Modelling and operation of nutrient

removal in a hybrid process for mixed

industrial and municipal effluent

Markku Huhtamäki, Juurocon Oy

Juurocon.oy@dnainternet.net; mobile +358 40-767 9470

Dipankar Sen, Santa Clara Water Walley District

Content:
IFAS (hybrid) processes for industrial and municipal effluent

• Hybrid (IFAS) processes

• Benefits and drawbacks
• Key points for successful operation

• Case Studies, Raisio and Eura

• Learning from existing installations
- Design, modelling and operation of IFAS processes
• Utilisation of industrial effluents

2 Juurocon Oy, Nordic 2007

Development for IFAS (hybrid) processes
Activated sludge (CAS) MBBR (carriers; no sludge recycle)
Kaldnes, Entex, others

IFAS, fixed bed IFAS, moving bed

E.g. Ringlace, Bioweb, Cleartec (cord) E.g. Captor, Linpor (sponge)
E.g. (sponge) E.g. KMT, Hydroxyl, Entex; Eimco; Aqwise (plastic)

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Types of IFAS media

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Installation examples
- Dispersed media is more
common e.g. in Scandinavia;
- Fixed-in place media is more
common e.g. in USA and Japan

Web type media

(Stewart Creek wwtp)
Rope type media
(Annapolis wwtp)
Dispersed media
(Eura wwtp)

5 Juurocon Oy, Nordic 2007

IFAS-processes - Benefits and drawbacks

Benefits
 Improved process stability
 Quick recovery after shock loads, toxic loads, snow melting periods and
maintenance shut downs
 Improved efficiency (up to >2* compared to CAS and MBBR)
 Improved sludge settling (SVI)
Drawbacks and prevention of poor operation
• Blocking of intermediate screens (in carrier processes);
 Efficient pre-treatment; selection of carriers and screens
• Carrier mixing (at high flow or low aeration)
 Design of aerators and mixers; placing of them
• Carrier durability (hits of mixer blades; wear towards walls)
Component evaluation
• Excessive growth of biomass & bristle worms may result in poor
nitrification
 Aeration and aeration control

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 Raisio wwtp – a 4-stage Bardenpho process;
~20% carriers in all sections except recycle pumping
• Untreated food industry effluents speed up nitrification (compared e.g. to
methanol) and nitrogen removal.
• 70% N-tot reduction reached with untreated food ind. effluent (# methanol)
• Process failures due to mechanical problems (broken screens and carriers)
• Process failures due to low pH, insufficient carbon source and high TSS in
pre-clarified water (often > 1000 mg/l resulting in < 2 d sludge age in MLSS)
- More information: www.raisio.fi/ripesca
Aver 13000 m3/d Bypass Fe3+
700 kg N-tot/d
Fe2+ Fe3+ C Fe3+

D N D/N

Industrial Basins 3600 m3; HRT 5-9 h

effluents MLSS 3 g/l; SRT max 8 d

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 Raisio at normal load : NH4-N removal - nitrification
and biomass growth
NH4-N removal 99,6% T = 9 oC; SRT (MLSS) 8 d - Biofilm ”seeds” the free sludge (it
- To primary sludge 20% O2: 5 mg/l in aeration nitrifies better than without carriers)
- To biomass 19 % Untreated food ind. effluent - Higher O2 increases biofilm nitrification
- Nitrification by biofilm 23% - This case is sensitive for sludge age of
- Nitrification by MLSS 38% the free sludge

200
Nitrification Biofilm
180
160 Nitrification by MLVSS
NH4-N Uptake, kg/d

140 N bound to biomass/

biofilm
120
N bound to biomass/
100 MLSS
80
60
40
20
0
Anox

Anox

Aer

Aer

Aer

Anox

Anox

Aer
8 Juurocon Oy, Nordic 2007
 Raisio high TSS after primary clarifier : NH4-N removal
by nitrification and biomass growth
Recycle of dead sludge – T = 9 oC; - Nitrification by MLSS stops
decreases MLSS sludge age Pre-clarified TSS 1000 mg/l - Nitrification by biofilm reduces, when
- What happens ? O2: 5 mg/l in aeration more of the biofilm fraction is consumed
Untreated food ind. effluent for oxidizing of the BOD
- Nitrifiers are retained, but effluent NH4-N
increases to 15 …20 mg/l

