Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
139-I,1-I, 1992
Abstract--Waste activated sludge was thickened by biological flotation without polymer flocculant
dosage. The BIOFLOT tt process utilizes the denitrifying ability of activated sludge bacteria. Gaseous
products of anaerobic nitrate reduction cause spontaneous flotation of the sludge suspended solids.
Laboratory tests confirmed the dependence of sludge thickening el~ciency on available nitrate concentration, flotation time and temperature. Full-scale experiments were performed in a fully automatized unit
for discontinuous sludge thickening from wastewater treatment plants with a capacity of up to 5000 I.E.
Waste activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants at Pisek, Milevsko and Bj6rnlunda was
thickened from 6.2, 10.7 and 3.5 g/I MLSS to 59.4. 59.7 and 66.7 g/I MLSS, respectively. Concentrations
of COD, ammonium and phosphate ions were decrea~d in sludge water. The average nitrate consumption
for bioflotation was 21.2 mg NOr per I g of MLSS of activated sludge. Flotation time ranged from 4 to
48 h.
Key wordy--waste activated sludge, thickening, dcnitrilication, flotation
IN'I'RODU('nON
SimoN^ ~t~sNsr~ et ~.
140
Full-scale thickening of waste activated sludge by biologigill flotation using a BIOFLOT ~ unit was tested at three
wastcwalcr trcatmcnt plants. The wastewater treatment
plant at Pisck, Czechoslovakia treats wastewatcrs in a
two-stage system, approx. 60*/0 of which is of industrial
origin mainly from food and tcxtile industries. The treatment plant at Milevsko, Czechoslovakia treats wastewatcrs
in a one-stage system, where 36*/0 comes from engineering
t~t~
soo
Plant
BOD~.
(kg/m |)
B,
(kg/m Id)
B,
(kg/kgd)
SRT
(d)
Pisek
0.170
1.67
0.67
6-6
92
Milcvsko
Bjtrnlunda
0.310
0.153
0.34
--
0.08
0.28
8-10
6
94
91
(%)
where
(NO/ - N + NO.,- - N)0 = initial nitrate and nitrite nitrogen concentrations (mg/I)
t0.~ = time when half of the initial
nitrate and nitrite nitrogen concentrations are reduced (h).
Full-scale tests were made in a BIOFLOT s prototype unit
which was produced by cooperation between the Swedish
firm Alfa Laval and ZVU Hradec Kralove. Czechoslovakia
(Fig. I). The direction of suspension flow is controlled by
three three-way valves. The filling and emptying of the
bioreactor are automatically controlled by level probes.
When the bioflotation is over the sludge water is pumped
from the bottom of the flotation tank into the inlet of the
wastewater treatment plant. When the layer of the thickened
sludge reaches the optical measuring device the sludge is
pumped into the sludge storage tank. Outside dimensions of
the BIOFLOT ~" unit 3500x 1856 x 2400mm follow the
Europallet standard. The weight of the unit is 1400 kg.
The unit was filled up to 50% at the wastewater treatment
plant Bjtrnlunda because of low production of waste activated sludge. Flotation time w:ls changed in a broad
interval, i.e. at Pi.~k from 4 to 12 h, at Milevsko from 8 to
19 h and at Bj6rnlunda from 20 to 48 h.
Testing and analysis were carried out in general accordance with Standard Method~ (APIIA, 1980). Total nitrogen
was determined using a CiIN analyzer (LECO CIIN-600).
RESULTS
Laboratory tests
The dependence o f both the thickening o f waste
activated sludge and specific denitrifying rate upon
initial nitrate concentration, temperature and
flotation time was investigated. At the same time
thickening of the sludge by bioflotation and simple
sedimentation, i.e. without B I O F L O T ~ reagent
dosage, were compared. The results are summarized
in Tables 2 and 3 as average values.
