Department of Civil Engineering-I.I.T.

Delhi
CVL723: Wastewater Engineering (2nd Semester 2016-17)
Problem Set 1
Q1. Write a mass balance equation for biomass in secondary clarifier. Derive formula for
estimate amount of sludge wasted every day? What will happen to X in biological reactor if
seconday clarifier does not function well? What will happen to effluent substrate quality in this case?

Q2. A completely mixed activated sludge plant is to treat 10000 m3/d industrial wastewater (BOD5 =
1200 mg/L; BOD effluent = 100 mg/L prior to discharge). For 5-day SRT, 5000 mg/L MLSS is
required (Y= 0.7 kg/kg and kd=0.03/day). Calculate following:
(i) The volume of the reactor
(ii) The mass and volume of solids wasted each day
(iii) The sludge recirculation ratio.
(iv) To reduce BOD effluent to 30 mg/L, which parameters need to be varied and why?

Q3. Why does F/M ratio differ for aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms? Plot its variation
during different phases of bacterial life-cycle?

Q4. Find theoretical CBOD, NBOD and total BOD of 200 mg/L glycine (CH2(NH2)COOH)
(complete mineralization: formation of CO2, NO3-). If none of NBOD is exerted in first 5 days,
estimate 5-d BOD (k1 for carbonaceous BOD=0.25/day)?

Q5. Look at the BOD patterns of three organic compounds (a, b, and c) (k2=0.42/day; D0 =2 mg/L;
ultimate BODmixture(river and wastewater) = 18 mg/L). Which organic matter degradation pattern would
determine critical location for DO deficit and why? How would you calculate BOD5 at location where
DO deficit becomes 1% of the initial DO deficit (list steps)?

D (t) = [K1*L0]*[exp (-K1*t)-exp (-K2*t)]/ (K2-K1) + [D0 exp (-K2*t)]

Time for critical DO deficit (tc)= 1/ (K2-K1)*ln [(K2/K1)*(1-D0 *(K2-K1)/ (K1L0))]
Critical DO deficit (Dc)= (K1/K2)*L0 exp (-K1*tc)
Q6. The IIT Delhi wastewater (pH10) has 100 mg/L suspended solids; 200 mg/L BOD5; 10
rotaviruses/liter; calcium (50 mg/L), magnesium (10 mg/L), sodium (14.8 mg/L), bicarbonate (130
mg/L), chloride ions (11 mg/L). Draw a schematic for treating this wastewater for producing
drinking water? Label different unit processes with appropriate sequence and provide brief reasons.

Q7. Assuming that the endogenous coefficient (kd) can be neglected, develop expressions for
determining substrate and cell concentration as a function of time for a batch reactor. If the initial
concentration of substrate and cell is 100 and 200 mg/L, respectively, calculate the amount of
substrate remaining after 1 h. If the endogenous coefficient is equal to 0.04/day, estimate the error
made be neglecting this factor. Assume: k=2/h; Ks = 80 mg/L; Y=0.4 mg/mg.

Q8. An anaerobic digester is designed to remove 85% of BOD5 of an industrial organic waste with an
ultimate BOD =2000 mg/L. If (θc) = 10 days, estimate the amount of sludge to be wasted daily and the
quantity of gas produced each day. Assume that the flow =0.1 million gallons/day; Y=0.1;
kd=0.01/day. How much gas and sludge will be produced if the θc is increased to 20 days?

Q9. In the activated sludge reactor, bacterial oxidation and synthesis can be described using Eq. (1)
and its endogenous respiration can be described using Eq. (2). Calculate amounts of oxygen required
for oxidation and synthesis of 3500 mg/L MLVSS (i.e., bacterial concentration)?
Oxidation and synthesis (in presence of bacteria):
COHNS (organic matter) +O2 + nutrients
CO2 +NH3 + C5H7NO2 (new cells) + other end
products (1)
Endogenous respiration (in presence of bacteria):
C5H7NO2 (cells) + 5O2
5CO2 +2H2O+ NH3 + energy …… ……………(2)

Q10. Calculate amount of methane produced per mg of ultimate BOD5 stabilized during anaerobic
digestion process? Assume the starting compound is tricarboxylic acid (C3H8O6).
Q11. Biological Processes Courtesy: Dr. Arvind K. Nema
Example 1. Design of the aeration basis based on solids retention time. You are provided
the following information about a municipal wastewater treatment plant. This plant will use
the traditional activated sludge process. Population = 150,000 people, flow rate of 33.75x106
L/day (equals 225L/person/day) and influent BOD5 concentration of 444 mg/L (note this is
high strength wastewater). Assume that the regulatory agency enforces an effluent standard
of BOD5 = 20 mg/L and suspended solids standard of 20 mg/L in the treated wastewater. A
wastewater sample is collected from the biological reactor and is found to contain a
suspended solids concentration of 4,300 mg/L. The suspended solids concentration in the
secondary sludge is 15,000 mg/L and the concentration in the secondary sludge is 5,000
mg/L. The concentration of suspended solids in the plant influent is 200 mg/L and that which
leaves the primary clarifier is 100 mg/L. The microorganisms in the activated sludge process
can convert 100 grams of BOD5 into 55 grams of biomass. They have a maximum growth
rate of 0.1/day, a first-order death rate constant of 0.05/day, and they reach ½ of their
maximum growth rate when the BOD5 concentration is 10 mg/L. The mean cell retention
time of the solids is 4 days and sludge is processed on the belt filter press every 5 days.

