Theory of Extended Aeration Activated Sludge

Author(s): Perry L. McCarty and C. F. Brodersen

Source: Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation), Vol. 34, No. 11 (Nov., 1962), pp. 1095-
1103
Published by: Water Environment Federation
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 THEORYOF EXTENDED
AERATION
ACTIVATED SLUDGE

Perry L. McCarty and C. F. Broder sen

Extended aeration activated sludge which occur simultaneously in the same

plants have fulfilled a need for high tank. First, the organic waste is par
efficiency treatment of small volume tially oxidized for energy and par
wastes of both domestic and industrial tially synthesized into new bacterial
origin. These plants are usually de cells. In the second stage, with con
signed without primary sedimentation tinued aeration, the biological cells
tanks and employ an "extended aera formed undergo self-oxidation for fur
tion period," for the purpose of aero ther energy. In the extended aeration
bically digesting or destroying the ma activated sludge system, low organic
jority of the biological sludge pro loadings, high biological solids concen
duced. Therefore, with this type of trations, and extended periods of aera
plant the use of waste activated sludge tion are normally used. Thus, all the
disposal facilities is often not required. parameters required for efficient bio
The extended aeration activated logical removal of the organic wastes
sludge plants are normally designed in the first stage are present.
on the basis of BOD loadings of not For this reason, in the extended
more than 20 to 40 lb/day/1,000 cu aeration process about 98 percent or
ft of aeration tank volume. With these more of the organic material added is
loadings, characteristic efficiencies of removed and converted either to car
removal vary from 80 to 95 percent. bon dioxide and water or to new bio
This paper is concerned with the the logical solids. The BOD removal ef
ory of operation of this type of unit ficiencies of less than 98 percent usu
and the evaluation of the parameters ally obtained in practice, however, are
affecting BOD removal efficiencies. not related to this initial conversion
of waste into biological solids, but are
Theory of Operation related to the discharge of degradable
The biological removal and conver biological solids to the plant effluent.
sion of organic wastes in an activated The active biological solids utilize
sludge plant is represented in Figure oxygen while undergoing endogenous
1. This conversion can be thought respiration to oxidize the degradable
to take place in two stages, both of portion of their cells to carbon dioxide
and water with a resulting decrease in
Perry L. McCarty, at the time this paper sludge mass. Ideally, with extended
was was Assistant aeration this sludge mass would
prepared, Professor of con
Sanitary Engineering at Massachusetts In
tinue to oxidize itself to carbon dioxide
stitute of Technology, Mass. He
Cambridge, so that no net sludge ac
now is Associate
and water
Professor of Civil Engi
neering at Stanford University, Stanford,
cumulation would occur in the system.
Calif. C. F.
Broder sen is Assistant to the However, as shown by Kountz and
American
President,
Ohio.
Ship Building Company, Forney (1), this is not the case because
Cleveland, about
was presented
23 percent of the biological
The paper at the New Eng
land Water Pollution Control Association
solids produced are relatively inert to
meeting in Barwichport, Mass., June 7-8, biological oxidation and so accumulate
1961. in the system. con
Therefore, with
1095

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 1096 JOURNAL WPCF November 1962

OXIDATION +
C02 H20
+
T
ENERGY

DEGRADABLE BACT.
ORGANIC
<
WASTE

NEW
BACTERIAL
SYNTHESIS CELLS m

INERT
ORGANIC
RESIDUE

ORGANIC ENDOGENOUS
REMOVAL RESPIRATION
FIGURE 1.?Conversion of organic wastes in activated sludge.

