Simultaneous Organic and Nutrient Removal in a Naturally Ventilated Biotower Treating Presettled Municipal Wastewater
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 3
Abstract
The performance of a down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) system was continuously evaluated for 1 year for enhancement of organic matter and nutrient removal in the treatment of presettled municipal wastewater. A pilot-scale DHS (24 L) was installed at a wastewater-treatment site and operated at an ambient temperature of . This paper reports on the results of a long-term monitoring of the system. The DHS system was operated at three different hydraulic retention times (HRTs), i.e., 6, 4, and 2 h. The available results showed that increasing the HRT significantly improved the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractions. The removal efficiencies of COD were 89, 80, and 56% at HRTs of 6, 4, and 2 h, respectively. Also, ammonia concentration significantly decreased by increasing the HRT. Ammonia removal percentages of 99, 90, and 72% were achieved when the DHS system was operated at HRTs of 6, 4, and 2 h, respectively, but decreasing HRT exerted a slightly negative effect on the removal of total phosphorous. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed no clogging of the sponge pores after 12 months of continuous operation. Accordingly, the results suggested that the proposed system may be a competitive solution for municipal wastewater treatment under variable conditions.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 3 • March 2010
Pages: 301 - 307
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 5, 2009
Accepted: Aug 20, 2009
Published online: Feb 12, 2010
Published in print: Mar 2010
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