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Search results for: nutrient removal
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A mechanistic model for fate and removal of estrogens in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems
PublicationTwo estrogen fate and transformation models were integrated with a comprehensive activated sludge model (ASM) to predict estrogen removal based on biomass and solids production. Model predictions were evaluated against published full-scale plant data as well as results from a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed synthetic wastewater. The estrogen fate model relating the rate of total estrogen degradation to soluble...
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Modelization of Nutrient Removal Processes at a Large WWTP Using a Modified ASM2d Model
PublicationThe biodegradation of particulate substrates starts by a hydrolytic stage. Hydrolysis is a slow reaction and usually becomes the rate limiting step of the organic substrates biodegradation. The objective of this work was to evaluate a novel hydrolysis concept based on a modification of the activated sludge model (ASM2d) and to compare it with the original ASM2d model. The hydrolysis concept was developed in order to accurately...
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Impact of enhanced pretreatment on biological nutrient removal in municipal wastewater treatment plants
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the effect of enhanced primary treatment on: increasing primary sludge production for increased biogas production; reducing the organic load on downstream biological treatment processes and thereby reducing energy consumption for aeration; denitrification and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) rates in the activated sludge system. For this purpose, three commercial organic polymers...
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The role of particulate and colloidal substrate in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems
PublicationThe authors investigated COD fractionation according to the physical state (soluble/colloidal/particulate) in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in northern Poland. It was found that particulate and colloidal organic compounds constituted up to 70% of total COD. On the other hand, according to literature data, municipal wastewater contains readily and slowly biodegradable substrates in the amount of approximately 10-30% and...
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Comparison of two model concepts for simulation of nitrogen removal at a full-scale biological nutrient removal pilot plant
PublicationCelem badań było porównanie zdolności predykcyjnych dwóch mechanistycznych modeli procesu osadu czynnego (ASM1 i ASM3). W tym celu wykorzystano bazę danych empirycznych z pilotowej oczyszczalni ścieków Gummerwald w Hanowerze (Niemcy). Oba badane modele prognozowały szczytowe stężenia azotu amonowego na poziomie >8 gN/m3 w ciągu, którego obciążenie hydrauliczne wzrastało czterokrotnie w porównaniu do okresu bezdeszczowego. Prognozowany...
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Modeling nutrient removal and energy consumption in an advanced activated sludge system under uncertainty
PublicationActivated sludge models are widely used to simulate, optimize and control performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). For simulation of nutrient removal and energy consumption, kinetic parameters would need to be estimated, which requires an extensive measurement campaign. In this study, a novel methodology is proposed for modeling the performance and energy consumption of a biological nutrient removal activated sludge system...
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Characteristics and fate of organic nitrogen in municipal biological nutrient removal wastewater treatment plants
PublicationThe aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and fate of colloidal and dissolved organic nitrogen (CON and DON) across biological nutrient removal (BNR) activated sludge bioreactors. Primary and secondary effluent total nitrogen (TN) measurements and component fractionation, CON and DON concentration profiles across BNR bioreactors, and laboratory batch experiments with the process mixed liquor were carried out at several...
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The role of slowly biodegradable substrate in a full-scale biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems
PublicationThis paper contains futher results obtained at ''Wschod'' WWTP in Gdańsk under transient conditions (spring season) and comparation of similar experiments carried out at a recently upgraded ''Debogorze'' WWTP in Gdynia. The removal of colloidal and particulate fractions resulted in similar effects (reduced process rates) at both plants. For example, the initial denitrification rates (NUR1) were up to 30% lower during the ''conventional''...
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The role of biodegradable particulate and colloidal organic compounds in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems
PublicationThe efficiency of denitrification and enhanced biological phosphorus removal in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems is strongly dependent on the availability of appropriate carbon sources. Due to high costs of commercial compounds (such as methanol, ethanol, acetic acid, etc.) and acclimation periods (usually) required, the effective use of internal substrates is preferred. The aim of this study was to determine...
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Modeling hydrolysis of slowly biodegradable organic compounds in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems
PublicationHydrolysis is an important process in biological wastewater treatment and is known to be the ratelimiting step in organic carbon removal from municipal or industrial wastewater. The influence of the readily biodegradable chemical oxygen demand fraction in biological wastewater treatment systems has been extensively investigated, but little is known about the effects of slowly biodegradable substrate (XS) on denitrification and...