tinuous operation and no sludge wast cumulation to be considered in the

ing or loss of solids to the effluent from following discussion is related only
an extended aeration system an in to the biological solids portion. This
crease in mixed liquor volatile solids would represent the only solids accu
will result. mulation when dealing with soluble
Because in most extended aeration industrial wastes, but may represent
controlled sludge wasting is not only about 50 percent of the accumu
plants
the solids will increase until lation when dealing with domestic
practiced,
the capacity of the system to settle wastes.
and retain the solids is exceeded. The The net
accumulation of biological
excess solids produced each day will sludge resulting from the two stages
then be discharged to the effluent, with of synthesis and endogenous respira
a resulting increase in effluent BOD tion has of ten (2) (3) been represented
and a decrease in unit efficiency. An by an equation of the following type:
evaluation of the efficiency must there
fore be related to factors affecting the Sludge Accumulation
net biological growth or sludge accu
= a (BOD removal)
mulation. ? b
(degradable biological solids)
Sludge Accumulation
or
The total accumulation of sludge in A = aF -bMd.(1)
an extended aeration activated sludge
in which A represents the accumula
plant will be equal to the accumulation
of biological solids plus the accumula tion of volatile biological solids, in
tion of biologically undegradable sus pounds per day ; the constant a repre
solids which were originally sents the fraction of the pounds of 5
pended
present in the influent waste. These day BOD removed per day, F, which
later solids could be represented by is synthesized into new biological
materials such as grit or certain bio solids; and the constant b represents
logically resistant organics such as the fraction of degradable biological
lignin and cellulose. The sludge ac solids in the system, Md, which is de

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Vol. 34, No. 11 EXTENDED AERATION 1097

stroyed per day by endogenous respi by Tench (11) this same percentage
ration. The value of a has been re will represent the fraction of the de
ported to vary somewhat with sub gradable solids wasted each day, or
strate (2) (4) (5) but may be taken
to equal about 0.65 for mixed wastes
such as domestic sewage. This value Md~ M.{?)
represents the synthesis of both de and
gradable and undegradable biological
Ed =
solids, these portions being 0.53 and Md^.(3)
0.12, respectively. The reported values
for b have usually been based on mixed in which Ed and E represent, respec
than on the degradable solids lost and
liquor volatile solids rather tively,
the degradable total suspended solids lost each day,
biological population,
because the latter is often difficult to and Md and M represent, respectively,
determine and so the degradable solids and total sus
directly, reported
values have varied widely (5) (6). pended solids in the aeration tank plus
The portion of mixed settling chamber.
liquor volatile
solids Once a steady-state condition has
represented by degradable
can be determined in been reached, the degradable solids
solids, however,
for a at wasted per day must just equal those
directly system steady-state
as follows. Consider a synthesized each day, or
equilibrium,
system in which a constant percentage
Ed = 0.53F- bMd.(4)
of the mixed liquor solids is lost per
day, either on a controlled basis or by Combining Equations 3 and 4 and solv
discharge to the effluent. As shown ing for the degradable solids mass re

~
0.6,

X ACETATE " BATCH FEED (7)

O SYNTHETIC SEWAGE -
BATCHFEED (8)
-
SYNTHETIC SEWAGE
CONTINUOUSFEED (9)
(f)

4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32

% SLUDGE LOST PER DAY(E/MxlOO)

FIGURE 2.?Effect of sludge wasting on sludge accumulation.

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 JOURNAL WPCF
1098 November 1962

suits in and so are the only solids which will

exert a BOD. Because the accumula
=
Md -^^-.(5) tion of inert biological solids repre
sents about 12 percent of the BOD
the remainder of the accumu
removed,
in Equation 5 lation A/F, would represent the de
Substituting Equation
1 gives the accumulation in terms of gradable portion of the solids, or

pounds of volatile biological solids

of BOD de % degradable solids
produced per pound
stroyed, as follows: -
_ A/F 0.12
0 ^3 X 100..(7)
?/F
=
(6) A/F
0.65-^-0-....
1+ The theoretical
bM oxygen requirement
for complete oxidation of volatile bio
The constant b has been evaluated logical solids has been estimated by
from the data in Figure 2 to be about Eckenfelder and "Weston (2) to be
0.18. These data represent the results 1.42 times the volatile solids concen
of laboratory studies by several in tration. Using this value the ultimate
vestigators which wrere conducted using BOD of the degradable biological
both continuous and batch-feed proce solids would be
dures. The organic substrates used
were largely soluble, so solids accumu = 1.42 degradable solids. . (8)
BODz
lation represented only the accumu
lation of biological solids. The rate
of oxygen demand of the
degradable solids can be estimated,
BOD of Effluent Solids based on first-order kinetics, as

