BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT

SE 522: Sewage and Industrial Wastewater Treatment

ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE

ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Biological treatment processes are those that use microorganisms and remove the non-settleable colloidal
solids and to stabilize the organic matter. There are many alternative systems in use and each uses biological activity
in different manners to accomplish treatment.
Biological processes are classified by the oxygen dependence of the primary microorganism possible for
water treatment. Furthermore, the treatment are divided into the following categories:
Suspended growth processes and fixed growth.

A. Suspended Growth Processes (SGPs)

- It refers to treatment systems where microogranisms and wastewater are contained in a reactor.
- Oxygen is introduced to the reactor allowing biological activity to take place.
- Examples of SGPs includes ponds, lagoons, and activated sludge systems (ASPs)

A.1. Ponds/Lagoons
- Waste treatement ponds can be divided into three general classifications: aerobic, facultative, and
anaerobic ponds.

A.1.a. Aerobic ponds

 Minimum Requirements:
-6 to 18 inches deep
- BOD loading ranging from 100-200 lb/acre/day
- detention time of 2 to 6 days
 Used mixed intermittently, by mechanical means, to maximize light penetration and
algae production
 Suspended solids in the effluent are mainly due to algae

A.1.b. Facultative ponds

 Must consist of three zones: surface zone of algae and aerobic bacteria in a symbiotic
association; an intermediate zone populated with facultative bacteria; and an anaerobic
bottom zone where settle organic solids are decomposed by anaerobic bacteria
 Minimum requirements:
- 3 to 8 feet deep
- BOD loading ranging from 10 to 100 lb/acre/day
- detention time of 10 days to 1 year
 May be partially mixed using mechanical or diffused aerators to supply some oxygen

A.1.c Aerobic ponds

 Minimum requirements:
- BOD loading ranging from 10 to 700 lb/acre/day
- can provide removals of 50 to 80 percent
- Detention time of 30 days to 6 months
- Operational depth: 8 to 15 feet
 Can generally produce severely offensive odors

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

A.2. Activated Sludge Process (ASPs)

- An efficient process capable of meeting secondary treatment effluent limits.
- The principal factors which control the design and operation of ASPs: detention time, BOD
Volumetric loading, Food to microorganism (F/M) ratio, and Sludge age (SRT)

Figure 1. Block Diagram of an Activated Sludge System

a. Completely-Mixed Activated Sludge (CMAS)

- influent wastewater and recycled sludge are introduced uniformly throughout the aeration
tank.
- It results in a uniform oxygen demand throughout the aeration tank which adds some
operational stability.
- This process may be loaded to levels comparable to those of the step aeration and contact
stabilization processes with only slight reductions compared to the removal efficiencies of
those processes.
- The reduced efficiency occurs because there is a small amount of short circuiting in the
completely mixed aeration.

b. Conventional Activated Sludge

- Employs long rectangular aeration tanks which approximate plug-flow although some
longitudinal mixing occurs.
- Primarily employed for the treatment of domestic wastewater.
- Return sludge is mixed with the wastewater prior to discharge into the aeration tank.
- The mixed liquor flows through the aeration tank during which removal of organics occurs.
- The oxygen utilization rate (OUR) is high at the entrance to the tank and decreases toward
the discharge end. The OUR will approach the endogenous level toward the end of the tank.

DISADVANTAGES:
- The oxygen utilization rate varies with tank length and requires irregular spacing of the
aeration equipment or a modulated air supply.
- Load variation may have a deleterious effect on the activated sludge when it is mixed at the
head end of the aeration tanks.
- The sludge is susceptible to slugs or spills of acidic, caustic or toxic materials.

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

b. Extended Aeration
- Relatively small F/M, or little food for many microorganisms, and a long aeration period
(retention time in the tank) result in a high degree of treatment because the microorganisms
can make maximum use of available food.
- Widely used to treat isolated wastewater sources, like small developments or resort hotels.
- Creates little excess biomass and little excess activated sludge to dispose of.