60
Nitrification Biofilm

50 Nitrification by MLVSS
NH4-N Uptake, kg/d

40 N bound to biomass/
biofilm
N bound to biomass/
30 MLSS

20

10

0
Anox

Anox

Aer

Aer

Aer

Anox

Anox

Aer

9 Juurocon Oy, Nordic 2007

Denitrification reaction rate
Denitrification rates at 13 - 16 oC
• Often presented as constant rate COD mg NO3-N /
relative to biomass amount [mg/l] (g MLSS * h)
[mg/ NO3-N /(g VSS, h)] – does Acetic acid 1 056 000 3,4
Edogenous respiration 0,2 - 0,6
not apply for mixed C-sources Food industry wastes
• Rate is depending on the carbon Yeast industry 28 800 3,0
source (and adaptation) Wine industry 210 000 5,4
Slaughterhouse 250 000 1,4
• Slightly temperature dependent Vegetable processing 26 000 4,3
(1 oC ᐃ 4%) Kemian teollisuuden jättteet / sivutuotteet
Pharmaceutical ind. I 188 000 4,1
• Soluble oxygen inhibits (high O2 Pharmaceutical ind. II 320 000 1,3
at the end of nitrification; high Glue production I 280 000 1,0
sludge recycle) Photographic industry 690 000 1,6

• At low concentrations (< 3 mg/l) Denitrification rates 15 oC 2

rate is limited mg NO3-N / (g VSS * h)
Wastewater 0,3 - 2
• The lower redox-potential, the Methanol 2 - 5,5
higher denitrification rate Ethanol 10 - 17

1) Eckenfielder, W.W. Industrial water pollution control #rd ed. McGraw-Hill 2000
2) Andersson et al., Nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater; TemaNord
10 Juurocon Oy, Nordic 2007
1995:580
Carbon sources and denitrification at Raisio.
The need for the anoxic volume depends on denitrification rate

40

35 Treated effluent; VSS 3,3 g/l

1,3 mg /(g VSS, h) (endogenous respiration)
Nitrate concentration [mg NO 3-N/l]

30

0,3 mg /(g VSS, h) Methanol; VSS 2,2 g/l

25

20 Waste ´methanol'; VSS 2,2 g/l

3,8 mg /(g VSS, h)
12 mg /(g VSS, h)
15
Mixed influent incl. untreated food ind.
effluent; VSS 2,2 g/l
10
2,8 mg /(g VSS, h)
Mixed influent incl. untreated food ind.
5
Test date 18.7.2006 effluent; Carriers (L2) 100 m2/m3
o
T 20-21 C; pH 7,0 -8,0
0
0:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00

Test duration [h]

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 Carbon source does matter
100%
Nitrogen removal vs.
90% BOD/N-relation

80%
Raisio: pre-treated food ind.
70% effluent; full aerobic; low DO
Nitrogen reduction

1.1.2001 - 1.6.2002
60%
Raisio: ~30% by-pass for
50%
food ind pre-treatment; DN
process 1.8. - 9.12.2002
40%

30% Raisio: pre-treated food ind.

effluent; DN process
20% 27.603 - 30.11.2003

10% Finnish >10000 pe wwtps´

reaching 70% nitrogen
0% removal during 1999
0 5 10 15 20 25
Influent BOD7(ATU) /N-tot

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Raisio – process related mechanical
problems; screens mixing and carries
Maintenance shut downs, problems
in sludge dewatering, low alkalinity,
malfunction of the primary clarifier,
insufficent carbon source, small
aerated volume and low carrier filling
ratio have limited nitrogen removal
and caused unsatisfied results

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 Eura wwtp – A special solution for local effluents
• Rebuilding of an old wwtp for nitrification and also to treat paper industry
effluents. Normal flow and load were tripled
• Municipal effluents partly nitrified in line 1 (R1… R3) using IFAS process
• Denitrification and oxidation of paper industry effluents in lines 2 & 3 (R4 and R5)
• A small sludge recycle increases the temperature in line 1 by 5 oC

Paper industry
Qaver = 200 (m3/h); 30 -40 oC

LINE 1 LINEs 2&3 (2 pc)

