Evaluating passive aeration simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (PASND) incorporating fixed GAO biofilm and zeolite

Singh, Sukhbir (2018) Evaluating passive aeration simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (PASND) incorporating fixed GAO biofilm and zeolite. Honours thesis, Murdoch University.

Abstract

Wastewater treatment has gone through different reforms to tackle the excessive production of wastewater due to population growth and industrialisation. BOD, COD, TSS, Nitrogen and Phosphorus are the primary pollutants identified in the municipal wastewater. Treating BOD, COD, TSS and phosphorus from wastewater is relatively more straightforward than nitrogen treatment. The excessive intrusion of nitrogen in the form of ammonium, nitrate or nitrite to the water bodies causes eutrophication, which leads to the oxygen depletion in the water, resulting into loss of aquatic life. Furthermore, nitrate in potable water can cause methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) and other health concerns to humans.

Nitrification followed by denitrification is the conventional process of removing nitrogen from the wastewater. Nitrification is an oxidation reaction, whereas, denitrification is a reduction reaction take place under anoxic conditions. The conventional process is an energy-intensive process. The primary energy drain in the process is to pump air into the reactor. Further, the common requirement of adding an external carbon source for denitrification and excessive sludge production incurs extra operation cost.

The conventional technology constraints worked as driving force motivating novel processes such as SND (Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification), PND (Parallel nitrification and denitrification) and Anammox (Anaerobic ammonium oxidation) etc. PASND (Passive aeration simultaneous nitrification and denitrification) is one of the emerging novel technologies recently developed. The technology was tested in the present study. It was established that the system was energy efficient and can remove carbon up to 96%. The nitrogen removal does not require any external carbon source and about 61% nitrogen removal was recorded. The process can be readily optimised for 80-85% removal by double passing the effluent through an addition reactor in series.

Item Type:	Thesis (Honours)
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Engineering and Information Technology
United Nations SDGs:	Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Supervisor(s):	Cord-Ruwisch, Ralf
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/44765

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