Chemical phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater by the addition of waste alum sludge to the activated sludge system

In many cases, waterworks waste alum sludge is disposed of by discharging it into a stream. In this investigation the disposal of alum sludge to activated sludge systems treating municipal sewage is investigated. The advantage is that it is a better method of alum sludge disposal, and moreover the addition of alum sludge removes phosphorus from the wastewater through chemical precipitation. Two long sludge age (20 days) Modified Ludzack Ettinger (MLE) predenitrification systems receiving unsettled municipal wastewater at a controlled concentration of 500mg COD/l as influent were operated for a period of 305 days, one as an Experimental system and the other as a Control system. The anoxic mass fraction was large (70), to mimic many long sludge age nitrification/denitrification systems in operation in South Africa. Nitrate was added into the anoxic reactors to maintain anoxic conditions so that biological excess phosphorus removal would not take place and interfere with the chemical removal performance.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Civil Engineering

Year dc:date.issued

1992

Author dc:creator

• Power, Sean P B

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ekama, George A

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8299

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8299