carbonaceous, nitrogenous and phosphorus matters removal from domestic wastewater by an activated sludge reactor of nitrification-denitrification type

Abstract

This paper proposes an environmental engineering method based on biotechnology approach as one of the expected solutions that should be considered to implementing the activated sludge for improving the quality of water and living environment, especially to remove the major pollutant elements of domestic wastewater. Elimination of 3 major pollutant elements, i.e., carbon, nitrogen and phosphor containing the domestic wastewater is proposed to carry out biological method of an anoxic-aerobic reactor therein these types of pollutants should be consecutively processed in three steps. Firstly, eliminate the carbonaceous matter in the aerobic reactor. Secondly, to remove the carbonaceous and nitrogenous matters, it is necessary to modify the reactor’s nature from the aerobic condition to an anoxic-aerobic reactor. And finally, when the cycle of nitrification-denitrification is stable to achieve the target’s efficiency of reactor by adding the ferric iron into the activated sludge, it can be continued to remove the carbonaceous, nitrogenous and phosphorous matters simultaneously. The efficiency of carbonaceous and nitrogenous matters removal was confirmed with the effluent standard, COD is less than 100 mgO2/L and the value of global nitrogen is less than 10 mgN/L. The effectiveness of suspended matter removal is higher than 90% and the decantation of activated sludge is very good as identifying the Molhman’s index is below of 120 mL/L. The total phosphorus matter removal is more effective than the soluble phosphorus matter. By maintaining the reactor’s nature at the suitable condition, identifying the range of pH between 6.92 and 7.16 therefore the excellent abatement of phosphor of about 80% is achieving with the molar Fe/P ratio of 1.4.