The post-treatment of domestic sewage pretreated in a 6 m3 UASB was investigated in two high-rate... more The post-treatment of domestic sewage pretreated in a 6 m3 UASB was investigated in two high-rate anaerobic filter (AF) reactors operated in parallel. The difference between the two AF reactors was only the addition of cationic polymer to the second reactor (AF + P). The reactors were operated at low temperatures, ranged between 13 and 20 degrees C. The media in each AF reactor consisted of vertical sheets of reticulated-polyurethane foam (RPF) with knobs. The results demonstrated that the AF + P reactor (HRT = 3 h) with cationic polymer addition (2 mg/L) was an efficient system for post-treatment. The removal efficiencies for total, suspended, colloidal and dissolved COD were, respectively, 41, 86 and 76 and 12% in the AF + P reactor and they were, respectively, 80, 97, 77 and 66% in the UASB + (AF + P) system. The removal of total, suspended and colloidal COD in the UASB + (AF + P) system were significantly higher than those achieved in the UASB + AF system. As hardly any nutrient was removed in the UASB + (AF + P) system, the effluent after pathogen removal is a valuable product for irrigation and fertilisation to close the water and nutrients cycle.
The results of research concerning the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at l... more The results of research concerning the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature are summarized in this article. The batch tests demonstrated a high biodegradability of domestic sewage at 20°C (74Ž Both batch and continuous experiments for the treatment of domestic sewage showed that the removal of SS prior to anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage not only provides a stable reactor performance but also improves the removal of both colloidal (CODcol) and dissolved COD (CODdis). The results of the pre-treatment of domestic sewage in an anaerobic filter (AF) and an anaerobic hybrid (AH) reactor showed that the AF reactor is an efficient process for the removal of suspended COD (CODss), viz. 82°at an HRT of 4 h and 13°C. The novel AF reactor consists of vertical sheets of reticulated polyurethane foam with knobs, where the biomass was only in attached form. For the treatment of pre-settled sewage at 13°C, the AH reactor, with granular sludge, showed a hig...
Although the septic tank is the most applied on-site system for wastewater pre-treatment, limited... more Although the septic tank is the most applied on-site system for wastewater pre-treatment, limited research has been performed to determine sludge accumulation and biogas production in the tank. Therefore a dynamic mathematical model based on the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) was developed for anaerobic digestion of the accumulated sludge in a septic tank treating domestic wastewater or black water. The results showed that influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the tank mainly control the filling time with sludge, while operational temperature governs characteristics of the accumulated sludge and conversion to methane. For obtaining stable sludge and high conversion, the tank needs to be operated for a period more than a year without sludge wasting. Maximum conversion to methane in the tank is about 50 and 60% for domestic wastewater and black water, respectively. The required period for sludge wasting depends on the influent COD concentration and the HRT, while characteristics of the wasted sludge are affected by operational temperature followed by the influent COD concentration and the HRT. Sludge production from the tank ranges between 0.19 to 0.22 and 0.13 to 0.15 L/(person.d), for the domestic wastewater and black water, respectively.
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2003
The treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature was studied in a two-anaerobic-step system fo... more The treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature was studied in a two-anaerobic-step system followed by an aerobic step, consisting of an anaerobic filter (AF) + an anaerobic hybrid (AH) + polyurethane-foam trickling filter (PTF). The AF+AH system was operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3+6 h at a controlled temperature of 13 degrees C, while the PTF was operated without wastewater recirculation at different hydraulic loading rates (HLR) of 41, 15.4 and 2.6 m3/m2/d at ambient temperature (ca. 15-18 degrees C). The AF reactor removed the major part of the total and suspended COD, viz. 46 and 58% respectively. The AH reactor with granular sludge was efficient in the removal and conversion of the anaerobically biodegradable COD. The AF+AH system removed 63% of total COD and converted 46% of the influent total COD to methane. At a HLR of 41 m3/m2/d, the COD removal was limited in the PTF, while at HLR of 15.4 and 2.6 m3/m2/d, a high total COD removal of 54-57% was achieve...