Qaver = 100 (m /h); 4 -16 C
3 o
550 m3 (460 +640 =) 1100 m3 Me3+
Municipal HRT 2-12 h HRT 3 h (of which aerobic 58%)
R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
Qaver = 50 (m3/h); 5 d/w
RAS 30 m3/h until RAS 70 ->100 m3/h 03 2006
03-2006
Biol. pre-
treatment RAS = 100 (m3/h); 20-30 oC
Before 12 2006 After 12 2006
Food Industry Sludge
treatment

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Case Eura - experiences

• High solid concentrations in paper industry effluent. The P&P effluents

were not inhibitory, but in this case the pigments coated slowly the
nitrifyers in the biofilm of the carriers (resulting in poor nitrification). The
noticed coating phenomen was exceptional also for P&P effluents
• Running line 1 as pure MBBR process improved nitrification. >70%
nitrogen removal and < 10 mg/l residual nitrogen was reached during
winter 2007
• Denitrification was complete in R4 (HRT 1,2 h, biomass 20% of MLSS;
SRT 0,8 d * 42% anoxic)
• Spring 2007: Periodically poor nitrification. After installation of on-line
nitrogen measurement on summer 2007, inhibitory effects caused by
municipal effluent were detected
• Modelling and test runs during summer 2007 for further process
optimisation: pre-clarification of P&P effluents, recycling of sludge and by-
pass of the biological pre-treatment at the food industry

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 Eura; results during winter 2007
- Partial (~50%) nitrification in line 1 is enough for > 70 % nitrogen removal and low residual N-tot
- Part of ammonium-nitrogen is consumed for the biomass growth in line 2.
- Paper industry effluents dilute the water in line 2 (sum of influent N-tot corresponds typically 20 – 22 mg/l)

NO3-N NH4-N COD NH4-N + NO3-N

clarif
To pre-
clarified
Pre-

R3 out

effluent
Plant
clarif
To pre-
clarified
Pre-

R3 out

effluent
Plant
effluent
Plant
clarified
Pre-

R3 out

effluent
Plant
Date
Day

Median 24.1 -5.3. 1,4 0,7 33,1 4,1 41,0 36,5 14,5 1,5 79,0 37,8 48,5 6,2
Analyses 10 10 10 5 10 9 9 5 5 9 9 5
24.1.2007 We 1,8 1,3 22,8 4,1 33,1 36,5 26,9 2,2 85 38 50 6,3
29.1.2007 Mo 3,0 0,7 35,0 42,8
1.2.2007 Th 1,3 0,7 33,3 4,7 42,0 43,6 18,9 1,5 73 44 52 6,2
5.2.2007 Mo 1,4 0,5 35,4 40,0 32,2 9,0 33 44
8.2.2007 Th 1,0 2,6 39,4 5,8 19,9 21,4 9,1 0,7 79 24 49 6,5
12.2.2007 Mo 1,6 0,7 28,0 36,1 32,1 8,6 33 37
15.2.2007 Th 2,0 0,5 32,8 3,3 42,2 43,9 14,5 0,3 56 44 47 3,6
26.2.2007 Mo 1,4 0,2 41,2 36,1 34,8 12,0 35 53
1.3.2007 Th 1,2 0,6 19,0 1,3 48,3 49,4 30,3 3,6 100 50 49 4,9
5.3.2007 Mo 1,1 0,9 29,7 47,4 45,8 16,9 47 47

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 Eura nitrification and inhibition in line 1; summer 2007
(no paper industry effects)
NO3-N in R3
60

Sa 28.7 23:00

Tu 31.7 09:00
Tu 24.7 08:00

Sa 28.7 10:00
We 18.7 13:00

Tu 18.7 07:00

Sa 21.7 04:00
50

40

30

20
Su 15.7 07:00
Mo 16.7 07:00
Mo 16.7 16:00

10
Normal diurnal cycle when
nitrification is incomplete
0
15.7.07

22.7.07

29.7.07
Weekends; load and flow lower; Inhibition - desinfectants,
Nitrification should be complete solvents or heavy metals?
17 Juurocon Oy, Nordic 2007
Eura current situation