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Modeling hydrolysis of slowly biodegradable organic compounds in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems
PublicationHydrolysis is an important process in biological wastewater treatment and has been known as the rate limiting step in organic carbon removal from municipal or industrial wastewater. The biodegradation of XS is initiated by hydrolysis which is an integral part of activated sludge models, such as the Activated Sludge Model no. 2d (ASM2d). The aim of this study was to evaluate different concepts of modeling the hydrolysis process...
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The role of slowly biodegradable organic compounds in a full-scale biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the immediate effects of slowly biodegradable substrates on the denitrification capability and phosphate release/uptake interactions for a full-scale biomass process from two large wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the cities of Gdansk and Gdynia (northern Poland). Since it is hard to distinguish the slowly biodegradable substrate in a direct way, a novel procedure based on batch...
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Nutrient removal in municipal wastewater treatment
e-Learning CoursesThis series of lectures and interactive teaching sessions will cover all the important aspects of nutrient removal in municipal wastewater treatment. There will be five sessions. The topics of the sessions are: 1) Nutrient removal – why, how and what has been achieved?; 2) Biological treatment processes and conventional nitrogen removal; 3) Shortcut nitrogen removal processes and climate implication of nitrogen removal; 4) Biological...
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Strategies for achieving energy neutrality in biological nutrient removal systems - a case study of the Slupsk WWTP (northern Poland)
PublicationThe paper presents a model-based evaluation of technological upgrades on the energy and cost balance in a large biological nutrient removal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the city of Slupsk (northern Poland). The proposed upgrades include chemically enhanced primary sludge removal and reduction of the nitrogen load in the deammonification process employed for reject water treatment. Simulations enabled to estimate the increased...
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Strategies for Achieving Energy Neutrality in Biological Nutrient Removal Systems – a Case Study of the Slupsk WWTP (northern Poland)
PublicationThe paper presents a model-based evaluation of technological upgrades on the energy and cost balance in a large biological nutrient removal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the city of Slupsk (northern Poland). The proposed upgrades include chemically enhanced primary sludge removal and reduction of the nitrogen load in the deammonification process employed for reject water treatment. Simulations enabled to estimate the increased...
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The impact of precipitation and external carbon source addition on biological nutrient removal in activated sludge systems - experimentalinvestigation and mathematical modeling
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the effects of chemical precipitation and addition of external carbonsources on the denitrification capability and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) interactions atthe 'Wschod' WWTP (600,000 PE) in Gdansk (northern Poland). For this purpose, different kinds of batch experimentswere carried out with the settled wastewater (without pretreatment and after coagulation-flocculation)and...
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The effect of aeration mode (intermittent vs. continuous) on nutrient removal and greenhouse gas emissions in the wastewater treatment plant of Corleone (Italy)
PublicationThe paper reports the results of an experimental study aimed at comparing two configurations of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP): conventional activated sludge (CAS) and oxic-settling-anaerobic process (OSA) with intermittent aeration (IA). A comprehensive monitoring campaign was carried out to assess multiple parameters for comparing the two configurations: carbon and nutrient removal, greenhouse gas emissions, respirometric...
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The impact of precipitation and external carbon source addition on biological nutrient removal in activated sludge systems – experimental investigation and mathematical modeling
PublicationThe aim of this study was to determine the effects of chemical precipitation and addition of external carbonsources on the denitrification capability and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) interactions atthe ‘Wschod’ WWTP (600,000 PE) in Gdansk (northern Poland). For this purpose, different kinds of batch experimentswere carried out with the settled wastewater (without pretreatment and after coagulation-flocculation)and...
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Modeling the Effect of External Carbon Source Addition under Different Electron Acceptor Conditions in Biological Nutrient Removal Activated Sludge Systems
Publicationhe aim of this study was to expand the International Water Association Activated Sludge Model No. 2d (ASM2d) to predict the aerobic/anoxic behavior of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) and “ordinary” heterotrophs in the presence of different external carbon sources and electron acceptors. The following new aspects were considered: (1) a new type of the readily biodegradable substrate, not available for the anaerobic activity...
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Jacek Mąkinia prof. dr hab. inż.
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The occurrence and role of Nitrospira in nitrogen removal systems
PublicationApplication of the modern microbial techniques changed the paradigm about the microorganisms performing nitrification. Numerous investigations recognized representatives of the genus Nitrospira as a key and predominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in biological nutrient removal systems, especially under low dissolved oxygen and substrate conditions. The recent discovery of Nitrospira capable of performing complete ammonia oxidation...
