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Published on: December 25, 2015
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Improved nitrogen removal efficiency by implementation of intermittent aeration.
M Srb1, M Lánský1, L Charvátová1
1Pražské vodovody a kanalizace, a.s., Ke Kablu 971, 102 00, Prague 10, Czech Republic
Summary
Intermittent aeration significantly reduces total nitrogen in wastewater treatment plants without increasing costs. This method is effective for plants with current loads below design capacity, requiring only adequate blower power.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Treatment Technologies
Background:
- Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) face challenges in meeting stringent total nitrogen discharge limits.
- Optimizing aeration processes is crucial for efficient nitrogen removal and operational cost management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a simple, time-based intermittent aeration control strategy for reducing total nitrogen concentrations in WWTPs of varying capacities.
- To assess the impact of intermittent aeration on nitrifying microorganisms and compare its performance against conventional aeration methods.
Main Methods:
- Experimental implementation of time-based intermittent aeration in three municipal WWTPs (15,780, 23,000, and 806,250 PE).
- Comparative analysis of outflow total nitrogen concentrations with baseline data and literature values.
- Nitrification kinetic tests and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) to assess microbial community impacts.
Main Results:
- Intermittent aeration achieved a significant reduction in total nitrogen concentration, up to 57%, without additional investment or operating expenses.
- No negative impact on nitrifying bacteria populations was observed, as confirmed by kinetic and FISH analyses.
- Successful implementation is feasible for WWTPs designed for permanent aeration but currently operating below capacity, provided sufficient blower capacity exists.
Conclusions:
- Simple, time-based intermittent aeration is a cost-effective method for enhancing nitrogen removal in municipal WWTPs.
- This approach offers comparable performance to complex control systems and is suitable for existing infrastructure under specific load conditions.
- Sufficient blower capacity is a critical prerequisite for the successful application of intermittent aeration in nitrogen removal.
