G. Ziglio

Sludge Reduction Technologies in Wastewater Treatment Plants

Sludge Reduction Technologies in Wastewater Treatment Plants is a review of the sludge reduction techniques integrated in wastewater treatment plants with detailed chapters on the most promising and most widespread techniques. The aim of the book is to update the international community on the current status of knowledge and techniques in the field of sludge reduction. It will provide a comprehensive understanding of the following issues in sludge reduction: This book will be essential reading for managers and technical staff of wastewater treatment plants as well as graduate students and post-graduate specialists. ISBN: 9781843392781 (Print) ISBN: 9781780401706 (eBook)

Assessment of activated sludge viability with flow cytometry

The aim of the study was to evaluate the applicability of fluorescent dyes and multiparameter flow cytometry for the rapid and direct viability/activity assessment of activated sludge samples taken from wastewater treatment plants. Viability and activity of the biomass were estimated respectively through cellular membrane integrity, staining with SYBR Green I and Propidium Iodide, and through fluorogenic dyes capable of detecting enzymatic activity, as FDA and BCECF-AM. A procedure has been developed to disaggregate sludge flocs before dyes staining and cytometric analysis. The developed procedure allows a high recovery of bacteria with good accuracy and repeatability, and minimize the damage of the cells suspension obtained from the disaggregation of the flocs. These measurements were applied to estimate the two main parameters required to define the biological activated sludge process: the endogenous decay rate and the specific growth rate in exponential phase with high F/M ratio. Oxygen utilization rate measurements (OUR) were conducted to conventionally monitor the activity of the biomass. The preliminary data are encouraging and support the possibility to investigate bacteria dynamics on wastewater treatment plants.

Direct quantification of bacterial biomass in influent, effluent and activated sludge of wastewater treatment plants by using flow cytometry

A rapid multi-step procedure, potentially amenable to automation, was proposed for quantifying viable and active bacterial cells, estimating their biovolume using flow cytometry (FCM) and to calculate their biomass within the main stages of a wastewater treatment plant: raw wastewater, settled wastewater, activated sludge and effluent. Fluorescent staining of bacteria using SYBR-Green I + Propidium Iodide (to discriminate cell integrity or permeabilisation) and BCECF-AM (to identify enzymatic activity) was applied to count bacterial cells by FCM. A recently developed specific procedure was applied to convert Forward Angle Light Scatter measured by FCM into the corresponding bacterial biovolume. This conversion permits the calculation of the viable and active bacterial biomass in wastewater, activated sludge and effluent, expressed as Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS) or particulate Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Viable bacterial biomass represented only a small part of particulate COD in raw wastewater (4.8 +/- 2.4%), settled wastewater (10.7 +/- 3.1%), activated sludge (11.1 +/- 2.1%) and effluent (3.2 +/- 2.2%). Active bacterial biomass counted for a percentage of 30-47% of the viable bacterial biomass within the stages of the wastewater treatment plant.

Use of silica microspheres having refractive index similar to bacteria for conversion of flow cytometric forward light scatter into biovolume

This research describes an alternative approach for the rapid conversion of flow cytometric Forward Angle Light Scattering (FALS) into bacterial biovolume. The Rayleigh-Gans theory was considered for explaining the main parameters affecting FALS intensity: sensitivity analysis of the model was carried out, taking into account the parameters characteristic of bacterial cells and characteristics of the flow cytometer. For particles with size in the typical range of bacteria, the FALS intensity is affected mainly by volume and refractive index of bacterial cells and is approximately independent of the shape of the cells. The proposed conversion from FALS intensity into bacterial biovolume is based on a calibration curve determined by using silica microspheres having relative refractive index as far as possible similar to that of bacteria. The approach was validated for two different flow cytometers (the first equipped with an arc lamp and the second with a laser) by comparing the biovolume distribution obtained from FALS conversion with the biovolume measured conventionally under epifluorescence microscopy. The specific case of bacteria taken from a WWTP was addressed. Compared to the time-consuming conventional microscopic approach, the application of FALS for sizing bacterial biovolume could be a very promising tool being completed in few minutes, simultaneously to the enumeration of bacteria during the flow cytometric analysis.