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Recent advances on the removal of phosphorus in aquatic plant-based systems
PublicationPhosphorus (P) is a vital nutrient for the ecosystems and its excess in wastewater streams leads to some environmental issues such as extensive algae growth (eutrophication). Phytoremediation is a green technology that is based on the combined actions of plants and their associated microbial groups to remove and transfer the toxic compounds in surface water, groundwater and soil. Aquatic plants are widely used for the remediation...
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Nicole Nawrot dr inż.
PeopleDr. Eng. Nicole Nawrot has been employed at the Department of Sanitary Engineering since 2016. In 2021, she obtained a PhD in the field of engineering and technical sciences in the discipline of environmental engineering, mining and energy. Doctoral thesis entitled "Heavy metals in urban retention tanks bottom sediments: distribution, source tracking, and evaluation of phytostabilization adaptability and performance of P. australis...
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Dissolved and colloidal organic nitrogen removal from WWTP effluents and reject waters using physical-chemical processes
PublicationFour physical-chemical processes were compared in terms of the efficiencies of dissolved and colloidal organic nitrogen (DON and CON) removal from the secondary effluents (SE) and reject water from full-scale biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems. Adsorption on activated carbon was most efficient and allowed to remove from the SE up to 80% and 100% of DON and CON, respectively. High efficiencies of DON removal from...
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Impact of aeration conditions on the removal of low concentrations of nitrogen in a tertiary partially aerated biological filter
PublicationA submerged biological aerated filter (BAF) partially aerated was used to study the removal of low concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (0.3 g N/m3 to 30.5 g N/m3) typically found in nutrient enriched river and lake waters, and treated effluents. Four series of experiments were performed with a synthetic wastewater at ammonia loading rates between 6 g N/m3 d and 903 g N/m3 d and C/N ratios from 2 to 20. The results showed that ammonia...
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Porównanie efektywności biologicznego usuwania związków biogennych w procesach MUCT i A2/O na przykładzie oczyszczalni w Gdańsku
PublicationThis paper presents a comparison of the efficiency of nutrient removal in two different technological systems functioning in WWTP in Gdansk. The upgrade was necessary in order to adjust the parameters of wastewater treatment to more stringent requirements for Total Nitrogen removal (Total Nitrogen concentration < 10 mg/L). Since 2012 the biological treatment line has operated based on modified A2/O process instead of MUCT process....
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Application of Eco-innovative Technologies of Nutrients Removal in Wastewater – Case Study BARITECH Project
PublicationEco-innovative technologies in wastewater treatment should provide not only stringent standards for the quality of treated wastewater but also ensure maximum recovery of energy and raw materials from wastewater. One of the ways to improve the removal efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in existing conventional wastewater treatment plants is pretreatment of reject water generated during the mechanical...
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Nutrient recovery from deammonification effluent in a pilot study using two-step reject water treatment technology
PublicationThe aim of this study was to assess the possibility of phosphorus and nitrogen recovery from the liquid fraction of digestates (reject water) pilot study using a two-step technology, where the precipitation of biogenic compounds in the form of magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite) will be preceded by a deammonification process. The tests confirmed the possibility of nutrient recovery from deammonification effluent. A removal...
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Wastewater Engineering 2020/21 (Environmental Engineering, II stopnia, stacjonarne, II semestr))
e-Learning CoursesWastewater sources and flows Wastewater characterization based on physical and biodegradation criteria Preliminary treatment unit operations (screens, grit chambers, primary clarifiers) Biological processes (suspended growth vs. attached growth, hybrid systems, granular sludge) for wastewater treatment. Principles of biological nutrient removal (nitrification, denitrification, enhanced biological P removal, anammox). Implementation...
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Sustainable recovery of plant essential Nitrogen and Phosphorus from human urine using industrial coal fly ash
PublicationCoal-based thermal power plants play a pivotal role in meeting global energy demand. The amount of fly ash generated from these plants increases every year, and its successful use has posed a significant environmental risk in the last decade. In this study, coal fly ash was packed in a fixed-bed adsorption column to remove Urea–N from synthetic human urine. To assess the efficacy of fly ash in the removal of Nitrogen, various process...
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Effects of different external carbon sources and electron acceptors on interactions between denitrification and phosphorus removal in BNR processes
PublicationThe effects of two different external carbon sources (acetate, ethanol) and electron acceptors (dissolved oxygen, nitrate and nitrite) were investigated under aerobic and anoxic conditions with non-acclimated process biomass from a full-scale biological nutrient removal activated sludge system. When acetate was added as an external carbon source, phosphate release was observed even in the presence of electron acceptors. The release...