The effluent solids from an extended = &

dBOB/dt (BODO.(9)
aeration plant are composed of both
inert and degradable biological solids. in which b represents the previously
The degradable solids are the only ones found rate constant for endogenous
readily capable of biological oxidation respiration, or 0.18 per day. Using

100
10 0.8

01 O
? -J 0.7
O(D
O
(Ti O?0.6
O? E
E \ 0.5
6r C7>
O
O E
O i
0.4
<n

41- 3 0.3
CM O
O (/)
u. 0.2
E 2 O
O
O 0.1
CD
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35

SLUDGE LOST- %/DAY-(E/M x 100)

FIGURE 3.?Effect of sludge wasting on activity and oxygen demand of sludge.

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Vol. 34, No. 11 EXTENDED AERATION 1099

75
0.40

80h

85
<
> 90
LU
?: 95
o
o
?? 100
Ll
LU

J_L
20 60 80 40
-
BOD LOADING Ib/DAY/1000 CU FT
FIGURE 4.?Effect of loading on efficiency and effluent solids when excess sludge is
discharged to the effluent.

this constant and integrating Equa be calculated using Equation 6. By

tion 9, the total oxygen utilized in 5 equating the loss of solids in the ef
days, or the 5-day BOD of the degrad fluent E to the solids production A, the
able solids, is found to be BOD loading F can then be deter
mined. The BOD of the effluent solids
= 0.84 solids
BOD5 (degradable can also then be determined by use of
concentration .(10) 7 and 10. By this proce
Equations
dure, the curves shown in Figure 4
The relationships between sludge were constructed relating organic load
wasting and portion of degradable
ing in terms of BOD/day/1,000 cu ft
solids, rate of oxygen uptake, and BOD with mixed liquor volatile solids con
of the solids as calculated from Equa
centration (MLVS) and BOD removal
tions 6, 7, 8, and 9 are shown in Fig
efficiency. In constructing these
ure 3. The values are close
computed
curves, it was considered that 2 per
to the range of values reported by cent of the influent BOD passed
others (5) (6).
through the treatment plant un
touched, so that the maximum ef
Efficiency of Operation
ficiency of removal would be 98 per
The increase in biological solids in cent if no solids were discharged to
an extended aeration system will con the effluent.
tinue until an equilibrium is reached Figure 4 indicates that for a given
in which the loss of solids in the ef mixed liquor solids concentration, the
fluent is just equal to the daily solids effluent solids per pound of BOD ap
production in the aeration tank. For plied increase and the BOD removal
a given mixed liquor solids concentra efficiency decreases as the loading is
tion M in the aeration tank, this loss increased. Also, the higher the mixed
of solids E for various ratios of solids liquor solids concentration can be
production to BOD loading A/F can maintained, the higher will be the

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 JOURNAL WPCF
1100 November 1962

BOD removal efficiency. This last fac in the system was due to the influent
tor indicates the importance of a good undegradable solids, the efficiency of
settling tank to settle the biological operation would be similar to that of
solids efficiently and thus retain a max a system receiving only degradable or
imum quantity of solids. ganics in which the mixed liquor vola
Figure 4 also could be used to esti tile solids concentration were main
mate the efficiency of operation of tained at only 60 percent of the fore
plants receiving biologically undegrad going, or 3,600 mg/1.
able solids such as grit and cellulose
fibers. For example, if the mixed
BOD Design Loadings
liquor volatile solids concentration
were maintained at 6,000 mg/1 and if Figure 4 indicates that BOD re
40 percent of the sludge accumulated moval efficiencies of 85 percent or

8 16 24 32 40 48

TIME IN DAYS
FIGURE 5.?Effect of organic loading on operation.