Basic Design Requirements:

Average Sewage Flow. 400 gal/dwelling or 100 gpd/capita

Screening and Comminutor. Bar screen minimum

Aeration Tanks. At least two to treat flows greater than 40,000 gpd, 24 to 3-hour detention
period at average daily flow, not recirculation, and 1000ft3 per 7.5 to 15 lb of BOD, whichever
is greater. Raw sewage goes directly to aeration tank; primary tank is omitted. Provide 18-in
freeboard.

Air requirements. 3 cfm/ft of length of aeration tank or 2000 to 4000 ft3 per lb of BOD entering
the tank daily, whichever is larger. Additional air is required if air is needed for air-lift pumping
of return sludge from settling tank.

Settling tanks. At least two to treat flows greater than 40,000 gpd; 4-hr detention period
based on average daily flow, not including recirculation. For tanks with hopper bottoms, upper
third of depth of hopper may be considered as effective settling capacity.

Rate of Circulation. At least 1:1 return activated sludge based on average daily flow.

Measurement of Sewage flow. By V-notch weir or other appropriate device. Recording devices
required for larger installations.

Sludge holding Tanks. Provide 8 ft3/capita. Sludge holding tanks should be required for all
plants. A minimum of 1000 gal capacity per 15,000 gal design flow and 20-40 days retention.
Tanks should be aerated.

c. Tapered Aeration
- Air is blasted into the tank where needed

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

d. Step Aeration
- Waste is introduced at several locations in the tank, thus spreading out this initial oxygen
demand, this is to equalize the F/M.
- In addition, multiple-point introduction of wastewater maintains an activated sludge with
high absorptive properties. This allows the soluble organics to be removed with a shorter
period of time.
- Higher BOD loadings are therefore possible per 1000 ft3 of aeration tank volume.

e. Contact Stabilization or Biosorption

- Sorption and bacterial growth phases are separated by a settling tank
- Provides growth at high solids concentrations, thus saving tank space
- An activated sludge plant can often be converted into a contact stabilization plant volume
limits treatment efficiency

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

2. ATTACHED/FIXED GROWTH SYSTEMS

- commonly used in wastewater that too in aerobic conditions
- two systems are commonly used: trickling filter and rotating biological contactors (RBCs)

a. Trickling filters
- Consists of a filter bed of fist-sized rocks over which the waste is trickled
- A packed or fixed bed of media covered with slime or film over which wastewater if passed

Figure 2. Schematics of a typical trickling filter

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

ADVANTAGES:

- Simplicity of operation
- Resistance to shock loads
- low biosolids yield
- low power requirements

DISADVANTAGES:

- Relatively low BOD Removal (85%)

- High Suspended Solids in the Effluent (20-30 mg/L) (“sloughing of biofilm)
- Very little operational control

Factors affecting performance:

- Media type and depth
- Hydraulic and organic loading
- Ventilation
- Filter staging
- Recirculation rate
- Flow distribution

Trickling media types:

- ROCK MEDIA
o Filter depth: 1 to 2.5 m
o Rocks: 3 to 10 cm diameter
o Heavy so only suitable for small filter depths

- PLASTIC MEDIA
o Filer depth: 10 to 13 m
o Greater surface area than rocks so more attachment opportunity for bacteria
o Much lighter so suitable for larger filter depths
o Larger filter depths means smaller surface areas

Trickling Filter types using rocks

- Standard or low rate trickling filter
o single stage rock media units
o loading rates of 1-4 m3wastewater/m2filter cross-sectional area-day
o large area required

Consists of:
 Rotating arm- sprays wastewater over a filter medium
 Filter media- rocks, plastic or other material

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

 Under drainage system- the water is collected at the bottom of the filter for
further treatment

