Dries Seuntjens

Control of nitratation in an oxygen-limited autotrophic nitrification/denitrification rotating biological contactor through disc immersion level variation

With oxygen supply playing a crucial role in an oxygen-limited autotrophic nitrification/denitrification (OLAND) rotating biological contactor (RBC), its controlling factors were investigated in this study. Disc rotation speeds (1.8 and 3.6rpm) showed no influence on the process performance of a lab-scale RBC, although abiotic experiments showed a significant effect on the oxygenation capacity. Estimations of the biological oxygen uptake rate revealed that 85-89% of the oxygen was absorbed by the microorganisms during the air exposure of the discs. Indeed, increasing the disc immersion (50 to 75-80%) could significantly suppress undesired nitratation, on the short and long term. The presented results demonstrated that nitratation could be controlled by the immersion level and revealed that oxygen control in an OLAND RBC should be predominantly based on the atmospheric exposure percentage of the discs.

Energy efficient treatment of A-stage effluent: pilot-scale experiences with shortcut nitrogen removal

Energy autarky of sewage treatment plants, while reaching chemical oxygen demand (COD) and N discharge limits, can be achieved by means of shortcut N-removal. This study presents the results of a shortcut N-removal pilot, located at the biological two-stage (high/low rate) wastewater treatment plant of Breda, The Netherlands. The pilot treated real effluent of a high-rate activated sludge (COD/N = 3), fed in a continuous mode at realistic loading rates (90-100 g N/(m(3)·d)). The operational strategy, which included increased stress on the sludge settling velocity, showed development of a semi-granular sludge, with average particle size of 280 μm (ø(4,3)), resulting in increased suppression of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. The process was able to remove part of the nitrogen (51 ± 23%) over nitrite, with COD/N removal ratios of 3.2 ± 0.9. The latter are lower than the current operation of the full-scale B-stage in Breda (6.8-9.4), showing promising results for carbon-efficient N-removal, while producing a well settling sludge (SVI(30) < 100 mL/g).

High-rate activated sludge communities have a distinctly different structure compared to low-rate sludge communities, and are less sensitive towards environmental and operational variables.

High-rate activated sludge processes allow for the recovery of organics and energy from wastewaters. These systems are operated at a short sludge retention time and high sludge-specific loading rates, which results in a higher sludge yield and better digestibility than conventional, low-rate activated sludge. Little is known about the microbial ecology of high-rate systems. In this work, we address the need for a fundamental understanding of how high-rate microbial communities differ from low-rate communities. We investigated the high-rate and low-rate communities in a sewage treatment plant in relation to environmental and operational variables over a period of ten months. We demonstrated that (1) high-rate and low-rate communities are distinctly different in terms of richness, evenness and composition, (2) high-rate community dynamics are more variable and less shaped by deterministic factors compared to low-rate communities, (3) sub-communities of continuously core and transitional members are more shaped by deterministic factors than the continuously rare members, both in high-rate and low-rate communities, and (4) high-rate community members showed a co-occurrence pattern similar to that of low-rate community members, but were less likely to be correlated to environmental and operational variables. These findings provide a basis for further optimization of high-rate systems, in order to facilitate resource recovery from wastewater.

Effective carbon and nutrient treatment solutions for mixed domestic-industrial wastewater in India

The present study evaluates effectiveness of up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor followed by two post-anaerobic treatment options, namely free-surface, up-flow constructed wetland (FUP-CW) and oxygen-limited anaerobic nitrification/denitrification (OLAND) processes in treating sewage from the peri-urban areas in India receiving illegal industrial infiltrations. The UASB studies yielded robust results towards fluctuating strength of sewage and consistently removed 87-98% chemical oxygen demand (COD) at a hydraulic retention time of 1.5-2 d. The FUP-CW removed 68.5±13% COD, 68±3% NH4+-N, 38±5% PO4(3-)-P, 97.6±5% suspended particles and 97±13% fecal coliforms. Nutrient removal was found to be limiting in FUP-CW, especially in winter. Nitrogen removal in the OLAND process were 100 times higher than the FUP-CW process. Results show that UASB followed by FUP-CW can be an excellent, decentralized sewage treatment option, except during winter when nutrient removal is limited in FUP-CW. Hence, the study proposes bio-augmentation of FUP-CW with OLAND biomass for overall improvement in the performance of UASB followed by FUP-CW process.

Synergistic Exposure of Return-Sludge to Anaerobic Starvation, Sulfide, and Free Ammonia to Suppress Nitrite Oxidizing Bacteria

A key step toward energy-positive sewage treatment is the development of mainstream partial nitritation/anammox, a nitrogen removal technology where aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AerAOB) are desired, while nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are not. To suppress NOB, a novel return-sludge treatment was investigated. Single and combined effects of sulfide (0-600 mg S L-1), anaerobic starvation (0-8 days), and a free ammonia (FA) shock (30 mg FA-N L-1 for 1 h) were tested for immediate effects and long-term recovery. AerAOB and NOB were inhibited immediately and proportionally by sulfide, with AerAOB better coping with the inhibition, while the short FA shock and anaerobic starvation had minor effects. Combinatory effects inhibited AerAOB and NOB more strongly. A combined treatment of sulfide (150 mg S L-1), 2 days of anaerobic starvation, and FA shock (30 mg FA-N L-1) inhibited AerAOB 14% more strongly compared to sulfide addition alone, while the AerAOB/NOB activity ratio remained constant. Despite no positive change being observed in the immediate-stress response, AerAOB recovered much faster than NOB, with a nitrite accumulation ratio (effluent nitrite on nitrite + nitrate) peak of 50% after 12 days. Studying long-term recovery is therefore crucial for design of an optimal NOB-suppression treatment, while applying combined stressors regularly may lead toward practical implementation.