Online Fluorescence Monitoring of Effluent Organic Matter in Wastewater Treatment Plants
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 5
Abstract
Wastewater treatment is an energy-intensive operation. Energy consumption is forecast to increase by 60% in the forthcoming decade due to tightened legislation surrounding the discharge of final effluent to watercourses. Treatment plants rely on the time-consuming and unreliable biochemical oxygen demand to assess the quality of final effluent, leading to process inefficiencies. Here, the authors show that fluorescence spectroscopy is a robust technique for real-time monitoring of changes in effluent quality. Three portable fluorimeters were installed for one month at the final effluent discharge point of a large municipal wastewater treatment plant. The authors show that organic matter composition of the wastewater varies diurnally depending on the flow rate and antecedent rainfall. High fluorescence intensity and ammonia are attributed to sewage sludge liquor, which is regularly discharged to the treatment plant. Moreover, elevated fluorescence intensities were recorded as a result of process failure following a power outage. The study shows that online fluorescence analysis is capable of detecting both minor changes in effluent quality and issues with treatment process performance.
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Acknowledgments
The first author acknowledges the support of the European Commission Framework Programme 7, Marie Curie IEF (PIEF-GA-2012-329962) and the Core Program, ANCS (PN 16.40.01.01). The work of David Hoyland, John Bryant, and Steve Brooks in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Birmingham in the design and manufacture of the Duo Fluor instrument is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Severn Trent Water for allowing access to the treatment plant and wastewater quality data. The authors also thank Mr. Mark Carter for laboratory and field support.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 5 • May 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 11, 2017
Accepted: Oct 18, 2017
Published online: Feb 16, 2018
Published in print: May 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jul 16, 2018
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