Linda Figueroa

Hydraulic and purification behaviors and their interactions during wastewater treatment in soil infiltration systems

Four three-dimensional lysimeters were established in a pilot laboratory with the same medium sand and either an aggregate-laden (AL) or aggregate-free (AF) infiltration surface and a 60- or 90-cm soil vadose zone depth to ground water. During 48 weeks of operation, each lysimeter was dosed 4 times daily with septic tank effluent (STE) at 5 cm/d (AL) or 8.4 cm/d (AF). Weekly monitoring was done to characterize the STE, percolate flow and composition, and water content distributions within the lysimeters. Bromide tracer tests were completed at weeks 0, 8, and 45 and during the latter two times, ice nucleating active (INA) bacteria and MS-2 and PRD-1 bacteriophages were used as bacterial and viral surrogates. After 48 weeks, soil cores were collected and analyzed for chemical and microbial properties. The observations made during this study revealed a dynamic, interactive behavior for hydraulic and purification processes that were similar for all four lysimeters. Media utilization and bromide retention times increased during the first two months of operation with the median bromide breakthrough exceeding one day at start-up and increasing to two days or more. Purification processes were gradually established over four months or longer, after which there were high removal efficiencies (>90%) for organic constituents, microorganisms, and virus, but only limited removal of nutrients. Soil core analyses revealed high biogeochemical activity within the infiltrative zone from 0 to 15 cm depth. All four lysimeters exhibited comparable behavior and there were no significant differences in performance attributable to infiltrative surface character or soil depth. It is speculated that the comparable performance is due to a similar and sufficient degree of soil clogging genesis coupled with bioprocesses that effectively purified the wastewater effluent given the adequate retention times and high volumetric utilizations of the sand media.

Modeling Reduction of Uranium U(VI) under Variable Sulfate Concentrations by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria

ABSTRACT The kinetics for the reduction of sulfate alone and for concurrent uranium [U(VI)] and sulfate reduction, by mixed and pure cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) at 21 ± 3°C were studied. The mixed culture contained the SRB Desulfovibrio vulgarisalong with a Clostridium sp. determined via 16S ribosomal DNA analysis. The pure culture was Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (ATCC 7757). A zero-order model best fit the data for the reduction of sulfate from 0.1 to 10 mM. A lag time occurred below cell concentrations of 0.1 mg (dry weight) of cells/ml. For the mixed culture, average values for the maximum specific reaction rate,Vmax, ranged from 2.4 ± 0.2 μmol of sulfate/mg (dry weight) of SRB · h−1) at 0.25 mM sulfate to 5.0 ± 1.1 μmol of sulfate/mg (dry weight) of SRB · h−1 at 10 mM sulfate (average cell concentration, 0.52 mg [dry weight]/ml). For the pure culture,Vmax was 1.6 ± 0.2 μmol of sulfate/mg (dry weight) of SRB · h−1 at 1 mM sulfate (0.29 mg [dry weight] of cells/ml). When both electron acceptors were present, sulfate reduction remained zero order for both cultures, while uranium reduction was first order, with rate constants of 0.071 ± 0.003 mg (dry weight) of cells/ml · min−1 for the mixed culture and 0.137 ± 0.016 mg (dry weight) of cells/ml · min−1 (U0 = 1 mM) for the D. desulfuricans culture. Both cultures exhibited a faster rate of uranium reduction in the presence of sulfate and no lag time until the onset of U reduction in contrast to U alone. This kinetics information can be used to design an SRB-dominated biotreatment scheme for the removal of U(VI) from an aqueous source.

Quantification of denitrification potential in carbonaceous trickling filters

Biofilm samples from a carbonaceous trickling filter (TF) were evaluated in bench scale reactors to determine their maximum potential denitrification rates. Intact, undisturbed biofilms were placed into 0.6 L bench-scale reactors filled with sterilized, primary clarifier effluent spiked with nitrate to a final concentration of 16-18 mg/L as N. Dissolved oxygen concentrations were maintained between 2 and 4 mg/L in the bulk aqueous phase. Nitrate loss from the reactors was monitored over a 5h period. Denitrification rates of 3.09-5.55 g-N/m(2)day were observed with no initial lag period. This suggests that the capacity for denitrification is inherent in the biofilm and that denitrification can take place even when oxygen is present in the bulk aqueous phase. There were no significant differences in denitrification rates per unit area of media (g-N/m(2)day) either between (a). experimental runs or (b). sampling locations over the trickling filter. This suggests that denitrification potentials are uniform over the entire volume of the full-scale TF. For wastewater treatment plants with TFs that currently nitrify downstream, this approach may be used to meet less stringent permitted discharge concentrations and may allow some facilities to postpone or eliminate construction of additional unit processes for denitrification.