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Vol. 34, No. 11 EXTENDED AERATION 1101

more can be obtained with loadings of air and low organic loadings nor
less than 40 lb/day/1,000 cu ft, pro mally used, which favor growth of
viding the mixed liquor volatile solids nitrifying bacteria. Frequent prob
concentration can be held above 3,000 lems associated with nitrification are
mg/1. Normally this is possible. These decrease in pH in the aeration tank
average efficiencies can be obtained and rising of sludge in the settling
even though all excess solids which tanks. Another problem of importance
accumulate are allowed to pass to the is the effect of nitrification on meas
effluent. Higher efficiencies could be urement of effluent BOD and evalua
obtained if required by controlled tion of efficiency of operation.
periodic wasting of sludge to storage Effluent samples taken from highly
tanks or to sand drying beds. This nitrifying activated sludge plants ex
procedure would simulate conventional hibit higher BOD values than would be
activated sludge treatment and would caused by the carbonaceous demand
require greater operating and capital alone. This was shown by Sawyer and
cost for sludge disposal facilities. Bradney (10) to be due to the nitrify
The efficiency of operation
lower at ing organisms present in these effluents,
loadings greater than 40 lb/day/1,000 which caused nitrification to take place
cu ft may be satisfactory in particular immediately in the BOD test rather
instances. At these greater loadings, than after about 10 days as normally
is vari would occur.
however, operation extremely
able, as shown by Figure 5, taken from This same nitrification is undoubt
laboratory studies using continuously edly a factor in the effluent BOD values
fed activated sludge systems. A syn measured at many extended aeration
thetic sewage was used as the substrate treatment plants. The extent of nitri
and the excess sludge accumulated was fication at these plants can be consid
allowed to flow to the effluent in an erable, even under extreme conditions.
uncontrolled manner. At the high At one plant visited, nitri
complete
loadings the growth of sludge was very fication had taken place and 30 mg/1
rapid and the excess solids were dis of nitrate nitrogen was found in the
charged to the effluent in surges. The effluent. The temperature of the mixed
BOD in the effluent varied from less liquor at the time was only 10 ?C, and
than 50 mg/1 when no solids were the nitric acid formed by nitrification
present, to greater than 900 mg/1 when had dropped the pH to 4.5. Because
a surge of sludge passed to the effluent. of this the plant was operating poorly.
These same surges were present to a
limited extent at a loading of 40 lb/ Air Requirements
day/1,000 cu ft, but were not as ex
treme. The air requirement is related to
This points up the importance
of evaluating the oxygen utilized for biological oxi
full-scale plant operation
on the average BOD of several effluent dation of the waste and to the oxygen
transfer efficiency of the aeration
samples obtained over long periods of
equipment. The 5-day BOD normally
time rather than relying on single
represents about 65 to 70 percent of
grab samples. the ultimate BOD of a waste. Because
almost 90 percent oxidation of the or
Nitrification
ganic waste is achieved in an extended
A major problem connected with ex aeration system, the oxygen utilized
tended aeration plants is nitrification, would be about 1.3 lb/lb 5-day BOD.
or conversion of ammonia nitrogen to The normal aeration used
equipment
nitrite and nitrate nitrogen. This oc in these plants has an efficiency of
curs mainly because of the large excess oxygen transfer of about 5 percent.

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 1102
JOURNAL WPCF November 1962

Based on these two the air re Conclusions

values,
quirement would be about 1 cfm/day/
1. The efficiency of operation of ex
lb BOD added.
tended aeration plants without facili
ties for sludge disposal is related to
Recirculation Rate
the accumulation and discharge of ex
The rate of recycle of cess suspended solids to the effluent.
required
from the tank to the 2. Average efficiencies of operation
sludge settling
aeration tank is related to the sludge with BOD5 loadings less than 40 lb/
index and mixed cu ft are normally
density liquor solids day/1,000 greater
concentration. For consider than 85 percent.
example,
a mixed a solids concen 3. BOD5 than 40
liquor with loadings greater
tration of 5,000 mg/1 and a SDI of 1. lb/day/1,000 cu ft can be treated with
If 1 gal of this mixed liquor were fairly high average efficiencies, but the
then settle to fluctuations in efficiency are great.
settled, the solids would
a volume of 0.5 gal. at 4. The efficiency of operation is
Therefore,
least 0.5 gal would have to be recycled closely related to the effectiveness of
to retain all the sludge. This would the settling tank in retaining the sus
correspond to a recycle rate of 1:1 pended solids.
based on the influent flow to the plant.
The recycle rate may be formulated References