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2003
The decentralised treatment of concentrated sewage (about 3,600 mgCOD/l) at low temperature was i... more The decentralised treatment of concentrated sewage (about 3,600 mgCOD/l) at low temperature was investigated in a two-step anaerobic system: two-anaerobic hybrid (AH) septic tanks (each 0.575 m3). The two reactors were placed in a temperature controlled-room and the HRT was 2.5 days for each reactor. The system was fed with concentrated domestic sewage, mainly black water from about 40 toilets flushed with only 4 litre of water and a limited amount of grey water. The system showed high removal efficiency for the different COD fractions. Mean removal efficiencies in the two-step AH-septic tank at 5 days HRT and 13 degrees C were 94, 98, 74 and 78% for total COD, suspended COD, colloidal COD and dissolved COD respectively. The results of short run experiments indicated that the presence of reticulated polyurethane foam (RPF) media in the AH-septic tank improved the removal of suspended COD by 22%. The first AH-septic tank was full of sludge after 4 months of operation due to the high ...
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2001
The results of research concerning the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at l... more The results of research concerning the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature are summarized in this article. The batch tests demonstrated a high biodegradability of domestic sewage at 20 degrees C (74%). Both batch and continuous experiments for the treatment of domestic sewage showed that the removal of SS prior to anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage not only provides a stable reactor performance but also improves the removal of both colloidal (CODcol) and dissolved COD (CODdis). The results of the pre-treatment of domestic sewage in an anaerobic filter (AF) and an anaerobic hybrid (AH) reactor showed that the AF reactor is an efficient process for the removal of suspended COD (CODss), viz. 82%, at an HRT of 4 h and 13 degrees C. The novel AF reactor consists of vertical sheets of reticulated polyurethane foam with knobs, where the biomass was only in attached form. For the treatment of pre-settled sewage at 13 degrees C, the AH reactor, with g...
... On the other hand, the wastewater of the aforementioned Egyptian cities had similar character... more ... On the other hand, the wastewater of the aforementioned Egyptian cities had similar characteristics to that of Cairo city (El-Gohary and Nasr, 1999; El Monayeri and Smith, 2004) and to that mentioned in the literature (Table 4.3). ... ater application Reference German y 150 40 ...
The aim of the present research is studying the effect of potassium permanganate addition on the ... more The aim of the present research is studying the effect of potassium permanganate addition on the pre-oxidation and coagulation of the surface water. River Nile and El Rayah El Tawfeky of Benha city, Egypt were the surface water supply used in this research. The results showed that El Rayah El Tawfeky raw water had higher turbidity concentration and humic acids absorbance (8.5 NTU and 0.024, respectively) than that of River Nile (6.5 NTU and 0.018, respectively). The optimum dose of potassium permanganate ranged between 4 and 6 mg/L for coagulation process, while for oxidation of humic acid, at higher dose of potassium permanganate a higher removal can be achieved. At a constant dose of potassium permanganate (6 mg/L), the optimum dose of alum ranged between 40 - 60 mg/L and it was 85 - 105 mg/L for ferric sulfate. Addition of potassium permanganate (6 mg/L) to the raw water of El Rayah El Tawfeky and River Nile without using of any coagulant resulted in a turbidity removal of about ...
Although the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been widely applied for domestic ... more Although the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been widely applied for domestic wastewater treatment in many developing countries, there is no sufficient mathematical model for proper design and operation of the reactor. An empirical model based on non-linear regression was developed to represent the physical and chemical removal of suspended solids (SS) in the reactor. Moreover, a simplified dynamic model based on ADM1 and the empirical model for SS removal was developed for anaerobic digestion of the entrapped SS and dissolved matter in the wastewater. The empirical model showed that effluent suspended chemical oxygen demand (COD(ss)) concentration is directly proportional to the influent COD(ss) concentration and inversely proportional to both the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the reactor and wastewater temperature. For obtaining sufficient COD(ss) removal, the HRT of the UASB reactor must be higher than 4 h, and higher HRT than 12 h slightly improved COD(ss) removal. The dynamic model results showed that the required time for filling the reactor with sludge mainly depends on influent total chemical oxygen demand (COD(t)) concentration and HRT. The influent COD(t) concentration, HRT and temperature play a crucial role on the performance of the reactor. The results indicated that shorter HRT is needed for optimization of COD(t) removal, as compared with optimization of COD(t) conversion to methane. Based on the model results, the design HRT of the UASB reactor should be selected based on the optimization of wastewater conversion and minimization of biodegradable SS accumulation in the sludge bed, not only based on COD removal, to guarantee a stable reactor performance.
