Nitrogen removal in moving-bed biofilm reactor plants at low temperatures: experiences from Norway.

Cold and diluted wastewater is a major challenge for nitrogen removal at wastewater treatment plants. The moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process has proven suitable for nitrogen removal under these conditions and several full-scale plants have been in operation for more than 20 years. These plants are still performing well, even at above design loads. Recently some of these plants have been evaluated for their low-temperature performance. In general, the results showed that temperatures down to 5 °C only had a minor impact on observed nitrification and denitrification rates. Higher dissolved oxygen concentrations can boost nitrification rates and are used as a tool to increase rates at low temperatures, thus partially compensating for the temperature effect. Post-denitrification rates were boosted by a controlled increase in carbon-to-nitrogen ratios at low temperatures. MBBR processes with combined pre- and post-denitrification are recommended for nitrogen-removal plants operating at low temperatures. Design recommendations and examples of flowsheets are given.

Biomass production and nutrient removal by Chlorella sp. as affected by sludge liquor concentration.

The use of microalgae for biomass production and nutrient removal from the reject water produced in the dewatering process of anaerobically digested sludge, sludge liquor, was investigated. The sludge liquor was characterized by a high content of total suspended solids (1590 mg L(-1)), a high nitrogen concentration (1210 mg L(-1)), and a low phosphorus concentration (28 mg L(-1)). Chlorella sp. was grown in sludge liquor diluted with wastewater treatment plant effluent water to different concentrations (12, 25, 40, 50, 70, and 100%) using batch mode. The environmental conditions were 25 °C, a continuous lightning of 115 µmol m(-2) s(-1), and a CO2 concentration of 3.0%. The highest biomass production (0.42-0.45 g dry weight L(-1) Day(-1)) was achieved at 40-50% sludge liquor, which was comparable to the production of the control culture grown with an artificial fertilizer. The biomass production was 0.12 and 0.26 g dry weight L(-1) Day(-1) at 12% and 100% sludge liquor, respectively. The percentage of nitrogen in the algal biomass increased from 3.6% in 12% sludge liquor and reached a saturation of ∼10% in concentrations with 50% sludge liquor and higher. The phosphorus content in the biomass increased linearly from 0.2 to 1.5% with increasing sludge liquor concentrations. The highest nitrogen removal rates by algal biosynthesis were 33.6-42.6 mg TN L(-1) Day(-1) at 40-70% sludge liquor, while the highest phosphorus removal rates were 3.1-4.1 mg TP L(-1) Day(-1) at 50-100% sludge liquor.

Increasing the sludge energy potential of wastewater treatment plants by introducing fine mesh sieves for primary treatment.

The objective of this study was to compare some basic characteristics of sludge from fine mesh sieves (sieve sludge) with sludge from primary clarifiers (primary sludge) regarding their energy potential with a focus on anaerobic digestion and/or incineration. Nineteen samples of sludge from fine mesh sieve plants (most of them without fine screens and grit chambers as pre-treatment) and 10 samples of primary sludge were analysed for the content of dry solids (DS), volatile solids (VS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), calorific value and methane potential. The results demonstrated that the sieve sludges have significantly higher VS content and higher methane potential than primary sludges, clearly indicating an increased sludge energy potential if fine mesh sieves are used for primary treatment instead of primary clarifiers at wastewater treatment plants with anaerobic digesters. If the sludges from primary treatment are to be incinerated or used as fuel in cement kilns, there is no significant difference in energy potential (given as calorific values) for the two types of primary treatment.

Membrane Separation of Chicken Byproduct Hydrolysate for Up-Concentration of Bioactive Peptides.

