and maintenance, land saving and automatical sludge returning. By the utilization of vertical circulation, an aerobic zone and an anoxic zone can be unaffectedly formed in the IODVC. Therefore, COD and nitrogen can be efficiently removed. However, the removal efficiency of phosphorus was low in the IODVC. In the experiment described, a laboratory scale system to add an anaerobic column to the IODVC has been tested to investigate the removal of phosphorus from wastewater. The experimental results showed that the removal efficiency of TP with the anaerobic column was increased to 54.0% from 22.3% without the anaerobic column. After the acetic sodium was added into the influent as carbon sources, the mean TP removal efficency of 77. 5 % was obtained. At the same time, the mean removal efficiencies of COD, TN and NH3-N were 92.2%, 81.6% and 98.1%, respectively, at 12 h of HRT and 21-25 d of SRT. The optimal operational conditions in this study were as follows： recycle rate = 1.5-2.0, COD/TN 〉 6, COD/TP 〉 40, COD loading rate = 0.26-0.32 kgCOD/（kgSS· d）, TN loading rate = 0. 028-0. 034 kgTN/（ kgSS·d） and TP loading rate = 0.003-0.005 kgTP/（kgSS· d）, respectively.

Addition of anaerobic tanks to an oxidation ditch system to enhance removal of phosphorus from wastewater

The oxidation ditch has been used for many years all over the world as an economic and efficient wastewater treatment technology. It can remove COD, nitrogen and a part of phosphorus efficiently. In the experiment described, a pilot scale Pasveer oxidation ditch system has been tested to investigate the removal of phosphorus from wastewater. The experimental results showed that influent total phosphorus(TP) was removed for 35%-50%. After this, two anaerobic tanks with total volume of 11 m 3 were added to the system to release phosphorus. As a result, the TP removal efficiency increased by about 20%. At an anaerobic HRT of about 6 hours, a TP removal efficiency of 71% was achieved.

Removal of airborne microorganisms emitted from a wastewater treatment oxidation ditch by adsorption on activated carbon

Bioaerosol emissions from wastewater and wastewater treatment processes are a significant subgroup of atmospheric aerosols. Most previous work has focused on the evaluation of their biological risks. In this study, however, the adsorption method was applied to reduce airborne microorganisms generated from a pilot scale wastewater treatment facility with oxidation ditch. Results showed adsorption on granule activated carbon （GAC） was an efficient method for the purification of airborne microorganisms. The GAC itself had a maximum adsorption capacity of 2217 CFU/g for airborne bacteria and 225 CFU/g for fungi with a flow rate of 1.50 m^3/hr. Over 85% of airborne bacteria and fungi emitted from the oxidation ditch were adsorbed within 80 hr of continuous operation mode. Most of them had a particle size of 0.65-4.7 μm. Those airborne microorganisms with small particle size were apt to be adsorbed. The SEM/EDAX, BET and Boehm＇s titration methods were applied to analyse the physicochemical characteristics of the GAC. Relationships between GAC surface characteristics and its adsorption performance demonstrated that porous structure, large surface area, and hydrophobicity rendered GAC an effective absorber of airborne microorganisms. Two regenerate methods, ultraviolet irradiation and high pressure vapor, were compared for the regeneration of used activated carbon. High pressure vapor was an effective technique as it totally destroyed the microorganisms adhered to the activated carbon. Microscopic observation was also carried out to investigate original and used adsorbents.

Flow field and dissolved oxygen distributions in the outer channel of the Orbal oxidation ditch by monitor and CFD simulation

In the Orbal oxidation ditch, denitrification is primarily accomplished in the outer channel. However, the detailed characteristics of the flow field and dissolved oxygen （DO） distribution in the outer channel are not well understood. Therefore, in this study, the flow velocity and DO concentration in the outer channel of an Orbal oxidation ditch system in a wastewater treatment plant in Beijing （China） were monitored under actual operation conditions. The flow field and DO concentration distributions were analyzed by computed fluid dynamic modeling. In situ monitoring and modeling both showed that the flow velocity was heterogeneous in the outer channel. As a result, the DO was also heterogeneously distributed in the outer channel, with concentration gradients occurring along the flow direction as well as in the cross-section. This heterogeneous DO distribution created many anoxic and aerobic zones, which may have facilitated simultaneous nitrificafion-denitrification in the channel. These findings may provide supporting information for rational optimization of the performance of the Orbal oxidation ditch.

