The role of microbial diversity and composition in minimizing sludge production in the oxic-settling-anoxic process

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. The oxic-settling-anoxic (OSA) process, which involves an aerobic tank attached to oxygen- and substrate-deficient external anoxic reactors, minimizes sludge production in biological wastewater treatment. In this study, the microbial community structure of OSA was determined. Principal coordinate analysis showed that among the three operational factors, i.e., (i) redox condition, (ii) external reactor sludge retention time (SRText), and (iii) sludge interchange between aerobic and anoxic reactors, redox condition had the greatest impact on microbial diversity. Generally, reactors with lower oxidation-reduction potential had higher microbial diversity. The main aerobic sequencing batch reactor of OSA (SBROSA) that interchanged sludge with an external anoxic reactor had greater microbial diversity than SBRcontrol which did not have sludge interchange. SBROSA sustained high abundance of the slow-growing nitrifying bacteria (e.g., Nitrospirales and Nitrosomondales) and consequently exhibited reduced sludge yield. Specific groups of bacteria facilitated sludge autolysis in the external reactors. Hydrolyzing (e.g., Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi) and fermentative (e.g., Firmicutes) bacteria, which can break down cellular matter, proliferated in both the external aerobic/anoxic and anoxic reactors. Sludge autolysis in the anoxic reactor was enhanced with the increase of predatory bacteria (e.g., order Myxobacteriales and genus Bdellovibrio) that can contribute to biomass decay. Furthermore, β- and γ-Proteobacteria were identified as the bacterial phyla that primarily underwent decay in the external reactors

Genome sequencing as a new window into the microbial community of membrane bioreactors – A critical review

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Recent developed sequencing techniques have resulted in a new and unprecedented way to study biological wastewater treatment, in which most organisms are uncultivable. This review provides (i) an insight on state-of-the-art sequencing techniques and their limitations; (ii) a critical assessment of the microbial community in biological reactor and biofouling layer in a membrane bioreactor (MBR). The data from high-throughput sequencing has been used to infer microbial growth conditions and metabolisms of microorganisms present in MBRs at the time of sampling. These data shed new insight to two fundamental questions about a microbial community in the MBR process namely the microbial composition (who are they?) and the functions of each specific microbial assemblage (what are their function?). The results to date also highlight the complexity of the microbial community growing on MBRs. Environmental conditions are dynamic and diverse, and can influence the diversity and structural dynamics of any given microbial community for wastewater treatment. The benefits of understanding the structure of microbial communities on three major aspects of the MBR process (i.e. nutrient removal, biofouling control, and micropollutant removal) were symmetrically delineated. This review also indicates that the deployment of microbial community analysis for a practical engineering context, in terms of process design and system optimization, can be further realized

A Novel Approach in Crude Enzyme Laccase Production and Application in Emerging Contaminant Bioremediation

Laccase enzyme from white-rot fungi is a potential biocatalyst for the oxidation of emerging contaminants (ECs), such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and steroid hormones. This study aims to develop a three-step platform to treat ECs: (i) enzyme production, (ii) enzyme concentration and (iii) enzyme application. In the first step, solid culture and liquid culture were compared. The solid culture produced significantly more laccase than the liquid culture (447 vs. 74 µM/min after eight days), demonstrating that white rot fungi thrived on a solid medium. In the second step, the enzyme was concentrated 6.6 times using an ultrafiltration (UF) process, resulting in laccase activity of 2980 µM/min. No enzymatic loss due to filtration and membrane adsorption was observed, suggesting the feasibility of the UF membrane for enzyme concentration. In the third step, concentrated crude enzyme was applied in an enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR) to remove a diverse set of ECs (31 compounds in six groups). The EMR effectively removed of steroid hormones, phytoestrogen, ultraviolet (UV) filters and industrial chemical (above 90%). However, it had low removal of pesticides and pharmaceuticals.</jats:p

Effects of sludge retention time on oxic-settling-anoxic process performance: Biosolids reduction and dewatering properties.

In this study, the effect of sludge retention time (SRT) on oxic-settling-anoxic (OSA) process was determined using a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) attached to external aerobic/anoxic reactors. The SRT of the external reactors was varied from 10 to 40d. Increasing SRT from 10 to 20d enhanced volatile solids destruction in the external anoxic reactor as evidenced by the release of nutrients, however, increasing the SRT to 40d did not enhance volatile solids destruction further. Relatively short SRT (10-20d) favoured the conversion of destroyed solids into inert products. The application of an intermediate SRT (20d) of the external reactor showed the highest sludge reduction performance (>35%). Moreover, at the optimum SRT, OSA improved sludge dewaterability as demonstrated by lower capillary suction time and higher dewatered cake solids content

Biosolids reduction by the oxic-settling-anoxic process: Impact of sludge interchange rate.