Pilot scale application of anaerobic baffled reactor for biologically enhanced primary treatment of raw municipal wastewater.

A four-cell anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) was operated for two years treating raw municipal wastewater at ambient water and air temperatures of 12-23 °C and -10 to 35 °C, respectively. The 1000-L pilot reactor operated at a 12-h hydraulic residence time and was located in the Headworks building of the Plum Creek Water Reclamation Authority. The average influent was TSS = 510 ± 400 mg/L, BOD5 = 320 ± 80 mg/L and the average removal of TSS and BOD5 was 83 ± 10% and 47 ± 15%, respectively. The TSS and BOD removal exceeded that of conventional primary clarification, with no wasting of the settled solids over the two-years and stoichiometric production of methane. The estimated energy content of the biogas produced per unit volume of wastewater treated averaged 0.45 kWh/m(3). The TSS and total COD removal in the first cell averaged 75 ± 15% and 43 ± 14%, respectively, but methane production was only 20% of the total observed for the full ABR. The performance of the ABR relative to the extent of solids hydrolysis and methane production can be varied by the number of cells and hydraulic residence time. The anaerobic baffled reactor is an energy-positive technology that can be used for biologically enhanced primary treatment of raw municipal wastewater in cold climates.

Modeling the adsorption of U(VI) onto animal chitin using coupled mass transfer and surface complexation

This paper reports the development of a treatment system, using animal chitin as a passive biosorbent, for removing U(VI) from aqueous waste streams. An integral part of this system is a model that provides for the optimization of the treatment system through simulation of U(VI) removal efficiency based on the characteristics of the influent waste stream. The model accounts for changing solution matrix conditions through the coupling of surface complexation and mass transfer models. Complexation of U(VI) by chitin surface sites was modeled using FITEQL. Application of FITEQL in the “forward” mode provided the sorbed and aqueous phase concentrations needed for the mass transfer model. The mass transfer model was derived for both batch and continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) configurations using Ficks Law, reactor mass balances and rate law expressions. The coupled model was successfully validated using CSTR data at pH 6.5 and rate constants determined from batch sorption experiments. The CSTR configuration yields a steady-state, eighty percent U(VI) removal for 1 μM influent U(VI) with a solution-phase pH of 6.5 and 3.9 g l−1 chitin.

COMPARING CHITIN AND ORGANIC SUBSTRATES ON THE NATIONAL TUNNEL WATERS IN BLACKHAWK, COLORADO FOR MANGANESE REMOVAL 1

The National Tunnel is a part of the Central City / Idaho Springs Superfund site. Because passive treatment is an important possibility for removal of contaminants from the water, the USEPA and the Colorado Division of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) have been sponsoring a bench-scale study of different organic substrates for sulfate-reducing bioreactors (SRBRs). The substrates being tested include ethanol, woodchips and hay, woodchips and corn stover, and crab-shell chitin. After 6-18 months of operation, all of the reactors are showing significant amounts of sulfate reduction. In all of the reactors, Cu and Zn are removed to below their respective ambient water quality criteria of 0.010 and 0.100 mg/L. As is commonly observed in SRBRs, Mn removal is significantly less, with the exception of the chitin reactors. The reason for chitins superior Mn removal may be the dissolution of calcite from the crab shell. In the chitin reactors, Ca has increased from 210 to 870 mg/L and alkalinity has increased from zero to up to 5,000 mg CaCO3 / L. Furthermore, the pH of the effluent leaving the chitin systems averages 6.9. In most SRBRs, Mn is precipitated as MnCO3 and significant removal does not occur until the pH is raised to between 7 and 8. This is the case in the other types of SRBRs being tested at the National Tunnel, as their Mn removal efficiencies have only approached 50 % at pH values ranging from 6.5 to 7.5. However, in the chitin reactors, 86% of the influent Mn is being removed from 21.5 mg/L to an average of 3 mg/L. The high removal is very similar to the removal of Mn in pulsed limestone beds that are maximized for the dissolution of calcite. These chitin reactors have been operating for six months while the other substrate reactors have been operating for over one year.

