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Biological Wastewater Treatment Calculations

R=Rd-feoRa-fsoRc

Rd = electron donor half reaction normalized at 1 e- eq and written as an oxidation half reaction

Ra = electron acceptor half reaction normalized to 1 e- eq and written as an oxidation half reaction

Rc = bacterial cell synthesis half reaction normalized to 1 e- eq and written as an oxidation half reaction

EQUATIONS FOR MICROBIAL GROWTH: SYNTHESIS OF NEW CELL MASS ONLY

(assume no maintenance requirement)

Electron Balance:

fso + feo = 1

fso = fraction of electrons to synthesize new cell materials

feo = fraction of electrons to energy reaction

Energy Balance: Energy required to synthesize new cells will have to come from the oxidation of the
electron donor. Thus:

fso(ΔGos’) = feo(ΔGoR’)

ΔGoR’ = -k(ΔGod’-ΔGoa’) = -k(ΔGor’)

ΔGod’ = ΔGo’ for half reaction of 1 e- eq of electron donor, written as oxidation half reaction

ΔGoa’ = ΔGo’ for half reaction of 1 e- eq of electron acceptor, written as oxidation half reaction

ΔGo’c = ΔGo’ required to synthesize 1 e- eq of cells from common intermediates

= 7.5 kcal/e- eq

ΔGo’P = energy required to convert the cell carbon source to an intermediate stage

= ΔGo’CS - ΔGo’PYR (for heterotrophs)

= 27.22 kcal/e- eq (for autotrophs)

ΔGo’CS = ΔGo’ for carbon source half reaction, written as 1e- eq of carbon source in oxidation form

ΔGo’PYR = ΔGo’ for pyruvate = -8.545 kcal/e- eq


ΔGo’N = ΔGo’ required to convert N source to NH4+

= 0 kcal/e- eq for NH4+ or organic-N

= 4.17 kcal/e- eq for NO3-

= 3.25 kcal/e- eq for NO2-

= 3.78 kcal/e- eq for N2

GENERAL EQUATION

ΔGos’ = ΔGo’c + (ΔGo’P/km) + ΔGo’N/k

k = energy efficiency coefficient = 0.6

m = +1 if ΔGo’P>0

m = -1 if ΔGo’P ≤ 0
OVERALL ENERGY BALANCE:

fso[ΔGo’c + (ΔGo’P/km) + ΔGo’N/k] = feo[-k(ΔGor’)]

PROBLEM:

Given a wastewater that is essentially acetate. It is proposed to have this subjected to aerobic
oxidation in an activated sludge process. Write the overall reaction for biological growth. What is the
oxygen requirement if NH4+ is available to the heterotrophic bacteria as nitrogen source? Assume
energy efficiency is 60%. Compare the result (sludge production) if you decide to go anaerobic instead.

SOLUTION:

Electron donor: Acetate

Electron acceptor: Oxygen

Nitrogen source: Ammonium

ΔGod’ = -6.609 kcal/e- eq for acetate as electron donor

ΔGoa’ = 18.675 kcal/e- for oxygen as electron acceptor

Energy released from oxidation of donor and transferred to e- acceptor:

ΔGoR’ = -k(ΔGod’-ΔGoa’)

= -0.6( -6.609- 18.675)

= 15.17 kcal/e- eq

This is the energy available to the cell for synthesis of new cell mass. Now compute for energy requirement
for cellular synthesis and equate it to the energy available. Thus:

Energy required for cell synthesis = ΔGos’ = ΔGo’c + (ΔGo’P/km) + ΔGo’N/k

ΔGo’c = ΔGo’ required to synthesize 1 e- eq of cells from common intermediates

= 7.5 kcal/e- eq

ΔGo’CS = -6.609 kcal/e- eq (acetate)

ΔGo’PYR = ΔGo’ for pyruvate

= -8.545 kcal/e- eq

ΔGo’P = energy required to convert the cell carbon source to an intermediate stage

= ΔGo’CS - ΔGo’PYR (for heterotrophs)

= -6.609-(-8.545)

= 1.936 kcal/e- eq; m = +1


ΔGo’N = 0 kcal/e- eq for NH4+ or organic-N

Thus,

ΔGos’ = ΔGo’c + (ΔGo’P/km) + ΔGo’N/k

ΔGos’ = 7.5 + (1.936/0.61) + 0/0.6

= 10.73 kcal/e- eq

Energy Balance:

fso(ΔGos’) = feo(ΔGoR’)

fso(10.73) = feo(15.17) - equation 1

fso + feo = 1 - equation 2

Therefore: fso = 0.59, feo = 0.41

Overall reaction, R, is:

R=Rd-feoRa-fsoRc

Rd: 1/8 CH3COO- + 3/8 H2O = 1/8 CO2 + 1/8 HCO3- + H+ + e-

Ra: 1/2 H2O = 1/4 O2 + H+ + e- *-0.41

Rc: 1/20 C5H7O2N + 9/20 H2O = 1/5 CO2 + 1/20 HCO3- + 1/20 NH4+ + H+ + e- *-0.59

___________________________________________________________________________________

0.125CH3COO- + 0.1025O2 + 0.0295 NH4+ = 0.0955 HCO3- + 0.007 CO2 + 0.0955 H2O + 0.0295C5H7O2N

Sludge produced (aerobic) : 0.0295/0.125 = 0.236 mol C5H7O2 per mol CH3COO-

For anaerobic digestion:

 Electron acceptor is CO2

 Bacteria involved are autotrophs (carbon source is CO2)


Note: In anerobic reactions, less sludge is produced because the cell is able to derive less energy from the
donor when carbon dioxide is the electron acceptor. More energy is derived if oxygen is the electron
acceptor compared to carbon dioxide.

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