The impact of sludge interchange rate (SIR) on sludge reduction by oxic-settling-anoxic (OSA) process was investigated. The sludge yield of an OSA system (a sequencing batch reactor, SBR, integrated with external anoxic reactors) was compared to that of a control (an SBR attached to a single-pass aerobic digester). SIR (%) is the percentage by volume of sludge returned from the external reactor into the main bioreactor of the OSA, and was varied from 0% to 22%. OSA achieved greater sludge reduction when fed with unsettled sewage (sCOD=113mg/L) rather than settled sewage (sCOD=60mg/L). The SIR of 11% resulted in the highest OSA performance. At the optimum SIR, higher volatile solids destruction and nitrification/denitrification (i.e., conversion of destroyed volatile solids into inert forms) were observed in the external anoxic and intermittently aerated (i.e., aerobic/anoxic) reactors, respectively. Denitrification in the aerobic/anoxic reactor was inefficient without SIR. Effluent quality and sludge settleability of the main SBR were unaffected by SIR

Holistic sludge management through ozonation: A critical review

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd This paper critically reviews the multidimensional benefits of ozonation in wastewater treatment plants. These benefits include sludge reduction, removal of emerging trace organic contaminants (TrOC) from wastewater and sludge, and resource recovery from sludge. Literature shows that ozonation leads to sludge solubilisation, reducing overall biomass yield. Sludge solubilisation is primarily influenced by ozone dosage, which, in turn, depends on the fraction of ozonated sludge, ozone concentration, and sludge concentration. Additionally, sludge ozonation facilitates the removal of TrOCs from wastewater. On the other hand, by inducing cell lysis, ozonation increases the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrient concentration of the sludge supernatant, which deteriorates effluent quality. This issue can be resolved by implementing resource recovery. Thus far, successful retrieval of phosphorous from ozonated sludge supernatant has been performed. The recovery of phosphorous and other resources from sludge could help offset the operation cost of ozonation, and give greater incentive for wastewater treatment plants to adapt this approach

Contemporary Methods for Removal of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs in Water Reclamations

Global water quantity and quality are anticipated to decrease in the coming decades, as a result of both increasing global populations and the effects of climate change. Reusing and recycling water is a key part of reducing the pressure on our existing water supplies and the aquatic environment. However, the occurrence of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in secondary, and in some tertiary, treated effluents- and sewage-impacted water bodies is one of the major obstacles for the implementation of water reuse. For several decades, NSAIDs have been extensively used for therapeutic purposes in both humans and domestic livestock. The negative effects of NSAIDs on aquatic biota are just beginning to be realized. Currently, intensive treatments are required to remove effectively NSAIDs from recycled treated effluent in order to minimize or eliminate risks to human health and aquatic environment. In this chapter, we focus the discussion on contemporary methods for NSAID removal including biological, physical, chemical, and combined process that may provide a more effective and efficient alternative

Sludge cycling between aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic regimes to reduce sludge production during wastewater treatment: Performance, mechanisms, and implications

Alternate cycling of sludge in aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic regimes is a promising strategy that can reduce the sludge yield of conventional activated sludge (CAS) by up to 50% with potentially lower capital and operating cost than physical- and/or chemical-based sludge minimisation techniques. The mechanisms responsible for reducing sludge yield include alterations to cellular metabolism and feeding behaviour (metabolic uncoupling, feasting/fasting, and endogenous decay), biological floc destruction, and predation on bacteria by higher organisms. Though discrepancies across various studies are recognisable, it is apparent that sludge retention time, oxygen-reduction potential of the anaerobic tank, temperature, sludge return ratio and loading mode are relevant to sludge minimisation by sludge cycling approaches. The impact of sludge minimisation on CAS operation (e.g., organics and nutrient removal efficiency and sludge settleability) is highlighted, and key areas requiring further research are also identified. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

A sequential membrane bioreactor followed by a membrane microalgal reactor for nutrient removal and algal biomass production

© 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry. A hybrid process combining a single compartment aerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a membrane microalgal reactor (MMR) was evaluated for nutrient removal and microalgal biomass production. When operated without biomass extraction, the microalgal biomass in the MMR reached 920 mg L-1 on day 18 and then collapsed, rendering nutrient removal ineffective. Stable operation of the MMR was achieved by regular biomass extraction (i.e. 1/30 of the microalgal biomass in the reactor daily). The biomass production at steady state was approximately 26 g m-3 d-1. The NO3- and PO43- uptake values by microalgae were 4.0 ± 1.1 and 1.5 ± 0.9 g m-3 d-1, respectively. A facile flocculation and separation technique capable of recovering 98% microalgal biomass was demonstrated. Although the hybrid process can significantly enhance nutrient removal and biomass production, further research is needed to intensify the microalgal growth rate. At the current microalgal growth rate, a large MMR volume (37 times that of the MBR) is necessary for synchronous operation