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Wastewater Engineering 2021/22 (Environmental Engineering, II stopnia, stacjonarne, II semestr))
e-Learning CoursesWastewater sources and flows Wastewater characterization based on physical and biodegradation criteria Preliminary treatment unit operations (screens, grit chambers, primary clarifiers) Biological processes (suspended growth vs. attached growth, hybrid systems, granular sludge) for wastewater treatment Principles of biological nutrient removal (nitrification, denitrification, enhanced biological P removal, anammox) Implementation...
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Wastewater Engineering 2022/23 (Environmental Engineering, II stopnia, stacjonarne, II semestr))
e-Learning CoursesWastewater sources and flows Wastewater characterization based on physical and biodegradation criteria Preliminary treatment unit operations (screens, grit chambers, primary clarifiers) Biological processes (suspended growth vs. attached growth, hybrid systems, granular sludge) for wastewater treatment Principles of biological nutrient removal (nitrification, denitrification, enhanced biological P removal, anammox) Implementation...
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Wastewater Engineering 2023/24 (Environmental Engineering, II stopnia, stacjonarne, II semestr)
e-Learning CoursesWastewater sources and flows Wastewater characterization based on physical and biodegradation criteria Preliminary treatment unit operations (screens, grit chambers, primary clarifiers) Biological processes (suspended growth vs. attached growth, hybrid systems, granular sludge) for wastewater treatment Principles of biological nutrient removal (nitrification, denitrification, enhanced biological P removal, anammox) Implementation...
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The Hydrolysis of Slowly Biodegradable Substrate in Activated Sludge
PublicationIn a present work a novel procedure, based on the standard batch tests and pretreatment of wastewater sample with coagulation-flocculation method, was proposed to evaluate the effects of hydrolysis of slowly biodegradable substrate (Xs) on biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes in activated sludge systems. The study was conducted at two large BNR wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in northern Poland: "Wschod" in Gdansk and...
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Strategies for mitigating nitrous oxide production and decreasing the carbon footprint of a full-scale combined nitrogen and phosphorus removal activated sludge system
PublicationNitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems contributes significantly to the total carbon footprint of modern wastewater treatment plants. In the present study, N2O production and emissions were experimentally determined in a large-scale plant (220,000 PE) employing combined nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal. As a modelling tool, the Activated Sludge Model 2d (ASM2d) was extended...
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The Use of Organic Coagulants in the Primary Precipitation Process at Wastewater Treatment Plants
PublicationMeasurements for determining the effect of chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) on the efficiency of pollutant removal from wastewater were carried out using conventional inorganic coagulants PIX113 with polymer A110 (Kemipol, Police, Poland) and unconventional cationic organic coagulants Cofloc (Attana, Coalville, UK) C29510 (Kemipol, Police, Poland) and Sedifloc 575 (3F Chimica, Sandrigo, Italy). The average removal efficiency...
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The experimental evaluation and modeling of SBR removing nutrients under varied aeration conditions
PublicationSequencing batch reactors (SBR) are mainly characterized by sequential process phases of fill, react, settle, decant and idle periods that allow considerable flexibility in the design and operation in different conditions. This flexibility and the unique features of SBRs used to wastewater treatment by activated sludge systems operated in laboratory scale, allow not only conducting experiments for the standard conditions but also...
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Mathematical modelling and computer simulation of activated sludge systems.Second edition
PublicationMathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation of Activated Sludge Systems – Second Edition, provides, from the process engineering perspective, a comprehensive and up-to-date overview regarding various aspects of the mechanistic (“white box”) modelling and simulation of advanced activated sludge systems performing biological nutrient removal. In the new edition of the book, a special focus is given to nitrogen removal and an overview...
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Spatial distribution of pharmaceuticals in conventional wastewater treatment plant with Sludge Treatment Reed Beds technology
PublicationPharmaceutical residues are an emerging environmental problem. It is strongly confirmed that pharmaceuticals are present in soils and environmental waters (surface, marine and even groundwater), and that wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are the main source of pharmaceuticals in the watershed. The aim of this studywas to recognize the spatial distribution and seasonal changes of selected pharmaceuticals in conventional WWTP...
