Anaerobic pre-treatment of sewage under low temperature (15 [degrees] C) conditions in an integrated UASB-digester system

The main objective of this thesis was to amend the UASB by the means of incorporating a digester for anaerobic sewage treatment in the Middle East region. A literature search of the various parameters that mightaffect the solid liquid separation process by filtration through the sludge bed of a UASB has been elaborated. The overall output of this study includes, literature review, structuring this field of science and highlighting fields where research is needed. The investigation of sewage characteristics in Palestine revealed that the sewage is of high strength and low temperature during wintertime ca . 15 oC. Accordingly, prediction based on model calculations revealed that the application of the one stage UASB reactor for sewage treatment in Palestine is only possible when designed at a HRT of more than 22 hours. Alternatively, a novel technology consisting of a Digester complementing a UASB, namely UASB-Digester system, was proposed. The results of primary sludge stabilisation in CSTRs revealed that the major achievement of sludge stabilisation occurred at SRT ³ 10 and 15 days at process temperatures of 35 and 25 oC, respectively. The sludge dewatering results showed the existence of optimal SRT at 20 and 15 days at process temperatures of 25 and 35 oC, respectively. While, the sludge settling is not affected by digestion. Running a pilot-scale one stage UASB and a UASB-Digester system on sewage from the village of Bennekom, The Netherlands validated the technical viability of the UASB-Digester system. The UASB reactor was operated at an HRT of 6 hours and temperature of 15 ° C, the wintertime sewage temperature in Palestine, and the digester was operated at 35 ° C. The achieved removal efficiencies of total COD, suspended COD, colloidal COD and dissolved COD of respectively 66, 87, 44 and 30 in the UASB-Digester is significantly higher than the respectively 44, 73, 3 and 5 achieved in the one stage UASB and as high as those reported for tropical countries. The conversion in the UASB of the UASB-Digester system is substantially higher than in the one stage, viz. the percentage methanogenesis of the influent COD were 21 and 44% in the first and second systems, respectively. The sludge produced from the UASB of the UASB-Digester system is substantially lower and more stable as compared with the sludge in the one stage UASB reactor. The settleability of the sludge of the UASB, UASB of the UASB-Digester system and the digester sludges reveals high settleability with no influence of the digestion conditions. The wasted sludge from the UASB of the UASB-Digester system is better dewaterable as compared to that of the UASB reactor.

[1]  J. Darby,et al.  Extracellular polyanions in digested sludge: Measurement and relationship to sludge dewaterability , 1997 .

[2]  A Tilche,et al.  New perspectives in anaerobic digestion. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[3]  C. F. Forster,et al.  A comparative study of the nature of biopolymers extracted from anaerobic and activated sludges , 1990 .

[4]  I. Sutherland.  Microbial exopolysaccharides -- their role in microbial adhesion in aqueous systems. , 1983, Critical reviews in microbiology.

[5]  L Foresti.  Anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage: established technologies and perspectives. , 2002, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[6]  J N Lester,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of domestic wastewater in temperate climates: treatment plant modelling with economic considerations. , 2001, Water research.

[7]  Sonia Maria Manso Vieira,et al.  Application of the UASB technology for sewage treatment in a small community at sumare, sao Paulo state , 1994 .

[8]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Anaerobic Sewage Treatment: A Practical Guide for Regions with a Hot Climate , 1995 .

[9]  C. Polprasert,et al.  Anaerobic baffle reactor (ABR) process for treating a slaughterhouse wastewater , 1992 .

[10]  Grietje Zeeman,et al.  Mesophilic and psychrophilic digestion of liquid manure , 1991 .

[11]  C. Forster.  Preliminary studies on the relationship between sewage sludge viscosities and the nature of the surfaces of the component particles , 1981, Biotechnology Letters.

[12]  T. M. Keinath,et al.  Influence of particle size on sludge dewaterability , 1978 .

[13]  J. E. Schaapman,et al.  Performance of the 5 MLD UASB Reactor for Sewage Treatment at Kanpur, India , 1992 .

[14]  H. Furumai,et al.  Yields of Biomass and Extracellular Polymers in Four Anaerobic Sludges , 1996 .

[15]  C. Forster,et al.  A further examination into the composition of activated sludge surfaces in relation to their settlement characteristics , 1985 .