The treatment of grey water in two upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, operated at d... more The treatment of grey water in two upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and temperatures, was investigated. The first reactor (UASB-A) was operated at ambient temperature (14-25 degrees C) and HRT of 20, 12 and 8 h, while the second reactor (UASB-30) was operated at controlled temperature of 30 degrees C and HRT of 16, 10 and 6 h. The two reactors were fed with grey water from 'Flintenbreite' settlement in Luebeck, Germany. When the grey water was treated in the UASB reactor at 30 degrees C, total chemical oxygen demand (CODt) removal of 52-64% was achieved at HRT between 6 and 16 h, while at lower temperature lower removal (31-41%) was obtained at HRT between 8 and 20 h. Total nitrogen and phosphorous removal in the UASB reactors were limited (22-36 and 10-24%, respectively) at all operational conditions. The results showed that at increasing temperature or decreasing HRT of the reactors, maximum specific methanogenic activity of the sludge in the reactors improved. As the UASB reactor showed a significantly higher COD removal (31-64%) than the septic tank (11-14%) even at low temperature, it is recommended to use UASB reactor instead of septic tank (the most common system) for grey water pre-treatment. Based on the achieved results and due to high peak flow factor, a HRT between 8 and 12 h can be considered the suitable HRT for the UASB reactor treating grey water at temperature 20-30 degrees C, while a HRT of 12-24 h can be applied at temperature lower than 20 degrees C.
A dynamic mathematical model based on anaerobic digestion model no. 1 (ADM1) was developed for ac... more A dynamic mathematical model based on anaerobic digestion model no. 1 (ADM1) was developed for accumulation (AC) system treating concentrated black water and faecal matter at different temperatures. The AC system was investigated for the treatment of waste (water) produced from the following systems: vacuum toilet for black water (VBW), vacuum toilet for faeces with urine separation (VF), dry toilet (DT), dry toilets for faeces with urine separation (DF), separated faecal matter from conventional black water by filter bag (FB). For evaluation of the AC system treating the proposed waste (water) sources at 20 and 35 degrees C, two options were studied: (1) The filling period of the AC system was constant for all waste (water) sources (either 1, 3 or 6 months) and for each period, the seed sludge volume was varied; (2) The volume of the AC system was constant for all proposed waste (water) sources. The results showed that the filling period of the AC system was the main parameter affecting the system performance, followed by operational temperature, while the increase of the seed sludge volume slightly enhanced the performance of the system. The model results indicated that the filling period of the AC system should be higher than 150 days for obtaining a stable performance. It was found that the hydrolysis of biodegradable particulate chemical oxygen demand (COD) is the rate limiting step, as volatile fatty acid concentration is very low in all experimental conditions (< 200 mgCOD/L at 20 degrees C and < 100 mgCOD/L at 35 degrees C). Based on the results of the two options, it was found that the concentrated waste (water) sources have better performance than the diluted waste (water) sources, like VBW waste (water). Furthermore, smaller volume will be required for the AC system.
Anaerobic digestion of concentrated domestic wastewater streams--black or brown water, and solid ... more Anaerobic digestion of concentrated domestic wastewater streams--black or brown water, and solid fraction of kitchen waste is considered as a core technology in a source separation based sanitation concept (DESAR--decentralised sanitation and reuse). A simple anaerobic digester can be implemented for an enhanced primary treatment or, in some situations, as a main treatment. Two reactor configurations were extensively studied; accumulation system (AC) and UASB septic tank at 15, 20 and 25 degrees C. Due to long retention times in an AC reactor, far stabilisation of treated medium can be accomplished with methanisation up to 60%. The AC systems are the most suitable to apply when the volume of waste to be treated is minimal and when a direct reuse of a treated medium in agriculture is possible. Digested effluent contains both liquid and solids. In a UASB septic tank, efficient separation of solids and liquid is accomplished. The total COD removal was above 80% at 25 degrees C. The effluent contains COD and nutrients, mainly in a soluble form. The frequency of excess sludge removal is low and sludge is well stabilised due to a long accumulation time.