Membrane processes, such as microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration, are increasingly used for various applications in both upstream and downstream processing. Membrane-based processes play a critical role in the field of separation/purification of biotechnological products, including protein production/purification. The possibility of using membranes to separate peptides from a chicken byproduct hydrolysate and the effect of the performed downstream processing on the DPP-IV dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory activity of mechanical deboning chicken residue (MDCR) has been investigated. The chicken byproduct hydrolysate was prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis followed by microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO) separation. Comparing all separation treatments, hydrolysates processed only by MF and UF show the best DPP-IV inhibition (59.5-60.0% at 1 mg/mL and 34.2-40.7% at 0.5 mg/mL). These samples show dose-responsive behavior. Bioactivity was correlated with molecular weight distribution profiles and average molecular weights. The nanofiltration process notably decrease the inhibitory activity, and these permeates show low DPP-IV inhibition (9.5-21.8% at 1 mg/mL and 3.6-12.1% at 0.5 mg/mL). The size-exclusion chromatography-organic carbon detection-organic nitrogen detection (LC-OCD-OND) analysis confirms that NF and RO would retain the bioactive peptides in the concentrate in comparison to MF and UF. Bioactivity was correlated with molecular weight distribution profiles and average molecular weights. Permeates after ultrafiltration show an IC50 value of 0.75 mg/mL, comparable to other potent DPP-IV inhibitors derived from various food sources, and significantly more potent compared to the microfiltration sample, which shows an IC50 value of 1.04 mg/mL. The average molecular weight of the permeates calculated from the SEC chromatograms was 883 g/mol for UF and 1437 g/mol for MF. Of the four membranes studied, the UF membrane shows the best separation properties with respect to maximizing the yield and up-concentration of the bioactive peptides. Overall, UF was demonstrated to be a feasible technology for the removal of the undesired high-molecular-weight substances and up-concentration of small-molecular-weight bioactive peptides from chicken byproduct hydrolysate. These peptides might exhibit biological activity and could offer several health benefits. There is a high potential for the use of bioactive peptides, and more research in this field can lead to promising results that have significant effects in the food and medical industries.

Utilisation of wastewater nutrients for microalgae growth for anaerobic co-digestion.

The feasibility of growing microalgae in natural light using wastewater high in nutrients (N & P) for the production of more bioenergy was examined. The main retrofitting unit would be a photobioreactor for wastewater treatment plants (wwtp) having anaerobic digesters in close proximity. Theoretical microalgae production rates from different wastewater sources (municipal wwtp, source separation of human and animal wastewaters) were estimated using mass balance. Mass and energy balances for a conventional wwtp using chemically enhanced primary treatment was investigated for microalgae growth for a situation limited by availability of carbon dioxide (CO2) generated onsite and where additional CO2 was imported from outside source. Reject water from dewatering of anaerobically digested sludge from four wwtp around Oslo region were pretreated for improved light penetration and examined for microalgae growth. Several pre-treatment methods were investigated. Pretreatment using flocculation + settling + anthracite filtration yielded high light transmittance. A maximum microalgae growth rate of 13 g TSS/m(2)-d was achieved using this pretreated reject water. The challenges of integrating photobioreactors with existing units have been highlighted.

Microalgae growth for nutrient recovery from sludge liquor and production of renewable bioenergy.

Proof-of-concept has been demonstrated for a process that will utilize nutrients from sludge liquor, natural light, and CO2 from biogas to grow microalgae at wastewater treatment plants. This process will reduce the impact of returning side-streams to the head of the plant. The produced algae will be fed to anaerobic digesters for increased biogas production. Dewatering of anaerobically digested sludge in centrifuges produces reject water with extremely low transmittance of light. A pretreatment procedure was developed that improved light transmittance for reject water from the FREVAR, Norway, wastewater treatment plant from 0.1% T to 77% T (670 nm, 1 cm path). Chlorella sp. microalgae were found to be suitable for growth in this pre-treated reject water. Typical nitrogen removal was 80-90 g N/kg TSS of produced microalgae. The microalgae were successfully harvested by chemically assisted flocculation followed by straining through a 33 microm sieve cloth, achieving up to 99% recovery. Harvested algae were anaerobically co-digested with wastewater sludge. The specific methane gas production (mL CH4/g VS fed) for the algae varied from less than 65% to 90% of the specific methane gas production for the wastewater sludge, depending on digester temperature, retention time and pre-treatment of the algae biomass.