[16]  Grietje Zeeman,et al.  A REVIEW: THE ANAEROBIC TREATMENT OF SEWAGE IN UASB AND EGSB REACTORS , 1998 .

[17]  P L McCarty,et al.  The development of anaerobic treatment and its future. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[18]  H J Gijzen,et al.  Anaerobes, aerobes and phototrophs. A winning team for wastewater management. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[19]  G. Jackson,et al.  Granular media filtration in water and wastewater treatment, part 1∗ , 1980 .

[20]  S. Nambu,et al.  Biochemical and physical properties of an activated sludge on settling characteristics , 1976 .

[21]  L. Eriksson,et al.  Direct influence of wastewater pollutants on flocculation and sedimentation behaviour in biological wastewater treatment—I model system E. coli B , 1981 .

[22]  G Lettinga,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of raw domestic sewage at ambient temperatures using a granular bed UASB reactor , 1983, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[23]  H. Furumai,et al.  Surface charge and extracellular polymer of sludge in the anaerobic degradation process , 1996 .

[24]  Hideki Harada,et al.  Treatment of raw sewage in a temperate climate using a UASB reactor and the hanging sponge cubes process , 1997 .

[25]  Tomoo Suzuki,et al.  Culture Conditions for Production of Microbial Flocculant by Rhodococcus erythropolis , 1986 .

[26]  David C. Stuckey,et al.  The use of the anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) for wastewater treatment: a review , 1999 .

[27]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of sulphate-rich wastewaters , 2004, Biodegradation.

[28]  Fatma A. El-Gohary,et al.  Wastewater treatment and reuse for aquaculture , 1995 .

[29]  A. V. Haandel,et al.  Excess sludge discharge frequency for UASB reactors , 1999 .

[30]  E. Hoffmann,et al.  Particle size analysis and sedimentation properties of activated sludge flocs , 1997 .

[31]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater at low temperatures. , 1986 .

[32]  Grietje Zeeman,et al.  Low temperature treatment of domestic sewage in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket and anaerobic hybrid reactors , 1999 .

[33]  A. Noyola,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage with a rotating stationary fixed-film reactor , 1988 .

[34]  Marcos Eduardo de Souza,et al.  Development of Technology for the Use of the UASB Reactor in Domestic Sewage Treatment , 1986 .

[35]  S. Shioya,et al.  Properties of Extracellular Polymer Having an Effect on Expression of Activated Sludge , 1990 .

[36]  Jules B. van Lier,et al.  Appropriate technologies for effective management of industrial and domestic waste waters : The decentralised approach , 1999 .

[37]  Fernando Fdz-Polanco,et al.  Low temperature treatment of municipal sewage in anaerobic fluidized bed reactors , 1990 .

[38]  T. Asano,et al.  Size distributions of particulate contaminants in wastewater and their impact on treatability , 1991 .

[39]  K. Marshall.  Electrophoretic properties of fast- and slow-growing species of Rhizobium. , 1967, Australian journal of biological sciences.

[40]  B. Jiménez,et al.  Particle size distribution in an efluent from an advanced primary treatment and its removal during filtration , 1997 .

[41]  G. J. Alaerts,et al.  Feasibility of Anaerobic Sewage Treatment in Sanitation Strategies in Developing Countries , 1990 .

[42]  Grietje Zeeman,et al.  Anaerobic sewage treatment in a one-stage UASB reactor and a combined UASB-Digester system. , 2004, Water research.

[43]  Sergey Kalyuzhnyi,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of raw and preclarified potato-maize wastewaters in a USAB reactor , 1998 .

[44]  M. J. Carter,et al.  Micro semi-automated analysis of surface and wastewaters for chemical oxygen demand. , 1975, Analytical chemistry.

[45]  Grietje Zeeman,et al.  The role of filter media in removing suspended and colloidal particles in an anaerobic reactor treating domestic sewage , 2000 .

[46]  Grietje Zeeman,et al.  The role of anaerobic digestion of domestic sewage in closing the water and nutrient cycle at community level , 1999 .

[47]  W. Wiegant.  Experiences and potential of anaerobic wastewater treatment in tropical regions. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[48]  Hideki Harada,et al.  Treatment of sewage by a UASB reactor under moderate to low temperature conditions , 2000 .