The feasibility of two accumulation-systems (AC) for anaerobic digestion and storage of concentra... more The feasibility of two accumulation-systems (AC) for anaerobic digestion and storage of concentrated black water with (AC1) or without (AC2) urine + kitchen organic-wastes was investigated. The waste(water) was collected by two vacuum toilet/transport systems. The influent-total COD of the AC2 (53,000 mg/L) was more concentrated by four times than that of the AC1. The suspended COD represented the major part (71-73%) of influent total COD of the two systems. The batch-experiments results showed a high anaerobic biodegradability of the waste(water) (> 85%). The AC systems demonstrated stable performance. There was no inhibition effect of NH4 and VFA concentration decreased in time. Total COD removal of 58% was achieved in both systems, after 105 days at 20 degrees C. Moreover, if only the supernatant in AC1 is withdrawn and the settled sludge stays for the next runs, only 20% of the influent total COD will be in the supernatant. In AC2, 74% of influent ortho-P was removed by precipitation. Therefore, the settled sludge in the AC2 had a high total-P concentration of 1,300 mg/L. The C:N:P ratios of the supernatant and the sludge were 26:13:1 and 35:4.5:1, respectively, in the AC1, and were 28:14:1 and 32:2.4:1, respectively, in AC2.
The potential of anaerobic digestion in ecological and decentralised sanitation has been investig... more The potential of anaerobic digestion in ecological and decentralised sanitation has been investigated in this research. Different anaerobic digestion systems were proposed for the treatment of sewage, grey water, black water and faeces. Moreover, mathematical models based on anaerobic digestion model no.1 (ADM1) were developed for determination of a suitable design for each system. For stable performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating sewage, the model results indicated that optimisation of wastewater conversion to biogas (not COD removal) should be selected for determination of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the reactor. For the treatment of sewage or black water in a UASB septic-tank, the model results showed that the sludge removal period was the main parameter for determination of the HRT. At such HRT, both COD removal and wastewater conversion are also optimised. The model results demonstrated that for treatment of faeces in an accumulation (AC) system at temperature > or = 25 degrees C, the filling period of the system should be higher than 60 days. For maximisation of the net biogas production (i.e. reduction of biogas losses as dissolved in the effluent), the separation between grey water, urine and faeces and reduction of water consumption for faeces flushing are required. Furthermore, the faeces and kitchen organic wastes and grey water are digested in, respectively, an AC system and UASB reactor, while the urine is stored.
The post-treatment of domestic sewage pretreated in a 6 m3 UASB was investigated in two high-rate... more The post-treatment of domestic sewage pretreated in a 6 m3 UASB was investigated in two high-rate anaerobic filter (AF) reactors operated in parallel. The difference between the two AF reactors was only the addition of cationic polymer to the second reactor (AF + P). The reactors were operated at low temperatures, ranged between 13 and 20 degrees C. The media in each AF reactor consisted of vertical sheets of reticulated-polyurethane foam (RPF) with knobs. The results demonstrated that the AF + P reactor (HRT = 3 h) with cationic polymer addition (2 mg/L) was an efficient system for post-treatment. The removal efficiencies for total, suspended, colloidal and dissolved COD were, respectively, 41, 86 and 76 and 12% in the AF + P reactor and they were, respectively, 80, 97, 77 and 66% in the UASB + (AF + P) system. The removal of total, suspended and colloidal COD in the UASB + (AF + P) system were significantly higher than those achieved in the UASB + AF system. As hardly any nutrient was removed in the UASB + (AF + P) system, the effluent after pathogen removal is a valuable product for irrigation and fertilisation to close the water and nutrients cycle.
The results of research concerning the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at l... more The results of research concerning the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature are summarized in this article. The batch tests demonstrated a high biodegradability of domestic sewage at 20°C (74Ž Both batch and continuous experiments for the treatment of domestic sewage showed that the removal of SS prior to anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage not only provides a stable reactor performance but also improves the removal of both colloidal (CODcol) and dissolved COD (CODdis). The results of the pre-treatment of domestic sewage in an anaerobic filter (AF) and an anaerobic hybrid (AH) reactor showed that the AF reactor is an efficient process for the removal of suspended COD (CODss), viz. 82°at an HRT of 4 h and 13°C. The novel AF reactor consists of vertical sheets of reticulated polyurethane foam with knobs, where the biomass was only in attached form. For the treatment of pre-settled sewage at 13°C, the AH reactor, with granular sludge, showed a hig...