Effects of the Metalloid Oxyanion Tellurite (TeO32−) on Growth Characteristics of the Phototrophic Bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus

ABSTRACT This work examines the effects of potassium tellurite (K2TeO3) on the cell viability of the facultative phototroph Rhodobacter capsulatus. There was a growth mode-dependent response in which cultures anaerobically grown in the light tolerate the presence of up to 250 to 300 μg of tellurite (TeO32−) per ml, while dark-grown aerobic cells were inhibited at tellurite levels as low as 2 μg/ml. The tellurite sensitivity of aerobic cultures was evident only for growth on minimal salt medium, whereas it was not seen during growth on complex medium. Notably, through the use of flow cytometry, we show that the cell membrane integrity was strongly affected by tellurite during the early growth phase (≤50% viable cells); however, at the end of the growth period and in parallel with massive tellurite intracellular accumulation as elemental Te0 crystallites, recovery of cytoplasmic membrane integrity was apparent (≥90% viable cells), which was supported by the development of a significant membrane potential (Δψ = 120 mV). These data are taken as evidence that in anaerobic aquatic habitats, the facultative phototroph R. capsulatus might act as a natural scavenger of the highly soluble and toxic oxyanion tellurite.

Biological treatment of winery wastewater: an overview.

The treatment of winery wastewater can realised using several biological processes based both on aerobic or anaerobic systems using suspended biomass or biofilms. Several systems are currently offered by technology providers and current research envisages the availability of new promising technologies for winery wastewater treatment. The present paper intends to present a brief state of the art of the existing status and advances in biological treatment of winery wastewater in the last decade, considering both lab, pilot and full-scale studies. Advantages, drawbacks, applied organic loads, removal efficiency and emerging aspects of the main biological treatments were considered and compared. Nevertheless in most treatments the COD removal efficiency was around 90-95% (remaining COD is due to the un-biodegradable soluble fraction), the applied organic loads are very different depending on the applied technology, varying for an order of magnitude. Applied organic loads are higher in biofilm systems than in suspended biomass while anaerobic biofilm processes have the smaller footprint but in general a higher level of complexity.

Membrane bioreactors for winery wastewater treatment: case-studies at full scale.

The membrane bioreactor technology (MBR) is nowadays a suitable alternative for winery wastewater treatment, thanks to low footprint, complete suspended solids removal, high efficiency in COD abatement and quick start-up. In this paper, data from two full-scale MBRs equipped with flat-sheet membranes (plant A and plant B) are presented and discussed. COD characterisation by respirometry pointed out the high biodegradability degree of both wastewater, with a strong prevalence of the readily biodegradable fraction. An extended version of Activated Sludge Model No. 3 was used to fit the experimental OUR profiles and to assess the maximum growth rate of heterotrophic biomass on sludge samples collected at both sites; the stoichiometric yield coefficients were also calculated. Sludge filterability and dewaterability were investigated with batch tests; laboratory results confirmed the field observations. Finally, some considerations are listed, aimed at defining possible key-issues for optimal process design and operation.

Methods For Toxicity Testing Of Xenobiotics In Wastewater Treatment Plants And In Receiving Water Bodies

This paper focuses on conventional and advanced promising methods for the evaluation of toxicity originated by xenobiotics in WWTPs and surface waters. A concise review about toxicity tests applied to activated sludge and to receiving water bodies was presented. Advantages or limitations of the methods were discussed. Both heterotrophic and nitrifying activity were considered. Experimental results on the application to activated sludge of conventional toxicity tests (based on respirometry and bioluminescence) and advanced methods (based on the direct quantification of viable or dead bacteria by using flow cytometry) were presented in this paper. The advantage of respirometry and flow cytometry is related to the use of bacteria present in WWTPs, without need of using pure bacterial strains different from activated sludge.

DRINKING WATER AND WASTE WATER DISINFECTION: STRATEGIES AND PROBLEMS

Abstract Within the European Union, many different disinfection systems are being used. They are applied both in facilities for the potabilization of ground and surface water, and for the disinfection of wastewater after a biological treatment. Although chemical and physical processes are usually employed, treatment procedures and results are quite different. In this work, main disinfection systems used in European Countries in water potabilization facilities are described. The growing use of surface water for the production of drinking water, underlines the necessity to minimize the formation of by-products with potentially toxic long-term effect. This leads to define adequate control strategies in potabilization processes: both used reagents and process schemes must be analysed considering this important aspect. In the second part of the paper, problems dealing with the disinfection of wastewater and the main characteristics of the most important disinfection systems (as far as their applicability and efficiency are concerned) are analyzed. The results of a research carried out in order to compare four different disinfection systems (ozonation, disinfection with chlorine dioxide, UV radiation, peracetic acid disinfection) are also shortly presented.