Outline

Biofilm Kinetics and the Performance of a Single Submerged Attached Growth Bioreactor for Simultaneous Removal of Organics and Nitrogen
Philip Bruno Pedros, P.h.D., P. E. F.R. Mahony & Associates

Introduction Research Objective Pilot Plant & Experimental Design Results

Effluent Total Nitrogen Oxidation of Organics & Nitrification Denitrification Biofilm Kinetics Biomass Quantity

Conclusions

Introduction
Biochemical Transformations
+

Introduction - Biofilms
Biofilm - organic polymer gel attached to a solid at solid-liquid interface
biopolymer building blocks

(Normalized mass based)

-

CH2O + 0.309 O2 + 0.085 NH4 + 0.289 HCO3 0.535 (aerobic) C5H7O2N + 0.633 CO2 + 0.515 H2O NH4+ + 3.30 O2 + 6.708 HCO3- 0.129 C5H7O2N + 3.373 NO3- + 1.041 H2O + 6.463 H2CO3 (aerobic) NO3- + 0.324 C10H19O3N 0.226 N2 + 0.710 CO2 + (anoxic) 0.087 H2O + 0.027 NH3 + 0.274 OH-

Comprised of:
colonies of microorganism extra cell polymeric substances (EPS) inorganic particles dissolved compounds

Introduction - Biofilms
For analysis:
base film surface film bulk liquid

Introduction - Biofilms
Nitrate Heterotrophic Bacteria Ammonia bCOD Media Autotrophic Bacteria

Multispecies biofilm
Heterotrophic bacteria
oxidation of organics
aerobic & anoxic

Substratum

Transport
Base Film Surface Film

Autotrophic bacteria
nitrification
aerobic

base film - diffusion surface film - convection

Bulk Liquid
Biofilm Bulk Fluid

Biofilm

Introduction - Nitrification
Parameters effecting nitrifying biofilms:
Dissolved oxygen Bicarbonate alkalinity & pH Carbon to Nitrogen (C/N) ratio
Simultaneous oxidation of organics and nitrification occurs according to criterion:

Research Objective
Achieve simultaneous oxidation of carbonaceous matter and nitrogen removal in a single submerged attached growth bioreactor (SAGB) reactor.
BOD5 & TSS < 30 mg/l Total Nitrogen (TN) < 10 mg/l

s D s Ss =1 D o So

Experimental Design
SAGB pilot plant

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Objectives
Quantify removal of organics (bCOD) & nitrogen Determine removal rates Determine concentration profiles
bCOD, NH3, NO3- & TKN

Experimental Design

Sagb39.exe

Examine kinetics Determine quantity of biomass

Experimental Design
4 different flow conditions tested
8.3 4.5 4.1 3.2 m3/d m3/d m3/d m3/d (2,148 gpd) (1,191 gpd) (1,089 gpd) (840 gpd)
TCOD BOD5 97.0 31.4 TKN Nitrate & Nitrite 20.4 4.1 0.0191 0.0096

Results - Total Organic Loading

13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Parameter

Effluent bCOD (mg/l)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

Total Organic Loading (kg -bCOD/m3-day)

Average (mg/l) 213.0 STD 41.2

Removal of organics to levels below 51 mg/l bCOD.

Results - Total Nitrogen

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0.00

Results - Total Nitrogen Loading

0.40

Total N Removed (kg/m3-day)

0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80

0.35 0.30 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0.00

Effluent Total Nitrogen (mg/l)

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

Total Nitrogen Loading (kg N/m3-day)

Total Nitrogen Loading (kg/m3-day)

Effluent concentration below 10 mg/l.

Loading and removal in agreement with data reported by Holbrook et al.

Results - Total Ammonia Loading

0.60

Results - Organics & Nitrification

100
Nitrification Efficiency, (%) Nitrification Rate (100 kg N/m3-day)

90 80 Nitrification Efficiency 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Nitrification Rate

Nitrafication Rate (kg N/m3-day)

0.50

0.40

0.30 0.20

0.10

0.00 0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

Total Ammonia Loading (kg N/m3-day)

bC O D (kg-bC O D/m3-day)

Loading and removal in agreement with data reported for 10 nitrification BAFs

Loading and removal in agreement with data reported by Rogalla et al.

