Environmental

Pollution Control
CH-411
Lecture 14
How to measure Biomass Growth?
• Increase in biomass can be measured by
• Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS)
• COD
• Protein content
• DNA
• ATP
• VSS is most commonly used parameter
because its measurement is simple and
minimal time is required for its analysis
• Example 7-1, Refer to Metcalf & Eddy, 2003
Solids in Wastewater
Microbial Growth Kinetics

Dynamics of
Substrate Microbial
Growth
Utilization

Performance
of Biological
Processes for
WWT
Microbial Growth Kinetics

Kinetics of
Oxidation microbial
of growth
Substrate

Production
of biomass

Contributes to Total Suspended Solids

Concentration in Biological Reactor
 Solids Composition

Inert
Inorganic
Nonbiodegrde
Biomass able Volatile
Total SOLIDS
Suspended
Suspended Solids (iTSS)
Solids (nbVSS)
Rate of Utilization of Soluble Substrates
• Removal of substrate is one of the principal
concerns in WWT
• The goal in biological WWT is to deplete the
electron donor i.e. Organic compounds in
aerobic oxidation
• The substrate utilization rate in biological
systems can be expressed as :
A negative value because mass
rsu = - kXS .....eq. 1 of substrate is decreasing with
time due to substrate
Ks + S utilisation
Rate of Utilization of Soluble Substrates
Where rsu = rate of substrate concentration change
due to utilisation, g/m3.d
k = maximum specific substrate utilisation rate, g
substrate/g microorganisms.d
X = biomass (microorganism concentration), g/m3
S = growth-limiting substrate in solution, g/m3
Ks = half-velocity constant, substrate concentration
at one-half the maximum specific substrate
utilisation rate, g/m3
• The equation is referred to as Michaelis-Menten
equation
 Rate of Utilization of Soluble Substrates
• When the substrate is used at its maximum rate, the
bacteria also grow at their maximum rate
• The maximum specific growth rate of bacteria is related
to maximum specific substrate utilisation rate by the
equation: μm = kY
& k = μm
Y
Where μm = maximum specific bacterial growth rate, g
new cells / g cells.d
k = maximum specific substrate utilisation rate, g
substrate/g microorganisms.d
Y = true yield coefficient, g/g
 Rate of Utilization of Soluble Substrates
• Equation 1 can be re-written as
rsu = - μm XS .....eq. 2
Y(Ks + S)
• Important to remember that the expressions
used to model biological processes are all
empirical, based on experimentally determined
coefficient values.
 Kinetic Coefficients for Substrate
Utilisation and Biomass Growth
• Coefficient values (k, Ks and Y) used to
predict the rate of substrate utilisation and
biomass growth can vary as a function of
1. Wastewater source
2. Microbial population
3. Temperature
– Coefficient values are determined from
bench-scale or full-scale plant test results.
 Effects of Temperature
• The temperature dependence of the biological
reaction-rate constants is important in
assessing the overall efficiency of a biological
treatment process
• It affects the metabolic activities of the
microbial population
• It also has profound effects on gas-transfer
rates and settling characteristics of the
biological solids
• Temperature correction is given by
kT = k20 θ(T-20) .........eq 11
Major Biological
Treatment
Processes
 Aerobic

Suspended Attached Hybrid

Activated Trickling
Sludge TF/ASP
Process(es) Filters

Rotating
Aerated
Biological
Lagoons Contactors

Aerobic Packed Bed

Digestion Reactors
 Anaerobic

Sludge
Suspended Attached Blanket Hybrid

Anaerobic Anaerobic Upflow UASB/

Contact Packed and Anaerobic Attached
Processes Fluidized Bed Sludge Growth
Blanket
(UASB)
Rotating
Anaerobic Biological
Digestion Contactors

Packed Bed
reactors
Layout of a Conventional Treatment
Plant
Attached Growth Processes (biofilm)
Attached Growth Processes (biofilm)
INCREASED MICROBES
SYNTHESIS (FILM THICKNESS
VOLATILE SOLIDS)

