Integration of performance, molecular biology and modeling to describe the activated sludge process

To study process performance and population dynamics in activated sludge, a pilot-scale Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) was installed in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (Aubergenville, France). Since no solids losses occur in the MBR effluent, the sludge residence time (SRT) can be: i) easily contr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water science and technology 1998, Vol.37 (4-5), p.223-229
Main Authors: Urbain, V., Mobarry, B., de Silva, V., Stahl, D.A., Rittmann, B.E., Manem, J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activated sludge
Activated sludge process
Age
Bacteria
Biology
Bioreactors
Dynamics
Growth kinetics
Kinetics
Mathematical analysis
Mathematical models
membrane bioreactor
Microorganisms
modeling
Modelling
Molecular biology
Municipal wastewater
Nitrification
nucleic probes
Population dynamics
Population studies
Removal
Residence time
Sewage treatment plants
Sludge
sludge production
Wastewater
Wastewater composition
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment plants
Water treatment plants
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Summary:To study process performance and population dynamics in activated sludge, a pilot-scale Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) was installed in a municipal wastewater treatment plant (Aubergenville, France). Since no solids losses occur in the MBR effluent, the sludge residence time (SRT) can be: i) easily controlled by means of the sludge withdrawal, and ii) dissociated from the hydraulic residence time (HRT). A complete characterization of this activated sludge system was performed at three sludge ages (5, 10 and 20 days). Raw and treated wastewater quality, as well as sludge concentration, was analyzed, nucleic probe analysts was performed to determine the heterotrophic and nitrifier populations, and the results were compared to the output from a multispecies model that integrates substrate removal kinetics and soluble microbial products (SMP) production/consumption. This paper presents an integrated analysis of the activated sludge process based on chemical, molecular biology, and mathematical tools. The model was able to describe the MBR system with a high degree of accuracy, in terms of COD removal and nitrification, as well as sludge production and population dynamics through the ratio of active nitrifters/bacteria. Both steady-state and transient conditions could be described accurately by the model, except for technical problems or sudden variations in the wastewater composition.
ISSN:0273-1223
1996-9732
DOI:10.1016/S0273-1223(98)00111-5