Wastewater treatment and nitrogen removal using submerged filter systems

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Wastewater Treatment Technologies
• Nitrogen Removal

Background:

• High nitrogen concentrations in wastewater pose significant environmental challenges.
• Effective treatment of nitrogenous wastewater is crucial for preventing eutrophication.
• Submerged filter systems are a common approach for wastewater treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of two submerged filter systems in treating strong nitrogenous wastewater.
• To compare a two filters-in-series system with a single combined filter system.
• To assess the flexibility of the combined filter system for variable wastewater characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Experimental evaluation of two submerged filter configurations: a series system and a single combined system.
• Treatment of wastewater with a high nitrogen concentration (480 mg/L).
• Assessment of removal efficiencies for nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand (COD) at specified loading rates.

Main Results:

• Both systems achieved high removal efficiencies: up to 90% for nitrogen and 98% for COD.
• Effective treatment was observed for loading rates up to 5 kg COD/m3.d and 0.5 kg N/m3.d.
• The single combined filter demonstrated flexibility in adapting treatment zones.

Conclusions:

• Both evaluated submerged filter systems are highly effective for nitrogen and COD removal from strong nitrogenous wastewater.
• The single combined filter system provides superior operational flexibility for treating diverse wastewater streams.
• Adjustable aeration and recycling points in the combined system allow for easy modification of treatment zones.