The macromolecular composition of activated sludge (lipids, intracellular proteins and intracellular polysaccharides) was studied together with its capacity to store macromolecules such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in a conventional activated sludge system fed with synthetic sewage water at an organic load rate of 1.0 kg COD/(m(3)·d), varying the dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature. Six DO co...

Enzymes are important in biological wastewater treatment systems, since they are responsible for breakdown of macro- and micropollutants, thereby making the pollutants available for metabolism. Enzyme activity has been investigated in particular in activated sludge processes, since the activated sludge technology is the most important and widely spread wastewater treatment technology used today...

The purpose of this work was to examine the settling properties of activated sludge from a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The experiments were carried out in a bench-scale reactor, fed with wastewater from the University of Olsztyn treatment plant. Concentrations of the examined activated sludge varied between 2.5 and 6.0 kg SS m. Laboratory analyses of the sludge comprised: sludge concentrati...

A laboratory study of the Cannibal process was undertaken to determine if the Cannibal system would generate less sludge compared with a conventional activated sludge system. Side-by-side sequencing batch reactors were operated--one using the Cannibal configuration and the other as conventional activated sludge. It was found that the Cannibal process generated 60% less solids than the conventio...

Bulking of activated sludge is a world-wide problem which negatively affects wastewater treatment efficiency. The most common reasons of bulking are bacterial community changes, especially excessive growth of filamentous bacteria (filamentous bulking) or excess of biopolymers on the surface of non-filamentous microbes (non-filamentous or Zoogleal bulking). Because of the complex nature of the b...

The physical-chemical properties of activated sludge, such as flocculating ability, hydrophobicity, surface charge, settleability, dewaterability and bacteria extracellular polymer substances (EPS), play vital roles in the normal operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The nanoparticles released from commercial products will enter WWTPs and can induce potential adverse effects on acti...

The purpose of the experiments described in this article was the comparison of integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) and activated sludge (AS) system. The IFAS applied system consists of the cigarette filter rods (wasted filter in tobacco factories) as a biofilm carrier. The comparison with activated sludge was performed by two parallel treatment lines. Organic substance, ammonia and TP...

From a theoretical investigation of the continuity of wastewater organic (COD) and N compounds along the links connecting the primary settling tank (PST), fully aerobic or N removal activated sludge (AS) treating raw and settled wastewater and aerobic digestion unit operations, it was found that the PS characteristics, viz. the biodegradable and unbiodegradable soluble and particulate COD and N...