9.10.

2012
1
The Ecology of Biological
Wastewater and Gas Treatment
Processes
The types of treatment processes,
features as ecosystems, biochemistry
and process control
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Biological wastewater treatment
Works well in removing organic toxic compouds as well as
other organic compounds that use oxygen and procuce
bacterial growth
BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) is used to measure the oxygen
depletion potential of organic impurities in wastewater
Easiest to use on municipal, agricultural and food industry
wastewaters
Also used e.g. in wood processing and leather & textile industry
Wastewater is first pre-treated (removing of solids,
adjustment of pH and nutrients etc.), and is then processed in
a biological treatment plant
Micro-organisms convert the organic waste into non-polluting
end products, e.g. H
2
O, CO
2
and biomass (sludge)
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Kiely, pp. 493, Laukkanen et al, p. 5
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2
Process ecology of biological
wastewater treatment
The principle is to mimic the natural purification methods
of water ecosystems
Bacterial degradation of organic matter
Microbial redox-reactions, nitrification etc.
Removal of intestinal bacteria via predatory protozoans
The purifying biomass can be mixed into the wastewater
(activated sludge) or as a biofilm on filter systems
Biological systems are susceptible to toxic compounds
BOD can also be used as an indicator of toxicity
Bioprocess can be gradually adapted to abnormal
conditions
Temperature, pH, toxicity, persistent substrates
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Laukkanen, p. 177-178
Process ecology of biological
wastewater treatment
To optimize and control the biological purification
processes, it is required to know the ecology
behing them (miniature ecosystems)
Sources and flow of energy, carbon (abundant),
nutrients (N, P, K, S, Mg etc)
Purpose is to remove biomass (no exponential growth)
Careful limitation of nutrients
Species, food chains
Interaction of utilized species (predators, decomposers)
Ecological succession (fluctuation of species)
Genetic variation of microbe populations is fast
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Laukkanen, p.170
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Protozoans in activated sludge
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Laukkanen,
luentodioja p. 10
Biofilm wastewater treatment
processes
Biofilm is an aggregate of micro-organisms
embedded in slime
Naturally formed on different surfaces
Can also contain higher species (e.g. larvae) that
graze on the biofilm
fixed-film biological (FFB) processes utilize the
formation of biofilm as a biological filter to purify
wastewater
Decomposing bacteria feed on filtering wastewater
Larvae dig tunnels that increase the active area of the
biofilm
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Manahan, pp.442, Laukkanen, p. 181, 186
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Biofilm wastewater treatment
processes
Trickling filter (aerobic biofilter) is
one of the simplest biological waste
treatment processes
Wastewater is sprayed on the filter,
where it flows through to secondary
settling
Another type of biofilm-based
treatment system is the rotating
biological reactor,
half of the rotating, biofilm-containing
disc is immersed in wastewater and
half exposed to air
In anaerobic biofiltering wastewater
is conveyed from bottom to top and
the filters are completely submerged
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Activated Sludge Process
Activated sludge process is a biological wastewater
treatment process which speeds up waste
decomposition -> living organisms eat organic content
Contains pretreatment, aeration and secondary
treatment
Contains three kinds of microbes
Bacterias, protozoans and higher organisms (like worms)
95-99% of sludge is bacteria, which are attached to flocs
Activated sludge is a mixture of sludge particles
3IT4a
(Laukkanen, pp.177-178)
http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-
KANPUR/wasteWater/Lecture%2024.htm
http://cc.oulu.fi/~jpjaako/d/nro063.pdf
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Active sludge process
Bacterias use nitrogen and phosporous as nutrients:
Organic nitrogen-> ammonium and nitrate ion
Organic phosporous-> dihydrogenphospate ion and monohydrogenphospate
3FT4b
Activated Sludge Process