Although the septic tank is the most applied on-site system for wastewater pre-treatment, limited... more Although the septic tank is the most applied on-site system for wastewater pre-treatment, limited research has been performed to determine sludge accumulation and biogas production in the tank. Therefore a dynamic mathematical model based on the Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) was developed for anaerobic digestion of the accumulated sludge in a septic tank treating domestic wastewater or black water. The results showed that influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the tank mainly control the filling time with sludge, while operational temperature governs characteristics of the accumulated sludge and conversion to methane. For obtaining stable sludge and high conversion, the tank needs to be operated for a period more than a year without sludge wasting. Maximum conversion to methane in the tank is about 50 and 60% for domestic wastewater and black water, respectively. The required period for sludge wasting depends on the influent COD concentration and the HRT, while characteristics of the wasted sludge are affected by operational temperature followed by the influent COD concentration and the HRT. Sludge production from the tank ranges between 0.19 to 0.22 and 0.13 to 0.15 L/(person.d), for the domestic wastewater and black water, respectively.
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2003
The treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature was studied in a two-anaerobic-step system fo... more The treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature was studied in a two-anaerobic-step system followed by an aerobic step, consisting of an anaerobic filter (AF) + an anaerobic hybrid (AH) + polyurethane-foam trickling filter (PTF). The AF+AH system was operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3+6 h at a controlled temperature of 13 degrees C, while the PTF was operated without wastewater recirculation at different hydraulic loading rates (HLR) of 41, 15.4 and 2.6 m3/m2/d at ambient temperature (ca. 15-18 degrees C). The AF reactor removed the major part of the total and suspended COD, viz. 46 and 58% respectively. The AH reactor with granular sludge was efficient in the removal and conversion of the anaerobically biodegradable COD. The AF+AH system removed 63% of total COD and converted 46% of the influent total COD to methane. At a HLR of 41 m3/m2/d, the COD removal was limited in the PTF, while at HLR of 15.4 and 2.6 m3/m2/d, a high total COD removal of 54-57% was achieve...
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2003
The decentralised treatment of concentrated sewage (about 3,600 mgCOD/l) at low temperature was i... more The decentralised treatment of concentrated sewage (about 3,600 mgCOD/l) at low temperature was investigated in a two-step anaerobic system: two-anaerobic hybrid (AH) septic tanks (each 0.575 m3). The two reactors were placed in a temperature controlled-room and the HRT was 2.5 days for each reactor. The system was fed with concentrated domestic sewage, mainly black water from about 40 toilets flushed with only 4 litre of water and a limited amount of grey water. The system showed high removal efficiency for the different COD fractions. Mean removal efficiencies in the two-step AH-septic tank at 5 days HRT and 13 degrees C were 94, 98, 74 and 78% for total COD, suspended COD, colloidal COD and dissolved COD respectively. The results of short run experiments indicated that the presence of reticulated polyurethane foam (RPF) media in the AH-septic tank improved the removal of suspended COD by 22%. The first AH-septic tank was full of sludge after 4 months of operation due to the high ...
Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research, 2001
The results of research concerning the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at l... more The results of research concerning the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature are summarized in this article. The batch tests demonstrated a high biodegradability of domestic sewage at 20 degrees C (74%). Both batch and continuous experiments for the treatment of domestic sewage showed that the removal of SS prior to anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage not only provides a stable reactor performance but also improves the removal of both colloidal (CODcol) and dissolved COD (CODdis). The results of the pre-treatment of domestic sewage in an anaerobic filter (AF) and an anaerobic hybrid (AH) reactor showed that the AF reactor is an efficient process for the removal of suspended COD (CODss), viz. 82%, at an HRT of 4 h and 13 degrees C. The novel AF reactor consists of vertical sheets of reticulated polyurethane foam with knobs, where the biomass was only in attached form. For the treatment of pre-settled sewage at 13 degrees C, the AH reactor, with g...
... On the other hand, the wastewater of the aforementioned Egyptian cities had similar character... more ... On the other hand, the wastewater of the aforementioned Egyptian cities had similar characteristics to that of Cairo city (El-Gohary and Nasr, 1999; El Monayeri and Smith, 2004) and to that mentioned in the literature (Table 4.3). ... ater application Reference German y 150 40 ...
