Using a carbon-based ASM3 EAWAG Bio-P for modelling the enhanced biological phosphorus removal in anaerobic/aerobic activated sludge systems

• Published in: Bioprocess and biosystems engineering 2011-03, Vol.34 (3), p.287-295
• Main Authors: Trutnau, Mirko, Petzold, Mike, Mehlig, Lysann, Eschenhagen, Martin, Geipel, Katja, Müller, Susann, Bley, Thomas, Röske, Isolde
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetates - chemistry; Acetates - metabolism; Activated sludge; Activated Sludge Model No. 3; ASM3; Bacteria, Aerobic - metabolism; Bacteria, Anaerobic - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis - standards; Biological treatment of waters; Biomass; Bioreactors - microbiology; Bioreactors - standards; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Calibration; Carbon - chemistry; Carbon - metabolism; Carbon based; Carbon sources; Caseins - chemistry; Caseins - metabolism; Chemical oxygen demand; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Citric Acid - chemistry; Citric Acid - metabolism; EBPR; Enhanced biological phosphorus removal; Environment and pollution; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Food Science; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucose - chemistry; Glucose - metabolism; Hazardous wastes; Industrial and Production Engineering; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Mathematical models; Models, Biological; Organic carbon; Organic loading; Organic matter; Original Paper; Phosphorus - analysis; Phosphorus - chemistry; Phosphorus removal; Sewage - chemistry; Sludge; TOC; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Wastewater treatment; Water treatment
• ISSN: 1615-7591; 1615-7605
• DOI: 10.1007/s00449-010-0470-2

Modelling of activated sludge processes is a commonly used technique to design and optimize wastewater treatment processes. Since wastewater and activated sludge is characterized by chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements, units of state variables describing organic matter are expressed as equivalent amounts of COD. However, current procedures for measuring it have several drawbacks, including the production of hazardous wastes, so the utility of other variables for characterizing the organic load in modelling, such as total organic carbon (TOC), warrant re-evaluation. Other advantages of TOC over COD are that it provides matrix-independent analytical results and it can be readily measured online. Proposals for TOC-based models were made in the 1990s, but they seem to have sunk into obscurity. To re-assess the value of TOC for this purpose, we have recalculated the EAWAG module for Bio-P removal coupled to the Activated Sludge Model No. 3 on a TOC basis, and tested it against data acquired in batch experiments with four single carbon sources (acetate, glucose, citrate and casein). The batch test-based calibrations showed a good match with experimental data, following modifications of the model to account for the anaerobic volumes and retention times applied in the tests.