Evaluation of Sludge Yield and Phosphorus Removal in a Cannibal Solids Reduction Process
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 10
Abstract
The potential for simultaneous sludge minimization and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) in Cannibal solids reduction processes was investigated. To simulate a Cannibal-EBPR system, a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated with anaerobic and aerobic cycles was coupled with an anaerobic sidestream bioreactor, which received mixed liquor from the SBR and returned the same amount of treated sludge back to the SBR. The biomass yield in the Cannibal-EBPR system was estimated to be volatile suspended solids (VSS)/mg chemical oxygen demand, which represented a 16–33% reduction in solids production compared to a Control-EBPR system operated with a 10-day solids retention time, for which conventional digestion of excess sludge was assumed. Regarding EBPR, greater than 98% phosphorus removal was sustainable in the Cannibal-EBPR system, but a mass balance on total phosphorus could not be closed, with nearly 33% of the phosphorus unaccounted. The fate of the missing phosphorus could not be resolved.
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Acknowledgments
The writers are sincerely grateful to the plant operators of the full-scale Cannibal plant for arranging sample collection and shipment. The writers extend their thanks to Mike Doyle for his helpful suggestions.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 10 • October 2006
Pages: 1331 - 1337
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 11, 2005
Accepted: Feb 13, 2006
Published online: Oct 1, 2006
Published in print: Oct 2006
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