- The Process
In pretreatment, heavier particles are settled to the bottom of tank
-> Primary sludge
Aeration
Activated sludge is added to wastewater, and the mixture is aerated
and agitated
In aeration tanks sludge is decomposed by bacteria to a water and
carbon dioxide
There is also anaerobic process which is based on active sludge
process
Clarifier
The organisms settle to the bottom of the clarrifier tank, separating
from the clearer water
The sludge is pumped back to the aeration tank where it is mixed with
the incoming wastewater or removed from the system as excess
The relatively clear liquid above the sludge is sent for further
treatment as required
34Ta (Laukkanen, p.177-178)
http://cc.oulu.fi/~jpjaako/d/nro011.pdf
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Nitrification
Nitrification is a significant process that occurs during
biologically wastewater treatment
The microbially mediated conversion of ammonium
nitrogen to nitrate
2NE
4
+
+ 30
2
- 4E
+
+2N0
2
-
+2E
2
0
2N0
2
-
+0
2
- 2N0
3
-
The nitrate is then converted to elemental nitrogen via
redox-reactions, which can be collected
(Manahan, pp. 445)
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3T4a 11
Aerobic and anaerobic biological
wastewater treatments
Aerobic
More common than anaerobic
processes
Organic matter and its energy
binds to the biosludge, whose
growth requires lots of
nutrients
Insertion of N & P might be
necessary
expensive with highly
concentrated organic
wastewater
Aeration, nutrients, sludge
handling
Anaerobic
Used in high concentrations
Most of the organic impurities are
transformed to methane
Little growth of biomass
Needs less nutrients than aerobic
process
Methane can be utilized in energy
production
Heating of wastewater might be
necessary
Process is slower than aerobic
Used for example in food
factories, forest products industry
and manure treatment
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Laukkanen, pp.177-178
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9.10.2012 3T4b 13
Laukkanen, pp. 185
Biological Gas Treatment Processes
Biological gas treatments can be used if the exhaust gas contains
easily decomposing organic compounds
Is usually used for example in sewages ventilation and in food
industry
Reduces bad smells
Biological gas treatments are not efficient when treating
concentration gases
Then combustion- and adsorption processes are more efficient and
cheaper
In the process microbes dont take impurities direct from the air but
the impurities first has to be dissolved in water or water film
Biofiltering, washing and also combination of both
(Laukkanen, pp. 182)
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Biological Gas Treatment Processes
- Biofilter
Biofilters use microorganisms to remove impurities (mainly organic
compounds)
E.g. biotrickling
The air flows through a packed bed and the impurities transfer into a thin
biofilm on the surface of the packing material
Micro-organisms are immobilized in the biofilms and degrade the
pollutant
The technology finds greatest application in treating malodorous
compounds and water-soluble VOCs
Needs the optimal air moisture content and the right temperature
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http://compost.css.corn
ell.edu/odors/odortreat.
html
(Laukkanen, p. 182)
Biological Gas Treatment Processes
-Washing
Gases can also be washed -> the water is
treated biologically
Used when the concentrations of gases are
high, for example in industry
Conditions are easy to control
Nutrients have to be added, end products
have to be removed
Needs to be monitored
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Laukkanen, luentodioja, p. 40-41
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References:
Kiely, Gerard. 1997. Environmental Engineering. McGrawHill,
London. pp. 493, 510, 524.
Manahan, Stanley E. Environmental Chemistry. 2001. 7th edition.
Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 442, 445.
Laukkanen, Timo. 2012. Ympristluonnontiede-kurssimoniste.
Aalto yliopiston kemian tekniikan korkeakoulu. pp. 177-178, 181-
182
Laukkanen et al, ympristnsuojelun biotekniikka, 2003, pp. 5
Laukkanen, luentodioja ympristsuojelun bioprosessitekniikka, p.
10-11, 14, 21-27
http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-
KANPUR/wasteWater/Lecture%2024.htm
http://cc.oulu.fi/~jpjaako/d/nro063.pdf
http://cc.oulu.fi/~jpjaako/d/nro011.pdf
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