A. What is the design volume of the aeration basin?

Solution: Assuming that 30% o f the plant influent BOD5 is removed during primary
sedimentation, this means that So = 444 mg/L × 0.70 = 310 mg/L. Thus,

1/SRT = [(Qo × Y)/(V × X)) × (So-S)] – kd

1 / 4 days=[33.75x106 L/day (0.55 gm SS/gm BOD5) /V 4,300 mg SS/L (310 mg/L – 20

mg/L)] – 0.05/day

Solve for V = 5,000,000 Liters

B. What is the plant’s aeration period?

Solution: The plant’s aeration period is the number of hours that the wastewater is aerated
during the activated sludge process. This equals the hydraulic detention time of the biological
reactor.

HRT= V/Q = 5,000,000 L / 33.75 x 106 L/day = 0.15 days = 3.6 hours

C. How many kg of primary and secondary dry solids need to be processed daily from the
treatment plant?

Solution: The amount of solids processed from the primary sedimentation tanks equals the
difference in suspended solids concentrations measured across the sedimentation tanks
multiplied by the plant flow rate.

33.75x106 L/day (200 mg SS/L – 100 mgSS/L) × kg/1,00,000 mg = 2,275 kg primary solids
per day

We have not provided with the concentration difference of suspended solids across the
secondary sedimentation tanks so we can determine the amount of secondary solids produced
daily in the same manner that we used for primary solids. However, careful examination of
the expression of solids retention time shows that that the term QwXw equals the answer.

4 days = V × X / Qw × Xw = 5,000,000 L (4,300 mg SS/L) / Qw × Xw

Solve for QwXw which equals 5,400 kg secondary dry solids per day.

D. Determine the F/M ratio (in units of lbs BOD5/lb MLSS-day) using data provided in
the above example problem.

Solution.

By definition,
F/M = Q So / X V = [33.75x106 L/day x 310 mg/L) / [4,300 mgSS/L × 5,000,000 L]
= 0.48 lbs BOD5/lb MLSS-day

Various reactor configurations are available, each with its own set of advantages and
disadvantages. The two basic types are plug flow (PF) and completely mixed flow (CMF)
reactors. PF reactors offer a higher treatment efficiency than CMF reactors, but are less able
to handle spikes in the BOD load. Other modifications of the process are based on the manner
in which waste and oxygen are introduced to the system.
Q12. Design a complete mix activated sludge process to treat 0.25 m3/s of wastewater with BOD5 of 250 mg/L.
The effluent is to have BOD5 of 20mg/L or less. Assume the temperature is 20oC and the following conditions
are applicable.
- The influent and effluent microorganism concentrations are negligible. Food and microorganisms are
completely mixed in the aeration basin. Wastewater contains adequate nitrogen, phosphorus and other
trace nutrients for biological growth.
- Ratio of MLVSS to MLSS is 0.8. (MLSS and MLVSS: Mixed liquor suspended solids (represents total
solids) and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (represents biological solids).
- MLVSS concentration in the reactor = 3500 mg/L; Return sludge concentration = 10,000 mg/L;
- Design mean cell residence time (θC) is 10 days
- Effluent contains 22 mg/L of biosolids, of which 65% is biodegradable
- Kinetic coefficients: Ks = 50 mg/L; µm = 5.0 d-1; kd = 0.06 d-1 and Y = 0.50
Suggested Steps:

1. Estimate the concentration of soluble BOD5 in the effluent (eff)

BOD5 in the eff = Soluble BOD5 in the eff + BOD5 in the eff suspended solids
BOD5 = 0.68 x BODL

2. Determine the treatment efficiency

3. Compute the reactor volume

K s (1 + k d θ c ) θ c Y (S o − S ) V
S= X = θ=
θ c (µ m − k d ) − 1 θ (1 + k d θ c ) Q
VX
θc =
Qw X r
S = BOD concentration in activated sludge (S = BOD5 allowed – BOD5 in SS)
[mg/L]
X = microorganism concentration in activated sludge [mg/L of MLVSS]
Xr = microorganism concentration in recycle [mg/L of VSS]
SO = influent BOD [mg/L]
θc = mean cell resident time in the aeration tank [d]
θ = hydraulic detention time [d]
V = aeration tank volume [m3]
Q = flow rate [m3/d]
Qw = flow rate of waste sludge [m3/d]
µm = maximum specific substrate utilization rate [d-1]
KS = half-maximum rate concentration [mg/L]
-1
kd = endogenous-decay rate coefficient [d ]
Y = yield coefficient [mg/L MLVSS/mg/L]
4. Food to Microorganism Ratio:
To keep the microorganisms efficient, the Food to Microorganism Ratio (F/M)
must be keep low (around 0.10 to 1.0 mg/L-d).
F QS o
= To achieve a low F/M ratio, use a low sludge wasting rate
M VX
(Qw) creating a long cell detention time (θc)

5. Waste Sludge Production:

Excess sludge is produced during the activated sludge process that must be
treated and disposed of. To estimate the excess sludge production, use the
following equation:
Y
Px =
1 + k dθ c
(
Q(S o − S ) 10 − 3 kg g )
Px = waste activated sludge produced [kg VSS/d]
6. Oxygen Requirements:
Activated sludge uses large volumes of oxygen in the production of sludge and
the consumption of BOD. However, oxygen is produced during cell formation
by moving from right to left per Equation 5-44:
C5H7O2N + 5O2 <-----> 5CO2 + 2H2O + NH3 + energy
The ratio of oxygen usage to cell formation is 5(32)/113 = 1.42.
Subtracting cell formation from the oxygen consumed in the reduction of BOD
(SO-S), the oxygen requirements of activated sludge can be estimated:

M O2 =
(
Q(So − S ) 10 −3 kg g ) − 1.42 Px ; f = conversion factor to convert
f
BOD5 to BODL.
Calculate air requirement