Anoxic phosphorus removal in a pilot scale anaerobic-anoxic oxidation ditch process

The anaerobic-anoxic oxidation ditch(A^(2)/O OD)process is popularly used to eliminate nutrients from domestic wastewater.In order to identify the existence of denitrifying phosphorus removing bacteria(DPB),evaluate the contribution of DPB to biological nutrient removal,and enhance the denitrifying phosphorus removal in the A^(2)/O OD process,a pilot-scale A^(2)/O OD plant(375 L)was conducted.At the same time batch tests using sequence batch reactors(12 L and 4 L)were operated to reveal the significance of anoxic phosphorus removal.The results indicated that:The average removal efficiency of COD,NH^(+)_(4),PO^(3–)_(4),and TN were 88.2%,92.6%,87.8%,and 73.1%,respectively,when the steady state of the pilotscale A^(2)/O OD plant was reached during 31–73 d,demonstrating a good denitrifying phosphorus removal performance.Phosphorus uptake took place in the anoxic zone by poly-phosphorus accumulating organisms NO^(-)_(2) could be used as electron receptors in denitrifying phosphorus removal,and the phosphorus uptake rate with NO^(-)_(2) as the electron receptor was higher than that with NO^(–)_(3) when the initial concentration of either NO^(-)_(2) or NO^(–)_(3) was 40 mg/L.

Flow characteristic and wastewater treatment performance of a pilot-scale airlift oxidation ditch

A pilot-scale airlift oxidation ditch using bubble diffuser and baffle as aerator was operated in a wastewater treatment plant(WWTP)to investigate its flow characteristic and wastewater treatment performance.Compared with the conventional oxidation ditch process,effective depth and oxygen utilization efficiency of this new process was improved by underwater aeration.Furthermore,it had a reversed velocity distribution,which decreased from the bottom to the top on vertical section.Velocity measurement showed that a velocity over 0.2 m/s at the bottom was sufficient to prevent sludge settlement during long term operation.Application of these concepts would save land area and energy consumption by about 25%–50%and 55%,respectively.In this new system,organic biodegradation and nitrification could be well achieved.Denitrification could occur steadily in the straight part by adjusting the airflow rate.An average TN removal rate of 63%was achieved with dissolved oxygen(DO)concentrations between 0.6 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L.The main pollutants in the effluent could meet the strictest discharge standard(COD<50 mg/L,NH4_(+)^(–)N<5 mg/L,and TN<15 mg/L)in China now.

Cost-performance analysis of nutrient removal in a full-scale oxidation ditch process based on kinetic modeling

A full-scale oxidation ditch process for treating sewage was simulated with the ASM2d model and optimized for minimal cost with acceptable performance in terms of ammonium and phosphorus removal. A unified index was introduced by integrating operational costs （aeration energy and sludge production） with effluent violations for performance evaluation. Scenario analysis showed that, in comparison with the baseline （all of the 9 aerators activated）, the strategy of activating 5 aerators could save aeration energy significantly with an ammonium violation below 10%. Sludge discharge scenario analysis showed that a sludge discharge flow of 250- 300 ma/day （solid retention time （SRT）, 13-15 days） was appropriate for the enhancement of phosphorus removal without excessive sludge production. The proposed optimal control strategy was： activating 5 rotating disks operated with a mode of ＂111100100＂ （ ＂1＂ represents activation and ＂0＂ represents inactivation） for aeration and sludge discharge flow of 200 m3/day （SRT, 19 days）. Compared with the baseline, this strategy could achieve ammonium violation below 10% and TP violation below 30% with substantial reduction of aeration energy cost （46%） and minimal increment of sludge production （〈 2%）. This study provides a useful approach for the optimization of process operation and control.

