Optimization of biological nutrient removal in a pilot plant UCT-MBR treating municipal wastewater during start-up

• Published in: Desalination 2010-01, Vol.250 (2), p.592-597
• Main Authors: Monclús, H., Sipma, J., Ferrero, G., Comas, J., Rodriguez-Roda, I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biological; Biological and medical sciences; Biological nutrient removal (BNR); Biotechnology; Chemical engineering; Enhanced biological phosphorous removal (EBPR); Evolution; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General purification processes; Membrane bioreactor (MBR); Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Nutrients; Organisms; Others; Phosphates; Pilot plants; Pollution; Polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs); Reactors; Uptakes; Various methods and equipments; Waste water; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0011-9164; 1873-4464
• DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2009.09.030

This study shows that an MBR pilot plant with UCT configuration is able to obtain high nutrient removal efficiency already during start-up. The biological nutrient removal (BNR) efficiencies significantly increased towards the end of the experimental run, achieving a COD removal efficiency exceeding 94% and N removal efficiency in the range of 89 to 93%. P removal efficiencies in the range of 80 to 92% have been obtained. During the experimental period (4 months) the evolution of the activity of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, obtained from P release and P uptake rates, showed a small increase in the activity of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (DPAOs). The specific phosphate accumulation at the end of the experimental run amounted to 8.0 mg P g − 1 VSS h − 1 and 3.29 mg P g − 1 VSS h − 1 , for the PAOs and DPAOs respectively. Moreover, the DPAOs activity increased faster than PAOs activity, i.e. from 0.36 to 0.41 of phosphate uptake rate (PUR) ratio.