Results - Organics & Nitrification

Diffusion Equation

Results - Organics & Nitrification

s Ds S s
Do
0.0

S = D 2S t
0.1

5.18 kg/m3-day 4.06 kg/m3-day 3.47 kg/m3-day 3.07 kg/m3-day 2.36 kg/m3-day 2.18 kg/m3-day 1.82 kg/m3-day

So

0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 3.0

Relative Depth (x/d)

S ox > D red k 0,ox D 1 =< = red Oxidant & Reductant S red D ox k 0,red D ox ox ,red

0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

1.50 kg/m3-day 5.18 kg/m3-day 4.06 kg/m3-day 3.47 kg/m3-day 3.07 kg/m3-day 2.36 kg/m3-day 2.18 kg/m3-day

Established Criterion

s D s Ss =1 Do So

(Williamson and McCarty 1976, Gnenc and Harremos 1985, Gnenc and Harremos 1990 and Henze et al. 2000)

Nitrification No Nitrification

1.82 kg/m3-day 1.5 kg/m3-day

Results - Organics & Nitrification

18
16.9 Te s t 1 Te s t 2 14.3 12.0 11.3 13.3 10.4 10.7 13.0 10.4 10.4 12.6 Te s t 3

Results - Denitrification
9.0 8.0

16 14

Concentration Profiles
Nitrate Concentration (mg/l)

Ammonia (mg/l)

12 10 8 6

Organic Loading 3.47 - 5.18 kg/m3- day

7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 0.00

Effluent nitrate concentration high Rates: 0.077 - 0.29 kg/m3 - day

0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60

5.5

4.7 3.9 3.9

4.7 2.0 1.2

4 2 0 -1.0 Influent

-0.5 Head Space

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5 Clear Well

Location Within S ystem (m)

Total Ammonia Oxidized (kg-N/m3-day)

30
25.3 22.3 21.1 Te s t 1 Te s t 2 Te s t 3

Denitrification Efficiency (%) & NO3 Removed (100 kg-N/m3-day

25

Concentration Profiles
Organic Loading 1.5 - 5.18 kg/m3- day

90 Denitrification Rate 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0.00 Denitrification Efficiency

Efficiency 48 -83%

Ammonia (mg/l)

20

15

10

3.5 0.85

3.0 0.38

0 -1.0 Influent

-0.5 Head Space

0.0

0.5

1.0

Clear Well1.5

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

Location Within S ystem (m)

Total Ammonia Oxidized (kg-N/m3-day)

Results - Denitrification
90 Denitrification Rate

Results - Biofilm Kinetics

Organics, ammonia and nitrate Log-log plot of removal rate per surface area as a function of concentration
slope of line indicates reaction order

Denitrification Efficiency (%) & NO3 Removed (100 kg-N/m3-day)

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

Denitrification Efficiency

8.0

9.0

10.0

C/N Ratio (BOD5/TN)

(Harremos 1976, Harremos 1978, and Henze et al. 2000)

Sufficient Carbon Excess DO

Results - Biofilm Kinetics

Removal Rate r (kg-COD/m2-d)

Results - Biomass
16,000
13,925

first order kinetics

Biomass Dry Weight (mg/l)

0.010

Removal of organics Nitrification

Slope = 0.98

14,000 12,000
11,520

14,040

11,508 8,513

VLAS - High Flow VAS - High Flow VLAS - Medium Flow

10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

1,449 668 1,023 551 6,629 5,684 7,265 6,566

VAS - Medium Flow VLAS - Low Flow VAS - Low Flow

half order kinetics

Dry mass of biofilm

VLAS VAS VSS within interstitial volume was negligible

0.001 1.0 Effluent Concentration of bCOD (mg/l) 10.0

Denitrification
zero order kinetics
0.0010
Dry Weight Concetration - VS- (mg/l)

1.2

Filter Depth (m)

0.0010

18,000 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000

7,296 12,124 9,163 7,660 6,039 7,117 High Flow Medium Flow 12,531 15,374 14,452

Removal Rate r (kg-N/m2-d)

Slope = 0.495

Removal Rate r (kg-N/m2-d)

6,000 4,000 2,000 0 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6

Slope = 0.0 0.0001

0.0001 0.1 1.0 Effluent Concentration of Ammonia (mg/l) 10.0

Low Flow

1.0 Effluent Concentration of Nitrate (mg/l)

10.0

0.8

1.0

1.2

Filter Depth (m)

Conclusions
Simultaneous oxidation of organics and nitogen removal achieved, Intermittent aeration created adequate environment, but could be improved
control of aeration
ORP or DO probes online analysis of nitrate and ammonia

Acknowledgments
Professor Hameed Methgalchi, Northeastern U. Dr. Mark Laquidara, Metcalf & Eddy Mr. Bernard Beamster, ASA Chemscan HOMA Pump Technology Liquid Milltronics

Determine optimum biofilm thickness

may improve denitrification

Study backwash effects on biofilm

Thank You & Questions

Nitrifying Bacteria