Endogenous process in nutrient removal systems

Visiting researcher: Xiuqin Cao, Tel: +31 15 278 1551 e-mail: X.Q.Cao@tnw.tudelft.nl; Caoxiuqin@bicea.edu.cn Promotor: Prof. dr.ir.Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht; Prof. dr. Xiaodi Hao Supervisor: Dr.ir. Cristian Picioreanu Institute: Delft University of Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Environmental Biotechnology group Beijing Institute of Civil Engineering and Architecture, The Research Centre for Sustainable Environmental Biotechnology Project term: November 2003 November 2007 Financed by: KNAW, The Netherlands and Beijing Education Committee, China

Description Endogenous processes are very important in biological wastewater treatment processes. It accounts for more than 50% of total oxygen consumption for COD removal. Endogenous respiration reduces the sludge production and thereby helps in reducing the costs of wastewater treatment.
To date, little experimental research has been done about the endogenous processes, and therefore they have also been oversimplified in the description of activated sludge mathematical models. In fact, several complicated biological conversions will occur in these processes, such as maintenance, predation, lysis, ASM3 ASM1 cryptic-growth and so on.
3

This project aims to describe mechanisms underlying endogenous respiration processes. At the same time, in order to practically use for simulation, design and operation of WWTP, quantitative analysis and mathematic model should be developed for determining and simulating the contribution of every part of endogenous process and to get more insight into the kinetics and stoichiometry of endogenous processes.

xH
SO

XI

xH
XI
SO
2

xSTO

ss
1
1 Hydrolysis 2

xs
Growth

xs
3 Decay

ss
1

3 Endogenous respiration

Activated Sludge Models (Heterotrophic Bacteria)

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Biomass XH
predation lysis
growth Cryptic growth

growth storage

Substrate Ss

Storage XSTO

Protozoa
lysis

Dead

maintenance

Live

maintenance

Inert XI

The goal of this project is to gain an in-depth and mechanistic understanding of endogenous processes. This will be used to develop and validate a reliable model for endogenous processes, which can be used to simulate lab-scale and fullscale wastewater treatment processes.

Cell motility

Osmotic work to maintain concentration gradients

Turnover of cell materials

Mechanism of endogenous process

References Dawes & Ribbons (1962). The Endogenous metabolism of microorganisms. Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 16: p241-265. Droste RL (1998). Endogenous Decay and Bioenergetics Theory for Aerobic Wastewater Treatment. Water Res, 32: p410-418. Van Loosdrecht MCM & Henze M. (1999). Maintainance, Endogenous Respiration, Lysis, Decay and Predation. Water Sci Technol. 39 p107-117.