EFFECT OF SOLID PHASE ORGANIC SUBSTRATE CHARACTERISTICS ON SULFATE REDUCER ACTIVITY AND METAL REMOVAL IN PASSIVE MINE DRAINAGE TREATMENT SYSTEMS 1

This paper is a progress report on studies whose objectives are to determine methods of analysis that will rate metal sorption and sulfate reduction activity of organic materials for use in passive treatment systems (PTS). Substrates tested include agricultural residues (alfalfa pellets, sugar beat pulp pellets, brewery waste, corncobs, and walnut hulls), inoculums (dairy manure and wetland inoculum), and a variety woods (maple, oak, pine, poplar, and walnut). Characteristics targeted include moisture, organic and nutrient content; water, ethanol and acid soluble and insoluble fractions and metal sorption capacity. The short-term and long-term effects of organic substrate characteristics on metal removal and sulfate reduction rate are being evaluated in batch and column experiments receiving mine water. These data are not presented in this paper but will be included in the oral presentation. Measured values of moisture and organic content ranged from 5.5 to 65% and 7.4 to 95% relative to raw sample weights, respectively. The water-soluble fractions and protein content ranged from 0 to 32% and 2 to 23% relative to dried samples, respectively. Low concentration zinc sorption studies were described well by Freundlich isotherms. Using a wider range of concentrations, manganese sorption to substrates was more closely modeled by Langmuir isotherms. The highest manganese sorption was observed for manure, corncobs, walnut hulls and wetland inoculum (8-13 mg Mn / gram substrate at an equilibrium concentration (Ce) = 50 mg/L Mn). Corncobs and walnut hulls can be included in substrate specifications to target manganese removal. Moisture and organic content are important parameters in the specification of organic substrates as a significant portion of the raw organic substrate weight can be inorganic. A high soluble fraction should correlate with a rapid startup of SRB activity and thus is an important element in substrate specification. All substrates have some capacity for metal sorption and their quantification is essential for use in PTS.

Organoheterotrophic Bacterial Abundance Associates with Zinc Removal in Lignocellulose-Based Sulfate-Reducing Systems.

Syntrophic relationships between fermentative and sulfate-reducing bacteria are essential to lignocellulose-based systems applied to the passive remediation of mining-influenced waters. In this study, seven pilot-scale sulfate-reducing bioreactor columns containing varying ratios of alfalfa hay, pine woodchips, and sawdust were analyzed over ∼500 days to investigate the influence of substrate composition on zinc removal and microbial community structure. Columns amended with >10% alfalfa removed significantly more sulfate and zinc than did wood-based columns. Enumeration of sulfate reducers by functional signatures (dsrA) and their putative identification from 16S rRNA genes did not reveal significant correlations with zinc removal, suggesting limitations in this directed approach. In contrast, a strong indicator of zinc removal was discerned in comparing the relative abundance of core microorganisms shared by all reactors (>80% of total community), many of which had little direct involvement in metal or sulfate respiration. The relative abundance of Desulfosporosinus, the dominant putative sulfate reducer within these reactors, correlated to representatives of this core microbiome. A subset of these clades, including Treponema, Weissella, and Anaerolinea, was associated with alfalfa and zinc removal, and the inverse was found for a second subset whose abundance was associated with wood-based columns, including Ruminococcus, Dysgonomonas, and Azospira. The construction of a putative metabolic flowchart delineated syntrophic interactions supporting sulfate reduction and suggests that the production of and competition for secondary fermentation byproducts, such as lactate scavenging, influence bacterial community composition and reactor efficacy.

Identification and quantification of bacteria and archaea responsible for ammonia oxidation in different activated sludge of full-scale wastewater treatment plants

In this study, the abundance and sequences of the amoA gene in ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) were defined in three wastewater treatment plants using activated sludge with biological nitrogen removal in different countries: Thailand, United States of America (USA), and Japan. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR coupled with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were used to find the comparative abundance and identity of AOB and AOA. The conditions at the Phuket WWTP in Thailand promoted the dominance of AOA amoA genes over AOB amoA genes, while conditions at the WWTPs in Japan and USA promoted growth of AOB. Three parameters that may have contributed to the AOA dominance in Phuket were longer SRT, higher temperature, and higher pH. The Phuket WWTP is a unique system that can be used to better understand the conditions that promote AOA growth and dominance over AOB. In addition, analysis of operational data in conjunction with AOA and AOB community structure from the Phuket WWTP may elucidate advantages of AOA in meeting stricter treatment standards.

Calibration of Reactive Transport Models for Remediation of Mine Drainage in Solid-Substrate Biocolumns

Experimental data pertaining to two pairs of solid-substrate sulfate-reducing biocolumns for remediation of mine drainage were used for calibrating and testing new reactive transport models based on sulfate reduction and sulfide precipitation linked to rate-limiting solid-substrate hydrolysis. First-order (F) and Contois (C) kinetics for decomposition as well as different numbers of pools of decomposable materials were proposed in different models (F1–F3 and C1–C3). Effluent sulfate concentrations for one of the columns were used as the basis for calibrating the different models and, due to limitations in the calibration data set, the number of adjustable model parameters was limited using parameter tying. Calibrated models were ranked using Akaike information criterion, and Model C2, followed by Model C1, based on Contois kinetics, emerged as the models that were supported to a greater extent by the data. For an independent experimental data set, model testing was performed using Models C2 and C1 with pa...