The efficiency of sludge thickening increased with
increased initial nitrate concentration. There was no
apparent influence o f initial nitrate concentration
upon the specific denitrifying rate. Increasing sludge
suspension temperature accelerated the start of
bioflotation, however, the final concentration o f
M L S S in flotated sludge cake was not influenced
considerably. The rising o f the enzymic reaction rate
with increasing temperature can be expressed by the
Q,0 quotient. The specific denitrifying rate o f the
sludge increased by a factor 1.74-2.00 per 10C
temperature increase. Denitrification proceeded even
141
Fig. I. BIOFLOT ~ unit dsesign. I, Flotation bioreactor; 2, frame; 3, armatures; 4, BIOFLOT ~ additive
dissolving tank; 5, control panel; 6 platform.
M LSS~.~,
Place
Pisek
Milevsko
M LSS T
(&~l) ("C)
(NO~" }e
(rag/I)
t
(h)
I0
15
20
I00
I00
100
0.85
0.50
0.25
4 1 . 0 6 4 . 5 2.74
4 9 . 0 6 7 . 8 3.87
51.0 6 8 . 2 5.08
10.136 10
10.06 15
10.06 20
200
200
200
3.00
2.00
1.50
230
230
230
3.50
2.50
2.00
5.92
5.92
5.92
Bj6rnlunda 23.10
23.10
23.10
Im
26z 2-8
5
10
15
MLSS~
4h
24 h
qn
(g/I)
(mg/g h)
MLSS
(g/II)
(NOj')o
(mg/l)
4h
Pisek
3.22
3.22
3.22
100
200
0
32.2
46.0
23.0
59.4
65.8
29.0
3.95
3.85
--
Milevsko
9.55
9.55
9.55
150
300
0
31.2
35.4
21.0
61.3
63.4
25.5
1.50
1.62
--
31.5
35.0
38.5
Bj6rnlunda
22.50
22.50
22.50
190
300
0
39.5
41.4
28.9
63.0
68.5
41.9
2.51
2.48
--
64.5 1.10
65.5 1.64
6 5 . 7 2.21
24 h
(g/l)
qo
(mg/g h)
142
Pisek
Mtkwsko
8j6rnlunda
3.5
3.3
39.0
4.5
225.0
NO~- (mg,r'l)
NO~- (rag,l)
N H ; (mg/I)
POI- (re&l)
T CC)
Thickened sludge
MLSS (g/I)
M L S S , , (g/I)
M L.SSm, (g/l)
Ash (%)
Total nitrogen (%)
Sludge water after flotation
MLSS (g/I)
SS (g/l)
COD (mg/I)
NOr (rag/I)
NO z (mg,,I)
N H ; (rag/I)
PO~ - (mg/I)
22
24
151.1
0.9
188.1
2.4
147.7
1.2
56.6
21.2
23.3
27.2
25.4
14.6
47.1
65.2
9.8
59,4
53.0
74.0
19. I
8.3
59.7
55.2
64.9
31.4
6.7
66.7
42.7
87.4
36.9
--
0.9
1.0
0,8
0.3
0.4
0.2
104.0
35.4
0.6
36.1
20.9
63.7
21.5
1.0
26.2
20. I
25.0
30.5
5.9
44.0
6.3
143
(i) The BIOFLOT ~ process utilizes the denitrifying capability of bacteria present in the mixed population of activated sludge.
(2) The efficiency of the BIOFLOT ~ process is
influenced, above all, by the technology of treatment,
wastewater quality, nitrate concentration, C : N ratio
S|MONA CI~INSKA et
144
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137-145.
API IA (1980) Standard Methodv fiJr Examination of Water
and Wa,tewater, 15th edition. American Public tlcalth
Association. Washington, D.C.
Barta J., Vcrncr M., Pardus l., Vcsel~, D. and Aronsson G.
(1983) Method for thickening of biological activated
sludgcs. Czechoslovakian Patent No. 228 403, concordant
with Swedish Patent 13.3016.
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Bruce A. M. and Davis R. D. (1989) Sewage sludge disposal:
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