Biomass production and removal of ammonium and phosphate by Chlorella sp. in sludge liquor at natural light and different levels of temperature control.

Microalgae cultivation for biomass production and nutrient removal implies the use of natural light and minimal control of the temperature for obtaining a low cost production. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of temperature control at natural light on biomass productivity and removal of NH4-N and PO4-P of a mesophilic strain of Chlorella. Chlorella sp. was grown in reject water of anaerobically digested municipal sludge, sludge liquor, inside a greenhouse compartment (Ås, Norway, 59°N) using batch cultures (300 mL). Five experiments were conducted from May to September, and effects of different levels of temperature control and diurnal variations were investigated. The highest biomass productivities (0.45 g L(-1) day(-1)) in the linear growth phase were obtained at daily light integrals ≥12 mol day(-1) m(-2). Results showed that the average temperature was of more importance than the night or day temperature range. At average temperatures <22 °C for cultures with no temperature control, the productivity decreased by 23 and 39 % compared to cultures with full temperature control (24-25 °C). In one experiment, the productivity was reduced at no temperature control due to prolonged high daytime temperatures (>32 °C) and were followed by a lower NH4-N removal rate. Otherwise, temperature had little effect on NH4-N removal. The level of temperature control did not affect removal of PO4-P. Cellular starch content varied from ~15-38 % in the evening and was generally lower at no temperature control. In the morning the starch content was reduced to ~4-12 % with no difference between the different levels of temperature control. (~4-12 %).

A new process for enriching nitrifiers in activated sludge through separate heterotrophic wasting from biofilm carriers.

A new process, the biofilm-activated sludge innovative nitrification (BASIN) process, consisting of a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) with separate heterotrophic wasting, followed by an activated-sludge process, has been proposed to reduce the volumetric requirements of the activated-sludge process for nitrification. The basic principle is to remove chemical oxygen demand on the biofilm carriers by heterotrophic organisms and then to waste a portion of the heterotrophic biomass before it can be released into the activated-sludge reactor. By this means, the amount of heterotrophic organisms grown in the activated-sludge reactor is reduced, thereby reducing the volume of that tank needed for nitrification. For nitrification applications, the simplest method for stripping biomass was to use an in-tank technique using high shearing rates with aeration. Bench-scale testing showed sludge yields in the BASIN process were one-half of that in a control activated-sludge process and twice that of a process line with intermediate settling between the MBBR and activated-sludge stage. Critical washout solids retention times for nitrifiers were the same for all three lines, so activated-sludge volumes for the BASIN process could be reduced by 50% compared with the control. Originally conceived process concepts for the BASIN process were confirmed by the experimental work.

Anaerobic co-digestion of microalgae Chlorella sp. and waste activated sludge.

The study investigated the growth characteristics of environmental algal strain, Chlorella, in the modified Zarrouk medium and its anaerobic co-digestion with waste activated sludge (WAS). Analysis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in algal culture and WAS indicated that Chlorella secreted more EPS into the surrounding liquid than formed floc-associated EPS as in activated sludge. Mesophilic anaerobic digestion of algae alone required extended digestion period to produce methane, with biogas yield at 262 mL/gVSfed after 45 days of digestion. When algae was co-digested with varying amounts of WAS, 59-96% in mass, not only biogas yield of microalgae improved but the gas phase was reached more quickly. The dewaterability of co-digestion products were also better than two controls digesting WAS or algae only. These results suggest that anaerobic co-digestion of algae and sludge improves the digestibility of microalgae and could also bring synergistic effects on the dewaterability of digested products for existing anaerobic digesters.