[49]  C. L. Williams,et al.  Plant stanol ester and bran fiber in childhood: effects on lipids, stool weight and stool frequency in preschool children. , 1999, Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

[50]  Hans-Curt Flemming,et al.  Sorption sites in biofilms , 1995 .

[51]  M. W. Tenney,et al.  Chemical flocculation of microorganisms in biological waste treatment. , 1965, Journal - Water Pollution Control Federation.

[52]  D. Lawler,et al.  Anaerobic digestion: effects on particle size and dewaterability , 1986 .

[53]  T. Viraraghavan,et al.  Low-strength wastewater treatment by a UASB reactor , 1996 .

[54]  A. Klapwijk,et al.  Use of the upflow sludge blanket (USB) reactor concept for biological wastewater treatment, especially for anaerobic treatment , 1980 .

[55]  D C Stuckey,et al.  Characterization of soluble microbial products (SMP) in effluents from anaerobic reactors. , 2002, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[56]  P L McCarty,et al.  The anaerobic filter for waste treatment. , 1969, Journal - Water Pollution Control Federation.

[57]  G Lettinga,et al.  Digestion and degradation, air for life. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[58]  D. Jenkins,et al.  Determination of ferric chloride dose to control struvite precipitation in anaerobic sludge digesters , 1994 .

[59]  J. B. van Lier,et al.  Thermophilic anaerobic wastewater treatment : temperature aspects and process stability , 1995 .

[60]  N. J. Horan,et al.  PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTRACELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDE FROM ACTIVATED SLUDGES , 1986 .

[61]  R Vandermeer.  Anaerobic treatment of wastewater containing fatty acids in upflow reactors , 1980 .

[62]  W Verstraete,et al.  Anaerobic digestion technologies for closing the domestic water, carbon and nutrient cycles. , 2000, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[63]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Sustainable integrated biological wastewater treatment , 1996 .

[64]  S. Sayed,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater using the UASB process , 1987 .

[65]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of raw sewage at lower temperatures , 1983 .

[66]  Grietje Zeeman,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of complex wastewater and waste activated sludge – application of an upflow anaerobic solid removal (UASR) reactor for the removal and pre-hydrolysis of suspended COD , 1997 .

[67]  J. Ferguson,et al.  Solubilization of particulate organic carbon during the acid phase of anaerobic digestion , 1981 .

[68]  P. A. Vesilind,et al.  Capillary suction time as a fundamental measure of sludge dewaterability , 1988 .

[69]  Carlos Augusto de Lemos Chernicharo,et al.  Feasibility of the UASB/AF system for domestic sewage treatment in developing countries , 1998 .

[70]  George Tchobanoglous,et al.  Wastewater Engineering Treatment Disposal Reuse , 1972 .

[71]  M. Veiga,et al.  Performance of and biomass characterisation in a UASB reactor treating domestic waste water at ambient temperature , 1998 .

[72]  Mogens Henze,et al.  Types, characteristics and quantities of classic, combined domestic wastewaters , 2001 .

[73]  G. Zeeman,et al.  The role of sludge retention time in the hydrolysis and acidification of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins during digestion of primary sludge in CSTR systems , 2000 .

[74]  K. Keiding,et al.  Extraction of extracellular polymers from activated sludge using a cation exchange resin , 1996 .

[75]  Hallvard Ødegaard.  The influence of wastewater characteristics on choice of wastewater treatment method , 1999 .

[76]  J. Barber,et al.  Evaluation of biological sludge properties influencing volume reduction , 1986 .

[77]  S. Pavlostathis,et al.  Kinetics of Anaerobic Treatment , 1991 .

[78]  T. E. Cloete,et al.  A combined membrane filter-immunofluorescent technique for the in situ identification and enumeration of Acinetobacter in activated sludge , 1988 .

[79]  G. Zeeman,et al.  Low temperature pre-treatment of domestic sewage in an anaerobic hybrid or an anaerobic filter reactor. , 2002, Bioresource technology.

[80]  F. Daibes,et al.  Towards sustainable development in the water sector: a perspective from Palestine , 2000 .

[81]  Alfons J. M. Stams,et al.  Psychrophilic anaerobic treatment of low strength wastewaters , 1998 .

[82]  A. Charlier,et al.  Primary fermentation of soluble and particulate organic matter for wastewater treatment , 1994 .