as follows: "
1. Kountz, R.
R., and Forney, C, Meta
bolic Energy Balances in a Total Oxi
'
J dation Activated Sludge System.'
R+ 1 1,000.K Sewage and Industrial Wastes, 31,
7, 819 (July 1959).
in which B is the ratio of the recycle 2. Eckenfelder, W. W., and Weston, R. F.,
rate to the influent flow rate and V "Kinetics of Biological Oxidation."
"
In Biological Treatment of Sewage
is the volume of concentrated sludge in and Industrial Wastes." Vol. I, p.
ml after ^-hr settling of mixed liquor New York
18, Reinhold Publ. Corp.,
in a 1-1 graduated cylinder. (1956).
rates of 1:1 or 2:1 are de 3. Heukelekian, H., Orford, H. E., and Man
Recycle the
ganelli, R., "Factors Affecting
sirable and adequate for most plants. of Sludge in the
Quantity Production
However, the ability of the plant to Activated Process." Sewage
Sludge
retain a maximum concentration of and Industrial Wastes, 23, 8, 945 (Aug.
mixed liquor suspended solids depends 1951).
"
4. C. N., Bacterial Nutrition and
not only on the recycle rate, but also Sawyer,
Synthesis." In "Biological Treatment
on the ability of the settling tank to of and Industrial Wastes."
Sewage
efficiently settle and retain the solids. Vol. I, p. 3, Reinhold Publ. Corp., New
Because of this, the efficiency of an York (1956).
extended aeration activated 5. Wuhrmann, K., "Factors Affecting Ef
sludge
ficiency and Solids Production in the
plant depends to a large degree on
Activated Sludge Process." In "Bio
the proper design of the settling tank, Treatment of Sewage and In
logical
which must not only provide for dustrial Wastes." Vol. I, p. 49,
at Reinhold New York
proper settling average flows, but Publishing Corp.,
also must for efficient opera (1956).
provide 6. McKinney, R. Oxidation
E., "Biological
tion in the presence of any surge flows of Matter." Third Biol.
Organic
that might come into the plant. It is Waste Treatment Conf., Manhattan

often in the presence of such a surge College, N. Y. (Apr. 1960).

7. Symons, J. M., "The
Biochemistry of
that large quantities of solids are dis
Nitrogen in the Synthesis of Activated
charged to the effluent and inefficient ''
Mass. Inst. of Tech.,
Sludge. Thesis,
operation results. Cambridge, Mass. (1957).

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Vol. 34, No. 11 EXTENDED AERATION 1103

8. Weinberger, L. W., "Nitrogen Metabo the of

termining Efficacy Sewage
'' ''
lism in the Activated Sludge Process. Treatment Processes. Sewage Works
Thesis, Mass. Inst. of Tech., Cam Journal, 18, 6, 1113 (Dec. 1946).
11. Tench, H. B., "The Between
bridge, Mass (1949). Relationship
Concentration and Activity of Acti
9. McCarty, P. L., Unpubl. data. Mass.
vated Sludge and Intensity of Aera
Inst. ofTech. (1960). '
tion.' City of Manchester, England,
10. Sawyer, C. N., and Bradney, L., "Mod Rivers for Year
Dept., Report Ending
ernization of the B.O.D. Test for De March 31, 1960, pp. 42-51.

FLORIDA OPERATOR AWARDS

Seven Florida wastewater plant operators are shown above with

their certificates for excellent plant operations during the past year.
David B. Lee, Director of the Bureau of Sanitary Engineering of the
Florida State Board of Health presented the awards at the 30th annual
Water and Wastewater Plant Operators Short School at the University
of Florida, held during the past summer.
The awardees are, seated from left: Robert Kelly, Coral Gables;
D. G. Raye, Clearwater; David B. Lee; and John B. Sellers, Vero Beach.
Standing are, from the left: Carl Cheatham, Lake Wales; Frederick P.
Funnell, Fort Lauderdale ;Pete Willis, Palataka ; and W. B. Stanwix
II ay, Jacksonville.

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