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Modeling nitrous oxide production by a denitrifying-enhancedbiologically phosphorus removing (EBPR) activated sludge in thepresence of different carbon sources and electron acceptors
PublicationIn this study, the IWA Activated Sludge Model No. 2d (ASM2d) was expanded to identify the most important mechanisms leading to the anoxic nitrous oxide (N2O) production in the combined nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal activated sludge systems. The new model adopted a three-stage denitrification concept and was evaluated against the measured data from one/two-phase batch experiments carried out with activated sludge withdrawn...
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Macro-nutrients recovery from liquid waste as a sustainable resource for production of recovered mineral fertilizer: Uncovering alternative options to sustain global food security cost-effectively
PublicationGlobal food security, which has emerged as one of the sustainability challenges, impacts every country. As food cannot be generated without involving nutrients, research has intensified recently to recover unused nutrients from waste streams. As a finite resource, phosphorus (P) is largely wasted. This work critically reviews the technical applicability of various water technologies to recover macro-nutrients such as P, N, and...
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Structure and the Biochemical Potential of the Bacterial Community in Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent and in Receiving Waters: Northern Poland Case Study
PublicationWastewater treatment processes are monitored mainly in terms of biogenic substance removal efficiency. Little is known about the treated wastewater microbiome and its influence on the recipient. In this study, a wide range of methods (cultivation, microscopic analysis, New Generation Sequencing and Real Time PCR) were employed to determine the bacterial community composition of the treated wastewater and its receiver. Preliminary...
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The Simulation of Activated Sludge System for Optimization of Predictive Aeration at Large WWTP
PublicationEffective use of biodegradable substrates as an internal carbon sources (ICS) for denitrification and EBPR and predicting performance of aeration systems during nitrification in activated sludge bioreactors, may be useful in realization the sustainable development by potentially saving energy consumption at WWTPs. A large number of WWTPs use activated sludge systems with an integrated removal of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus...
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Waste materials assessment for phosphorus adsorption toward sustainable application in circular economy
PublicationPhosphorus is the main determinant of nutrient enrichment in the water bodies. Many resources including nutrients may be shortly exhausted, assuming current consumption. This scenario leads to growing interest in resources recovery and/or reuse, which together with sustainable energy consumption and waste reduction are the main courses of the circular economy. Usage of coagulants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) does not allow...
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The impact of slowly biodegradable organic compounds on the oxygen uptake rate in activated sludge systems
PublicationThe hydrolysis process of slowly biodegradable substrate (Xs) have impact on the efficiencies of nutrient removal in activated sludge systems. Measurement of OUR and corresponding COD is accepted as a very useful tool to reflect the consumption of biodegradable substrates. The influence of the readily biodegradable substrate (Ss) in biological wastewater treatment systems has been extensively investigated, but little is known about...
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The impact of slowly biodegradable organic compounds on the oxygen uptake rate in activated sludge systems
PublicationThe hydrolysis process of slowly biodegradable substrate (Xs) have impact on the efficiencies of nutrient removal in activated sludge systems. Measurement of OUR and corresponding COD is accepted as a very useful tool to reflect the consumption of biodegradable substrates. The influence of the readily biodegradable substrate (Ss) in biological wastewater treatment systems has been extensively investigated, but little is known about...
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Evaluating the effect of different operational strategies on the carbon footprint of wastewater treatment plants – case studies from northern Poland
PublicationNowadays, low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is expected at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, emission quantification and evaluation still faces difficulties related to data availability and uncertainty. The objective of this study was to perform carbon footprint (CF) analysis for two municipal WWTPs located in northern Poland. Slupsk WWTP is a large biological nutrient removal (BNR) facility (250,000 PE) which benefits...
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Fractionation and origin of dissolved and colloidal organic nitrogen in BNR plant effluent
PublicationThe characteristics of effluent dissolved and colloidal organic nitrogen (DON and CON) as well as their origin, fate and biodegradability in wastewater treatment plants and receiving waters were identified as the major issues that limit the ability to achieve low total N in the effluent. This study presents the results of a comprehensive survey, which was conducted in eight biological nutrient removal (BNR) WWTPs in northern Poland....
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Modeling sequencing batch reactor operational conditions depending on oxygen concentration
PublicationSequencing batch reactors (SBR) can be used as a fill-and draw activated sludge system for wastewater treatment with considerable operating flexibility and the possibility to conduct experiments under standard conditions and extreme case scenarios. Mathematical modeling and computer simulations provide an opportunity to implement existing wastewater processes in modeling software and evaluate different modifications at low costs...