Figure 3. Typical Slow-rater trickling Filter

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

- High rate trickling filter

o Single stage or two-stage rock media units
o Loading rates of 10-40 m3 wastewater/m2 filter cross-sectional area-day
o Recirculation ratio 1-3
- Super rate trickling filter
o Synthetic plastic media units
 Modules or random packed
 Specific surface areas 2-5 times greater than rock
 Much lighter than rocks
 Can be stacked higher than rocks
o Loading rates of 40-200 m3 wastewater/ m2 filter cross-sectional area-day
o Plastic media depths of 5-10m

Figure 4. Typical Trickling Filter Plant Scheme

Why Recirculation?
- Reduce strength of the filter influent and/or diltute toxic wastes
- Maintain a constant wetting rate
- Force sloughing to occur due to increased shear forces

b. ROTATING BIOLOGICAL CONTACTORS

- consists of 2-4 m diameter disks, closely spaced on a rotating horizontal shaft
- Disks are covered with biofilm that rotates in and out of the wastewater to repeatedly wet and
aerate the biofilm
-shaft rotates at 1-2 rpm

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 ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

Primary Contractors Final

Treatment Clarifier

Influent
Effluent

Solids Removal

Figure 5.Typical Schematics of Rotating Biological Contactors

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

Figure 6. Diagram of RBCs

DESIGN CRITERIA:
- Shaftsmax. length limited to 9m with 8m occupied by media
- Disks (Media)polyethylene provided in different configurations or corrugation patterns.
- Drive systemsrotated by direct mechanical drive units, air-drive
- Enclosuressegmented fiberglass-reinforced plastic covers or housed in a building; for protection of plastic
media from UV attack, for low temperature control, for protection of equipment, and for control of the
buildup of algae in the process
- Settling tankssimilar to trickling filter settling tanks
- Operating problemsshaft failures, media breakage, bearing failure, and odor problems

Factors affecting RBC Performance

- Number of stages
- Organic loading
-Hydraulic loading
- recirculation rate
- Submergence
- Rotational Speed
- Oxygen levels

Advantages of RBC Process

- Simple Operation
- Low Energy Requirements
- Nitrification
- Few Nuisances
- Wide flow Range
- Large Biological Population
-Handles Shock loads
- Low head loss

Disadvantages of RBC Process

-Limited Controls
-Enclosures
-Limited Experience and Training

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

Components of RBCs
- Contractor

- Tank

- Clarifier

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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

STUDENT ACTIVITY:

1. An activated sludge process has a tank influent BOD concentration of 140 mg/l, influent flow of 5 Mgal/d and
35,500 lb of suspended solids under aeration. Assuming VSS is 80% of TSS, calculate the F/M ratio. Answer: 0.206 lb
BOD/lb MLVSS

2. The MLSS concentration in the aeration tank is 2800 mg/l. The sludge settleability test showed that the sludge
volume, settle for 30 minutes in a 1-L graduated cylinder, is 285 mL. Calculate the sludge volume index. Answer: 102
mL/g

3. The SSV30 is 365 mL/L and the MLSS is 2365mg/L. What is the SVI? Answer: 154.30

4. The operator wastes 0.44 MGD of activated sludge. The WAS has a solid concentration of 5540 mg/l. how many
pounds of WAS are removed from the process? Answer: 20,329.6 lb/d

5. The aeration tank contains 2985 mg/l of MLSS. Laboratory tests indicate the MLSS is 66% volatile matter. What is
the MLVSS concentration in the aeration tank? Answer:1,970 mg/l

6. The BOD5 of the liquid from the primary clarifier is 120 mg/l at a flow rate of 0.05 MGD. The dimensions of the
aeration tank are 20 x 10 x 20 ft3 and the MLSS = 2000 mg/l. Calculate the F/M ratio. Answer: 0.1 day-1

7. An activated sludge system has an influent flow of 22,700 m3/d with a suspended solids of 96 mg/l. Three aeration
tanks hold 1500 m3 each with MLSS of 2600 mg/l. Calculate the sludge age for the system. Answer: 5.4 days

8. Compute the food to microorganism ratio with the parameters given below:
BOD = 400 mg/l TSS aeration = 2,500 mg/l TSS effluent = 3 mg/l Aeration tank = 4 m x 3 m x 2.5 m Throughput = 30
m3/day
Answer: 0.16/day