Evaluation on the performance of triple oxidation ditch system treating municipal wastewater

The oxidation ditch system in Handan WWTP is the biggest triple oxidation ditch system (T O.D.) treating municipal wastewater in China with a service population of 350000. The system can perform three functions, aerobic, anoxic and precipitation process in different ditch by alternating the operation mode, and the simultaneous removal of nitrogen and organic substances can be attained. Statistic analysis of data from past five year operation in the WWTP was presented, and investigations on COD, nitrogen, phosphorus removal in system were carried out in the field. The optimum number of aerated brush to meet satisfied nitrification and denitrification was determined on basis of field experiment. The effluent is reused as cooling water for a electricity power plant, and excess sludge is utilized as fertilizer. The concept of an ecological WWTP is put forward by the example of Handan WWTP.

Reduction and characterization of bioaerosols in a wastewater treatment station via ventilation

Bioaerosols from wastewater treatment processes are a significant subgroup of atmospheric aerosols. In the present study,airborne microorganisms generated from a wastewater treatment station（WWTS） that uses an oxidation ditch process were diminished by ventilation.Conventional sampling and detection methods combined with cloning/sequencing techniques were applied to determine the groups,concentrations,size distributions,and species diversity of airborne microorganisms before and after ventilation. There were 3021 ± 537 CFU/m3 of airborne bacteria and 926 ± 132 CFU/m3 of airborne fungi present in the WWTS bioaerosol.Results showed that the ventilation reduced airborne microorganisms significantly compared to the air in the WWTS. Over 60% of airborne bacteria and airborne fungi could be reduced after4 hr of air exchange. The highest removal（92.1% for airborne bacteria and 89.1% for fungi） was achieved for 0.65–1.1 μm sized particles. The bioaerosol particles over 4.7 μm were also reduced effectively. Large particles tended to be lost by gravitational settling and small particles were generally carried away,which led to the relatively easy reduction of bioaerosol particles0.65–1.1 μm and over 4.7 μm in size. An obvious variation occurred in the structure of the bacterial communities when ventilation was applied to control the airborne microorganisms in enclosed spaces.

Occurrence and behavior of pharmaceuticals in sewage treatment plants in eastern China

The occurrence and removal efficiency of seven pharmaceuticals （norfloxacin, trimethoprim, roxithromycin, sulfamethoxazole, ibuprofen, diclofenac and carbamazepine） were determined in three sewage treatment plants （STPs） with anaerobic/anoxic/oxic, anoxic/oxic and oxidation ditches processes in Xuzhou City, Eastern China. The results showed that seven pharmaceuticals were detected in the influent samples with concentrations ranging from 93 to 2540 ng·L^-1. The removal of these substances among the three different STPs varied from 36 to 84%, with the highest performance obtained by the wastewater treatment works with tertiary treatment （sand filtration）. Most of the compounds were removed effectively during biologic treatment while sand filtration treatment also made a contribution to the total elimination of most pharmaceuticals. The efficiency comparison of the three sewage treatment processes showed that the STP which employed anaerobic/anoxic/oxic was more effective to remove pharmaceuticals than the oxidation ditches and anoxic/oxic.

Simulation of long-term nutrient removal in a full-scale closed-loop bioreactor for sewage treatment： an example of Bayesian inference

In this study, the performance of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in a full-scale closed-loop bioreactor （oxidation ditch） system was simulated using the ASM2d model. Routine data describing the process for two years were compiled for calibration and validation. To overcome the identifiability problem, the classic Bayesian inference approach was utilized for parameter estimation. The calibrated model could describe the long-term trend of nutrient removal and short-term variations of the process performance, showing that the Bayesian method was a reliable and useful tool for the parameter estimation of the activated sludge models. The anoxic phosphate uptake by polyphosphate accumulating organisms （PAO） contributed 71.2% of the total Poly-P storage, which reveals the dominance of denitrifying phosphorus removal process under the oxygen limiting conditions. It was found that 58.7% of the anoxic Poly-P storage and denitrification by PAO in the reactor was achieved in the aerated compartment, implying that the PAO＇s anoxic activity was significantly stimulated by the low dissolved oxygen （DO） level in this compartment due to the oxygen gradient caused by brush aerator.