Biological nitrogen removal over nitritation/denitritation using phenol as carbon source

A laboratory scale activated sludge sequencing batch reactor was operated in order to obtain total removal of influent ammonia (200; 300 and 500 mg NH3-N.L-1) with sustained nitrite accumulation at the end of the aerobic stages with phenol (1,000 mg C6H5OH.L-1) as the carbon source for denitrifying microorganisms during the anoxic stages. Ammonia removal above 95% and ratios of (NO2--N / (NO2--N + NO3--N)) ranging from 89 to 99% were obtained by controlling the dissolved oxygen concentration (1.0 mg O2.L-1) and the pH value of 8.3 during the aerobic stages. Phenol proved to be an adequate source of carbon for nitrogen removal via nitrite with continuous feeding throughout part of the anoxic stage. Nitrite concentrations greater than 70.0 mg NO2--N.L-1 inhibited the biological denitritation process.FAPESP (The State of São Paulo Research Foundation

Treatability of hazardous industrial wastewater: case study.

O trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de caracterizar e estudar formas de tratamento de águas residuárias de indústrias de refino de óleo lubrificante e de recuperação de solventes. A fase preliminar teve por objetivo avaliar a biodegradabilidade do despejo combinado dessas duas indústrias. A segunda foi realizada em instalação piloto composta, basicamente, de uma unidade de arraste com ar/tanque de equalização, tanques de correção de pH e de aeração com tempos de detenção distintos, seguidos de tanques de sedimentação. Foram executados testes para avaliar a remoção de material solúvel em n-hexano do despejo da indústria de refino de óleo lubrificante e do efluente final. A unidade de arraste com ar difuso operando com subpressão de 15 mmhg a saída dos gases, vazão específica de ar de 20 ml/l min. E tempo de detenção de 5 dias foi eficiente na remoção de acetona, piridina, benzeno, tolueno, hexano, metil etil cetona e provavelmente solventes clorados. Não apresentou remoção significativa de álcoois, que foram eficientemente degradados no sistema biológico subsequente. Obteve-se remoções superiores a 90%, em termos de dbo e dqo, no processo biológico com tempos de detenção de 20 e 30 dias, e em torno de 80% para os demais. Os sistemas biológicos responderam bem as cargas transientes de solventes, exceto para o tolueno e o álcool isopropílico.Traditionally, raw materials from solvent recovery and from reclaimed lubricating oil industries are considered hazardous solid waste. Consequently, the best control technology is incineration. This work was developed in order to characterize and to study ways of treating wastewaters from lubricating oil refinery and solvent recovery industries. The experimental part was divided in two phases. The preliminar step aimed to evaluate the biodegradability of combined wastewater from both industries. The second phase was basically carried out in a pilot plant composed by an air stripping unit/equalization tank, pH correction tanks and bioreactors with different retention times, followed by sedimentation tanks. Other than these assays, tests were performed to evaluate the removal of soluble material in n-hexane of the wastewater of the lubricating oil refinery industry and of the supernatant of the sedimentation tank after the bioreactor of 20 days retention.The buble aeration unit operating with a 15 mmHg suppresion to the gas exit, with a specific air flow of 20 mL/L.min. and with a retention time of 5 days was efficient to remove acetone, pyridine, benzene, toluene, hexane, methyl ethyl ketone and probably chlorinated solvents. There was no significative removal of alcohols, that were efficiently degraded in the subsequent biological system. BOD and COD removal efficiencies were better than 90% in the biological process with retention times of 20 and 30 days, and about 80% for the rest. The responses of biological systems to the transient inputs of solvents were well, except for toluene and isopropilic alcohol. Several physico-chemical processes for soluble material in n-hexane removal were studied. The only one to present effluent concentration under the legal limit was the addition of the sodium xylene-sulphonate base demulsifier to the supernatant of the sedimentation tank the bioreactor of 20 days retention

Treatability of hazardous industrial wastewater: case study.

O trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de caracterizar e estudar formas de tratamento de águas residuárias de indústrias de refino de óleo lubrificante e de recuperação de solventes. A fase preliminar teve por objetivo avaliar a biodegradabilidade do despejo combinado dessas duas indústrias. A segunda foi realizada em instalação piloto composta, basicamente, de uma unidade de arraste com ar/tanque de equalização, tanques de correção de pH e de aeração com tempos de detenção distintos, seguidos de tanques de sedimentação. Foram executados testes para avaliar a remoção de material solúvel em n-hexano do despejo da indústria de refino de óleo lubrificante e do efluente final. A unidade de arraste com ar difuso operando com subpressão de 15 mmhg a saída dos gases, vazão específica de ar de 20 ml/l min. E tempo de detenção de 5 dias foi eficiente na remoção de acetona, piridina, benzeno, tolueno, hexano, metil etil cetona e provavelmente solventes clorados. Não apresentou remoção significativa de álcoois, que foram eficientemente degradados no sistema biológico subsequente. Obteve-se remoções superiores a 90%, em termos de dbo e dqo, no processo biológico com tempos de detenção de 20 e 30 dias, e em torno de 80% para os demais. Os sistemas biológicos responderam bem as cargas transientes de solventes, exceto para o tolueno e o álcool isopropílico.Traditionally, raw materials from solvent recovery and from reclaimed lubricating oil industries are considered hazardous solid waste. Consequently, the best control technology is incineration. This work was developed in order to characterize and to study ways of treating wastewaters from lubricating oil refinery and solvent recovery industries. The experimental part was divided in two phases. The preliminar step aimed to evaluate the biodegradability of combined wastewater from both industries. The second phase was basically carried out in a pilot plant composed by an air stripping unit/equalization tank, pH correction tanks and bioreactors with different retention times, followed by sedimentation tanks. Other than these assays, tests were performed to evaluate the removal of soluble material in n-hexane of the wastewater of the lubricating oil refinery industry and of the supernatant of the sedimentation tank after the bioreactor of 20 days retention.The buble aeration unit operating with a 15 mmHg suppresion to the gas exit, with a specific air flow of 20 mL/L.min. and with a retention time of 5 days was efficient to remove acetone, pyridine, benzene, toluene, hexane, methyl ethyl ketone and probably chlorinated solvents. There was no significative removal of alcohols, that were efficiently degraded in the subsequent biological system. BOD and COD removal efficiencies were better than 90% in the biological process with retention times of 20 and 30 days, and about 80% for the rest. The responses of biological systems to the transient inputs of solvents were well, except for toluene and isopropilic alcohol. Several physico-chemical processes for soluble material in n-hexane removal were studied. The only one to present effluent concentration under the legal limit was the addition of the sodium xylene-sulphonate base demulsifier to the supernatant of the sedimentation tank the bioreactor of 20 days retention

Viabilidade da aplicação do método respirométrico de Bartha para determinação da biodegradação de poluentes ou resíduos em latossolos

Para avaliar a possibilidade de biorremediação em áreas contaminadas, é necessário determinar a biodegradação dos poluentes no solo. Para esta determinação, emprega-se comumente no Brasil, o método respirométrico de Bartha, adaptado de uma norma holandesa. Porém, os solos tropicais possuem características bem diferentes dos solos de regiões de clima temperado. Neste trabalho, foi estudada a aplicabilidade de tal método para um latossolo, tipo de solo predominante no Estado de São Paulo. A partir dos resultados obtidos, foi possível verificar que reações abióticas geram gás carbônico em quantidades significativas. Constatou-se, também, a dificuldade de esterilização do solo em autoclave, o que impossibilita a avaliação da remoção dos poluentes por outros mecanismos ou a biodegradação dos mesmos por microrganismos exógenos somente. Portanto, não se recomenda a aplicação do teste respirométrico de Bartha para a determinação da biodegradabilidade de poluentes em latossolos.One of the major parameters that influence the feasibility of using bioremediation in contaminated sites is the biodegradability of the compounds of concern. The Bartha's respirometric method, adapted from a Dutch norm, is a common method used in Brazil to determine such biodegradability. However, tropical soils present different characteristics as compared to soils from regions of temperate climate. In this research, its applicability was studied for a latosoil, which is the predominant soil type in São Paulo State, Brazil. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that abiotic reactions in latosoil generated carbonic gas in significant concentrations. Furthermore, this research verified the difficulty of sterilizing the soil, which would make it difficult to evaluate the removal of contaminants by other mechanisms or the biodegradation by exogenous microorganisms. Therefore, the application of Bartha s respirometric method is not recommended to determine the biodegradability of pollutants in latosoils

Slurry phase biological treatment of latosol contaminated with phthalates, adipate, and alcohols

This study evaluated the slurry phase biological treatment of a latosol, collected at a contaminated site from a plasticizers industry, containing high concentrations of alcohols, phthalates, and dioctyl adipate. The test was carried out in a bioreactor open to atmosphere with the sludge from the industrial wastewater treatment plant at 18–26°C during 120 days. The dynamics of the microbial populations during biodegradation were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The results suggested that the genera Pseudomonas and Gordonia polyisoprenivorans were the dominant populations until 30 days, Corynebacterium, between 30 and 90 days, and Corynebacterium and Gordonia polyisoprenivorans after 90 days. The addition of sludge and water in the reactor improved the phthalates and adipate bioavailability, initially present in the plasticized soil, and consequently, the pollutant’s removal efficiencies were above 90%. The 2-ethyl hexanoic acid, a toxic metabolite of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate biodegradation, was completely degraded in 120 days. The most persistent pollutant was di-isodecyl phthalate, which has substituted the di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate nowadays. The pH and the temperature did not need to be corrected, which represents cost savings in soil remediation1411FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPSem informaçã