The aim of the present research is studying the effect of potassium permanganate addition on the ... more The aim of the present research is studying the effect of potassium permanganate addition on the pre-oxidation and coagulation of the surface water. River Nile and El Rayah El Tawfeky of Benha city, Egypt were the surface water supply used in this research. The results showed that El Rayah El Tawfeky raw water had higher turbidity concentration and humic acids absorbance (8.5 NTU and 0.024, respectively) than that of River Nile (6.5 NTU and 0.018, respectively). The optimum dose of potassium permanganate ranged between 4 and 6 mg/L for coagulation process, while for oxidation of humic acid, at higher dose of potassium permanganate a higher removal can be achieved. At a constant dose of potassium permanganate (6 mg/L), the optimum dose of alum ranged between 40 - 60 mg/L and it was 85 - 105 mg/L for ferric sulfate. Addition of potassium permanganate (6 mg/L) to the raw water of El Rayah El Tawfeky and River Nile without using of any coagulant resulted in a turbidity removal of about ...
Although the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been widely applied for domestic ... more Although the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been widely applied for domestic wastewater treatment in many developing countries, there is no sufficient mathematical model for proper design and operation of the reactor. An empirical model based on non-linear regression was developed to represent the physical and chemical removal of suspended solids (SS) in the reactor. Moreover, a simplified dynamic model based on ADM1 and the empirical model for SS removal was developed for anaerobic digestion of the entrapped SS and dissolved matter in the wastewater. The empirical model showed that effluent suspended chemical oxygen demand (COD(ss)) concentration is directly proportional to the influent COD(ss) concentration and inversely proportional to both the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the reactor and wastewater temperature. For obtaining sufficient COD(ss) removal, the HRT of the UASB reactor must be higher than 4 h, and higher HRT than 12 h slightly improved COD(ss) removal. The dynamic model results showed that the required time for filling the reactor with sludge mainly depends on influent total chemical oxygen demand (COD(t)) concentration and HRT. The influent COD(t) concentration, HRT and temperature play a crucial role on the performance of the reactor. The results indicated that shorter HRT is needed for optimization of COD(t) removal, as compared with optimization of COD(t) conversion to methane. Based on the model results, the design HRT of the UASB reactor should be selected based on the optimization of wastewater conversion and minimization of biodegradable SS accumulation in the sludge bed, not only based on COD removal, to guarantee a stable reactor performance.
The treatment of grey water in two upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, operated at d... more The treatment of grey water in two upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and temperatures, was investigated. The first reactor (UASB-A) was operated at ambient temperature (14-25 degrees C) and HRT of 20, 12 and 8 h, while the second reactor (UASB-30) was operated at controlled temperature of 30 degrees C and HRT of 16, 10 and 6 h. The two reactors were fed with grey water from 'Flintenbreite' settlement in Luebeck, Germany. When the grey water was treated in the UASB reactor at 30 degrees C, total chemical oxygen demand (CODt) removal of 52-64% was achieved at HRT between 6 and 16 h, while at lower temperature lower removal (31-41%) was obtained at HRT between 8 and 20 h. Total nitrogen and phosphorous removal in the UASB reactors were limited (22-36 and 10-24%, respectively) at all operational conditions. The results showed that at increasing temperature or decreasing HRT of the reactors, maximum specific methanogenic activity of the sludge in the reactors improved. As the UASB reactor showed a significantly higher COD removal (31-64%) than the septic tank (11-14%) even at low temperature, it is recommended to use UASB reactor instead of septic tank (the most common system) for grey water pre-treatment. Based on the achieved results and due to high peak flow factor, a HRT between 8 and 12 h can be considered the suitable HRT for the UASB reactor treating grey water at temperature 20-30 degrees C, while a HRT of 12-24 h can be applied at temperature lower than 20 degrees C.
