Adrianus van Haandel

Utilização de wetland construído no pós-tratamento de esgotos domésticos pré-tratados em reator UASB

In this investigation the performance of three wetland systems, operated with UASB effluent was evaluated with respect to removal of nutrients, pathogens, as well as carbonaceous matter over a three years period. The efficiency of carbonaceous material removal varied from 70 to 86%; the produced effluent maintained an average value of 60mg.L-1. The removal of nitrogen and phosphorus during the first year of operation was considerable, 66 and 86% respectively. The wetland with vegetation produced effluent with a higher removal efficiency of thermo-tolerant Coliforms than units without vegetation, when both were operated with the same hydraulic load (23 mm d-1). However, variance analysis confirmed that there was no significant difference between the coliform removal efficiencies in the systems with and without vegetation.

Tratamento de esgoto para uso na agricultura do semi-árido nordestino

The performance of three systems for the post treatment of digested sewage is discussed. The investigated systems were wetlands, rock beds and polishing ponds. The objective of the post treatment was to produce a final effluent for irrigation of cultures in semi-arid areas in North-East Brazil. From the obtained data COD, pH, solids, macronutrients, helminths eggs and thermo tolerant coliforms it was concluded that only polishing ponds were compatible with the WHO recommendation for unrestricted irrigation. Effluents from the wetland and rock bed systems, although free from helminths eggs, contained a higher thermo tolerant coliform concentration than that recommended by WHO. The macro and micronutrient concentrations in all three post treatment systems effluents were high enough for the demand of most cultures in the semi-arid region of North-East Brazil .

Improved performance and increased applicability of waste stabilisation ponds by pretreatment in a UASB reactor

Traditionally waste stabilisation ponds (WSPs) are built as flow-through systems with an anaerobic, a facultative and one or more maturation ponds in series. The anaerobic pond can be substituted with great advantage by an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. The practical advantages are that the required volume for the UASB reactor is much smaller than the anaerobic pond (20 to 30 times) and that the biogas in the UASB reactor is captured, so that odour problems can be eliminated. The UASB reactor is neighbour friendly and can be used in densely populated areas. The UASB reactor is more efficient than the anaerobic pond, so that the residual organic load is small and the subsequent pond configuration can be designed with the specific purpose of eliminating pathogens. By adopting a plug flow regime, the required area for a particular hygienic effluent quality can be greatly reduced. Also, since the UASB effluent has good transparency, photosynthesis in the ponds is intense and pH increases due to biological carbon dioxide consumption, accelerating the death rate of pathogens and opening the possibility of reducing nutrients: Nitrogen by desorption of gaseous NH 3 and phosphorus by phosphate precipitation. The fact that an odour free system with a high quality effluent can be produced in relatively small system composed by a UASB reactor + maturation ponds, increases the applicability of this system for sewage treatment in urban areas. As operation of both UASB and ponds is very simple, several small treatment plants instead of one large central unit may be constructed. Thus a very significant of the sewerage network may be achieved.

Post treatment of the effluent from a UASB reactor using constructed "wetlands" systems

In this paper an evaluation is made of the performance of wetlands systems used for post treatment of the effluent from a UASB reactor. The removal of organic material, forms of nitrogen and phosphorus were evaluated. The UASB reactor treats municipal sewage in the City of Campina Grande-Brazil. The produced effluent was pumped to four pilot scale wetlands units. Three of these were cultivated with emerging macrophytes (Juncus sp) whereas the fourth was operated without vegetation as a control unit. The three units with vegetation were operated with different hydraulic loads: 4.5, 3.3 and 2.3 cm d-1. The results obtained during the operation period of twenty six weeks were promising. The observed removal efficiencies of organic matter (measured as COD) ranged from 76 to 84% for application load varying from 6.58 to 14.2 g COD m2 d-1. With respect to nutrient removal, it is shown that it was possible to produce an effluent with 6.1 mg L-1 N-NH+4 L-1 and 7.6 mg L-1 of TKN with about 86 and 87% removal, respectively, whereas the removal of phosphorus was observed to be 100% in the wetlands system operating with a hydraulic load of 2.3 cm d-1.

Monitoramento da atividade bacteriana de um sistema de lodos ativados Bardenpho por meio da respirometria

In the sewage water treatment aerobic systems oxygen is a fundamental element for the bacterial mass to be able to metabolize organic matter and oxidize compounds such as ammonia. Respirometry can be used in the follow-up of such process. The goals of this research are: (1) to assess the influence of interrupting aeration under Bardenpho-type systems bacterial activity; (2) to study on the influence of pH in the oxidative capacity of nitrifying bacteria; (3) to establish the ideal pH rate for developing nitrifying bacteria; (4) to observe the reliability of respirometry in monitoring the bacterial activity. The conclusions achieved were that (1) the metabolic capacity is gradually reduced as a longer period without aeration is applied, (2) the pH directly influenced the activity of nitrifying bacteria in a distinct manner for both nitrite and nitrate oxidation, and (3) respirometry was a very useful tool for assessing bacterial activity and activated sludge systems.