C,O,H,N,P MICROBES
(WASTE)
+ (FILM, SLUDGE) +
O2

RESPIRATION ENERGY

END PRODUCTS
CO2, H2O, NH3, PO4 EFFLUENT
 Suspended Growth Processes
• The microorganisms responsible for treatment
are maintained in liquid suspension
• Suspension is maintained by appropriate
mixing methods
• Most common process is the Activated-Sludge
Modelling Wastewater Treatment Processes
Three types of model:
1. Empirical
Collects data from a number of installations. Fit
equations which best describe this data.
2. Deterministic/Mechanistic
Builds up a model from consideration of the
fundamental reactions taking place within the reactor,
i.e. hydraulic characteristics; biological responses and
environmental effects.
3. Stochastic
Includes a probability function to account for uncertainty
Modelling Suspended Growth Processes
• Biological treatment reactor designs are based
on using mass balances across a defined
volume
• Mass balance includes:
– the flow rates for the mass of constituents
(biomass, substrate, etc. )
– The appropriate reaction rate terms for depletion or
production of the constituent within the system
• Units for mb are given in mass per volume per
time
 Biomass Mass Balance
• A mass balance for the mass of microorganisms
in the complete-mix reactor shown can be
written as follows:
1
Rate of accumulation = Rate of flow of Rate of flow of
of microorganism microorganism - microorganism out
within the system into the system of the system
boundary boundary boundary

Net growth of
+ microorganism within
the system boundary
 Natural Treatment Systems
• Pond Systems

• Constructed Wetlands
 Ponds
• Alternatively known as Stabilization Ponds,
Oxidation Ponds & Sewage Lagoons
• Consist of earthen basin having a detention
time long enough for natural purification of
wastewater
• Oxygen is provided by
– Natural diffusion of O2 from air e.g. Ponds
– Photosynthesis of Algae & Others present e.g.
Ponds
– Artificial aeration using Mechanical means e.g.
Aerated Lagoons
 Pond Types
• Ponds treatment systems can be classified as:
1. Aerobic
2. Anaerobic
3. Facultative
4. Maturation
5. Aerated Lagoons
 Important Aspects

• Sufficient land availability

• Favourable climate
(high temperature and sunlight)
• Simple operation
• Little or no equipment required
 Facultative Ponds

• Simplest variant of stabilization ponds systems

• Process consists of retention of wastewater
for a period long enough so that organic
matter is stabilized
• Simple to operate and reliable
• Appropriate where :
 Land is cheap
 Climate is favourable
Treatment method does not require equipment
 Facultative Pond

• Process Description
Algae photosynthesis Bacteria respiration
• Production of oxygen • Consumption of oxygen
• Consumption of carbon dioxide • Production of carbon dioxide

Influent Aerobic zone C5H7O2N Effluent

• Green colour
Facultative zone due to algae
• High dissolved
CO2 + CH4 oxygen
concentration
Anaerobic zone

Important!
Depth: 1.5 m to 2.0 m
Detention time: 15 to 45 days
 Anaerobic Ponds

• Anaerobic ponds constitute an alternative form of

treatment
• Existence of strictly anaerobic conditions is
essential
• This can be achieved by application of high BOD
load per unit volume of the pond
• Applications include both domestic sewage and
industrial effluents
• Industrial wastewaters include slaughterhouse,
dairies, food , beverage industries, etc.
Anaerobic Conversion

Complex organic compounds

(carbohydrates, lipids, proteins)

Hydrolysis

Simple organic compounds

(sugars, amino acids, fatty acids)

Acidogenesis

Volatile organic acids

(long chain)
Acetogenesis

Acetate
H2, CO2

Methanogenesis
CH4, CO2
 Anaerobic Pond

• Process Description

Influent C5H7O2N Effluent

CO2 + CH 4
Anaerobic microbes

Methanogenic organisms
Acidogenic bacteria

Important!
Depth: 3.5 m to 5.0 m
Detention time: 3 to 6 days
 Anaerobic Pond

• BOD removal efficiency is in the range of 50 to

70%
• The effluent BOD needs a post-treatment unit
• Mostly facultative ponds are used as post-
treatment units
• Area is substantially reduced
• Total land requirement for Anaerobic +
Facultative ponds is 45% to 70% of the
requirement of a primary facultative pond
 Receiving
Body

Anaerobic Facultative
Screening Flow
measurement Pond Pond

Grit
removal

Anaerobic Pond - Facultative Pond

 Maturation Ponds

• Maturation ponds lead to polishing of the effluent

from any of the stabilization pond systems
• Their main objective is the removal of pathogens
• Maturation ponds are an economic alternative to
conventional disinfection methods such as
chlorination
• They are used as the last step for polishing the
wastewater
 Maturation Pond

• Process Description

pH
Influent Pathogens Effluent
fecal coliforms

Important!
Depth: 0.8 m to 1.0 m
Detention time: 3 days minimum
 Aerated Lagoons
• Aerators are provided in ponds
• Complete-mix aerated lagoons have an aerobic
regime
• They are usually followed by a sedimentation pond
because high levels of suspended solids are present
in the system
• Land requirements for these systems are the
smallest within the pond systems
• Energy is required to run the aerators
 Aerated Lagoons
• Process Description

Influent Effluent

Important!
Depth: 2.5 m to 4.0 m
Detention time: 2 to 4 days