9. If the 30 minute settleability test is 300 ml/l and the MLSS concentration is 2,500 mg/l, determine the SVI: Answer:
120 ml/g

10. A mixed liquor has 4000 mg/L suspended solids. After 30 minutes of settling in a 1 L cylinder, the sludge occupied
400 ml. Answer: 100 mL/g

11. Calculate the SVI from the following laboratory data:

Sludge level in settleometer after 30 minute settling is 195 cc/l SS in mixed liquor is 2,300 ppm
Answer: 85

12. If the F/M of a 0.4380 m3/s activated sludge plant is 0.200 day-1, the influent BOD5 after primary settling is 150
mg/l and the MLSS is 2200 mg/l, what is the volume of the aeration tank? Answer: 1.29 x 104 m3

13. Two activated sludge aeration tanks are operated in series. Each tank has the following dimensions: 7.0 m wide x
30.0 m long x 4.3 m effective liquid depth. The plant operating parameters are as follows:
Flow = 0.0796 m3/s MLVSS = 1500 mg/l BOD5 = 130 mg/l MLSS = 1.40 MLVSS Determine the aeration period:
Answer: 6.3 hours

14. Refer to problem given above, compute for the F/M ratio: Answer: 0.33/day
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ENGR. MORIEL L. PRADO, SE, PhD EnE
SE522

15. A conventional activated sludge plant without primary clarification operates under the following conditions:
Design flow = 2.14 mgd Influent BOD = 185 mg/l Suspended solids = 212 mg/l Aeration basins = 4 units, 40 ft
square x 15.5 ft deep MLSS = 2600 mg/l Recirculation flow = 1 mgd Waste sludge quantity = 39,000 gpd SS in waste
sludge = 8600 mg/l Effluent BOD = 15 mg/l Effluent SS = 15 mg/l Calculate the following: a. Aeration period
(Answer: 8.3 h) b. BOD loading (Answer: 33.3 lb/d/1000 cu.ft) c. F/M ratio (Answer: 0.21) d. Suspended solids removal
efficiency (Answer: 93%) e. BOD removal efficiency (Answer: 92%) f. Sludge age (Answer: 5.2 days) g. Return activated
sludge rate (Answer: 46%)

16. An aeration basin with a volume of 300 m3 contains a mixed liquor (aerating activated sludge) with a suspended
solids concentration of 2000 mg/l. how many kilograms of MLSS are in the tank? Answer: 600 kg

17. A high purity oxygen aeration system is being considered for treatment of a combined domestic and industrial
wastewater. Since the combined WW is high in SBOD and low in SS, primary clarification is not included in the
processing scheme. The design flow is 3000 m3/d with an average BOD of 300 mg/l. The design F/M is 0.6 g/d of BOD
per gram of MLSS and the operating MLSS is 4000 mg/l. Determine the volume of the aeration tank. Answer: 375 m3

18. 1. A trickling filter 90 ft in diameter is operated with a primary effluent of 0.488 MGD and a recirculated effluent
flow rate of 0.566 MGD. Calculate the hydraulic loading rate on the filter in unit gallons per day per square foot.
Answer: 165.7

19. A 10 m diameter single stage trickling filter contains conventional cross-flow plastic packing at a depth of 6.1 m.
Primary effluent with the characteristics given below is applied to the filter. What is the volumetric BOD loading?
Answer: 1 kg/m3•d

Primary effluent characteristics

REFERENCES

- Nemerow, L., et al. Water, Wastewater, Soil and Groundwater Treatment and Remediation. 6th
Edition.
- Salvato, et al. Environmental Engineering. 5th Edition
- Diederil Rousseau, et al. Trickling filters and rotating biological contactors: attached growth
processes. Presentation
- Weiner, R., et al. Environmental Engineering. 4th Edition.
- Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) Process prepared by Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality Operator Training and Certification Unit

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