• Work to localize the inhibitory source in the municipal line is going on

• The full scale tests showed, that the pre-clarified (~100 mg/l TSS) paper
industry effluent did not coat the carriers.
• Mechanical mixer is installed into R1. Basins are old concrete basins.
No carrier damages, except a slight wear, are noticed.
• Simulation and full scale tests showed that the local food industry could
shut down their biological pre-treatment if sludge circulation into line 1
can be used (paper industry effluents are pre-clarified)
• Sludge recycle may eliminate the need for additional alkalinity dosage
in line 1
• The process is reaching 70 % nitrogen removal and < 10 mg/l effluent
nitrogen in case the inhibitory effects are in control (nitrification
inhibition < 25%)

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Typical reasons for poor nitrification

• Heavy metals
• Solvents
• Inhibitory sources
- Print houses, metal industry, service stations
- Especially pickling and degreasing liquids
- Special attention should be given for recovery and
permanent monitoring and emptying of fat separators
• Problems are often caused by small effluent streams
• Operational parameters at the wwtp
- pH, sludge age, sludge circulation due to reject waters,
too low sludge removal from pre-clarifier

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Some inhibitory compounds

• Nitrifying bacteria are

Biodegradability and toxity data EC50 mg/l
Compound Heterotrophs Nitrosomonas BOD / COD
sensitive for chemicals Methanol 20000 880 >50%
Ethanol 24000 3900 >50%
• Worst sources (print Acetone 16000 1200 25..50%
Toluene 110 84 >50%
houses, service stations Benzene 520 13 >50%
etc) have typically low flow Chlorobenzene 310 0,71 <10%
Nitrobenzene 370 0,92 >50%
• 1 mg/l is equal to one (1) Phenol 1100 21 >50%
litre in 1000 m3 4-Chlorophenol
Nitrophenol
98
160
0,73
2,6
• Several easily Aminophenol
1,1-Dichlorethane
0,27
620
0,04
0,91
biodegradable compounds Trichloroethylene 130 0,81 >50%
are toxic for nitrifyers Methylchloride 320 1,2 <10%
Thiourea 2,8
• Spills once a month may Allylthiourea 0,1

have severe effects on Copper 1 0,005

Crom (VI) 1..10 0,25
nitrification Nickel 1…2,5 0,25
Zink 0,08…10 0,08..0,5

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Experiences - process selection

• IFAS process doubles the nitrification rate compared to MBBR or

activated sludge processes alone.
• IFAS stabilizes the biological process. Nitrifyers may stay in the biofilm
also in case activated sludge does not nitrify.
• The carriers are more effective than fixed-in-place biofilm. However, the
maintenance carrier process is more difficult and carrier retaining
screens are needed
• Special attention needs to be given for
- pre-treatment (no unscreened effluent to the biology)
- Carrier selection – small carriers need tighter screens
- Carrier efficiency is related to the active biofilm area and to the
turbulence on the biofilm - not to the nominal carrier surface area
- Aeration and mixing arrangements – the low load and high flow
situations; carrier durability against of wear and selected mixers
• Learn from existing installations!

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Experiences– operation and waste water

• Control and regulate pH in the nitrification zone

• Avoid sludge circulation through reject waters – it lowers the
sludge age
• Use and control the carbon source
• On-line nitrogen-analysers give valuable information for process
simulation and problem solving
• In case of there is a risk for high TSS loads through industrial
sources, they should be pre-clarified. High payment portion for
TSS (not for soluble BOD)
• Even a few hours aeration of warm industrial effluents may
remove the best and most useful carbon source. Prefer only
screening when possible.
• Treatment of industrial effluents together with municipal effluent
may save cost for partners and result in lower environmental load.

22 Juurocon Oy, Nordic 2007

 Thank you; questions ?
Remember
• Active biofilm area for nitrification is
not the same as the specified surface
area of clean carriers
• High biomass content in the carriers
decreases the active biofilm area and
efficiency
• The biomass population on the carriers
and activated sludge are different
120 %

100 %
Maintain this range with mixing

Biofilmin surface area /

media surface area
80 %

60 %

40 %

20 %
The correlation is carrier specific
0%
0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5
Biofilm thickness [mm]

23 Juurocon Oy, Nordic 2007