A dynamic mathematical model based on anaerobic digestion model no. 1 (ADM1) was developed for ac... more A dynamic mathematical model based on anaerobic digestion model no. 1 (ADM1) was developed for accumulation (AC) system treating concentrated black water and faecal matter at different temperatures. The AC system was investigated for the treatment of waste (water) produced from the following systems: vacuum toilet for black water (VBW), vacuum toilet for faeces with urine separation (VF), dry toilet (DT), dry toilets for faeces with urine separation (DF), separated faecal matter from conventional black water by filter bag (FB). For evaluation of the AC system treating the proposed waste (water) sources at 20 and 35 degrees C, two options were studied: (1) The filling period of the AC system was constant for all waste (water) sources (either 1, 3 or 6 months) and for each period, the seed sludge volume was varied; (2) The volume of the AC system was constant for all proposed waste (water) sources. The results showed that the filling period of the AC system was the main parameter affecting the system performance, followed by operational temperature, while the increase of the seed sludge volume slightly enhanced the performance of the system. The model results indicated that the filling period of the AC system should be higher than 150 days for obtaining a stable performance. It was found that the hydrolysis of biodegradable particulate chemical oxygen demand (COD) is the rate limiting step, as volatile fatty acid concentration is very low in all experimental conditions (< 200 mgCOD/L at 20 degrees C and < 100 mgCOD/L at 35 degrees C). Based on the results of the two options, it was found that the concentrated waste (water) sources have better performance than the diluted waste (water) sources, like VBW waste (water). Furthermore, smaller volume will be required for the AC system.
Anaerobic digestion of concentrated domestic wastewater streams--black or brown water, and solid ... more Anaerobic digestion of concentrated domestic wastewater streams--black or brown water, and solid fraction of kitchen waste is considered as a core technology in a source separation based sanitation concept (DESAR--decentralised sanitation and reuse). A simple anaerobic digester can be implemented for an enhanced primary treatment or, in some situations, as a main treatment. Two reactor configurations were extensively studied; accumulation system (AC) and UASB septic tank at 15, 20 and 25 degrees C. Due to long retention times in an AC reactor, far stabilisation of treated medium can be accomplished with methanisation up to 60%. The AC systems are the most suitable to apply when the volume of waste to be treated is minimal and when a direct reuse of a treated medium in agriculture is possible. Digested effluent contains both liquid and solids. In a UASB septic tank, efficient separation of solids and liquid is accomplished. The total COD removal was above 80% at 25 degrees C. The effluent contains COD and nutrients, mainly in a soluble form. The frequency of excess sludge removal is low and sludge is well stabilised due to a long accumulation time.
The feasibility of two accumulation-systems (AC) for anaerobic digestion and storage of concentra... more The feasibility of two accumulation-systems (AC) for anaerobic digestion and storage of concentrated black water with (AC1) or without (AC2) urine + kitchen organic-wastes was investigated. The waste(water) was collected by two vacuum toilet/transport systems. The influent-total COD of the AC2 (53,000 mg/L) was more concentrated by four times than that of the AC1. The suspended COD represented the major part (71-73%) of influent total COD of the two systems. The batch-experiments results showed a high anaerobic biodegradability of the waste(water) (> 85%). The AC systems demonstrated stable performance. There was no inhibition effect of NH4 and VFA concentration decreased in time. Total COD removal of 58% was achieved in both systems, after 105 days at 20 degrees C. Moreover, if only the supernatant in AC1 is withdrawn and the settled sludge stays for the next runs, only 20% of the influent total COD will be in the supernatant. In AC2, 74% of influent ortho-P was removed by precipitation. Therefore, the settled sludge in the AC2 had a high total-P concentration of 1,300 mg/L. The C:N:P ratios of the supernatant and the sludge were 26:13:1 and 35:4.5:1, respectively, in the AC1, and were 28:14:1 and 32:2.4:1, respectively, in AC2.
The potential of anaerobic digestion in ecological and decentralised sanitation has been investig... more The potential of anaerobic digestion in ecological and decentralised sanitation has been investigated in this research. Different anaerobic digestion systems were proposed for the treatment of sewage, grey water, black water and faeces. Moreover, mathematical models based on anaerobic digestion model no.1 (ADM1) were developed for determination of a suitable design for each system. For stable performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating sewage, the model results indicated that optimisation of wastewater conversion to biogas (not COD removal) should be selected for determination of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the reactor. For the treatment of sewage or black water in a UASB septic-tank, the model results showed that the sludge removal period was the main parameter for determination of the HRT. At such HRT, both COD removal and wastewater conversion are also optimised. The model results demonstrated that for treatment of faeces in an accumulation (AC) system at temperature > or = 25 degrees C, the filling period of the system should be higher than 60 days. For maximisation of the net biogas production (i.e. reduction of biogas losses as dissolved in the effluent), the separation between grey water, urine and faeces and reduction of water consumption for faeces flushing are required. Furthermore, the faeces and kitchen organic wastes and grey water are digested in, respectively, an AC system and UASB reactor, while the urine is stored.
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