[83]  Willy Verstraete,et al.  Development of anaerobic sludge bed (ASB) reactor technologies for domestic wastewater treatment: motives and perspectives , 1999 .

[84]  A. Adin,et al.  Particle size distribution and wastewater filter performance , 1997 .

[85]  J. Lester,et al.  Comparison of Bacterial Extracellular Polymer Extraction Methods , 1980, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[86]  S. K. I. Sayed,et al.  Two-stage UASB concept for treatment of domestic sewage including sludge stabilization process , 1995 .

[87]  G. Zeeman,et al.  Biodegradability and change of physical characteristics of particles during anaerobic digestion of domestic sewage. , 2001, Water research.

[88]  T. Asano,et al.  Characterization of the size distribution of contaminants in wastewater: treatment and reuse implications , 1985 .

[89]  J. Manem,et al.  Bioflocculation in Activated Sludge, an Analytic Approach , 1992 .

[90]  G Lettinga,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage at low temperature. , 2001, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[91]  Kaijun Wang,et al.  Integrated anaerobic and aerobic treatment of sewage , 1994 .

[92]  C. Forster.  Factors involved in the settlement of activated sludge—I: Nutrients and surface polymers , 1985 .

[93]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  UASB Process design for various types of wastewaters. , 1991 .

[94]  D. Lawler.  Particle size distributions in treatment processes: Theory and practice , 1997 .

[95]  Monica Meraz,et al.  Anaerobic digestion for wastewater treatment in Mexico : State of the technology , 2000 .

[96]  G. Lettinga,et al.  Objectives of DESAR-Decentralised sanitation and reuse. 30. Abwassertechnisches seminar 13. DECHEMA Fachgesprach umweltschutz DESAR Kleine Klaranlagen und wasserwiederverwendung , 2001 .

[97]  William J. Jewell,et al.  Anaerobic attached-film expanded-bed reactor treatment. , 1980 .

[98]  W. M. Wiegant,et al.  Anaerobic Treatment of Domestic Sewage and Wastewater , 1993 .

[99]  A. Schellinkhout,et al.  Full-Scale Application of the UASB Technology for Sewage Treatment , 1992 .

[100]  D. White,et al.  Changes of biofilm properties in response to sorbed substances - an FTIR-ATR study , 1995 .

[101]  A. E. Greenberg,et al.  Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater : supplement to the sixteenth edition , 1988 .

[102]  Bert Hamelers,et al.  Effect of temperature on hydrolysis rates of selected biowaste components , 1999 .

[103]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Anaerobic treatment of domestic sewage under moderate climatic (Dutch) conditions using upflow reactors at increased superficial velocities. , 1992 .

[104]  K. Keiding,et al.  A Comparative Study of Biopolymers from a Conventional and an Advanced Activated Sludge Treatment Plant , 1994 .

[105]  L. Eriksson,et al.  Settling Properties of Activated Sludge Related to Floc Structure , 1984 .

[106]  M. Veiga,et al.  Treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater in a UASB reactor and an anaerobic filter , 1997 .

[107]  G Lettinga,et al.  Challenge of psychrophilic anaerobic wastewater treatment. , 2001, Trends in biotechnology.

[108]  T. J. J. Kalker,et al.  Transfer and acceptance of uasb technology for domestic wastewater: Two case studies , 1999 .

[109]  Gatze Lettinga,et al.  Anaerobic Treatment of Domestic Wastewater in Small Scale UASB Reactors , 1992 .

[110]  C. Forster,et al.  The nature of activated sludge flocs , 1976 .

[111]  Mogens Henze,et al.  Waste design for households with respect to water, organics and nutrients , 1997 .

[112]  W. Sanders,et al.  Anaerobic hydrolysis during digestion of complex substrates , 2001 .

[113]  B. Rittmann,et al.  Colloid Removal in Fluidized‐Bed Biofilm Reactor , 1990 .

[114]  Perry L. McCarty,et al.  Anaerobic wastewater treatment , 1986 .

[115]  L. Eriksson,et al.  Study of Flocculation Mechanisms by Observing Effects of a Complexing Agent on Activated Sludge Properties , 1991 .

[116]  S. Sözen,et al.  Characterization and COD fractionation of domestic wastewaters. , 1997, Environmental pollution.