Effect of long-term idle periods on the performance of sequencing batch reactors

Autor(en)

Eberhard Morgenroth, August Obermayer, Eva Arnold, Andreas Brühl, Michael Wagner, Peter A. Wilderer

Abstrakt

Sludge storage can be used as an effective control handle to adjust plant capacity to large influent variations. The sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology is well suited for temporary sludge storage because reactors can easily be switched off individually and operated in an idle mode. In this study experimental results on the effect of long term (weeks) idle periods on nitrogen removal are presented. The SBRs were operated with idle times ranging from 6 to 20 days. Batch experiments were performed where sludge was stored without the addition of any substrate for 7 weeks. In the SBRs, repeated long-term idle phases had only a minor effect on ammonia oxidation. The nitrite oxidation process was more sensitive to long idle phases resulting in temporary nitrite accumulation in the SBRs. Quantitative gene probe analyses demonstrated that the decay of ammonia oxidizers was slower than the decay of nitrite oxidizers which in turn decayed slower than heterotrophic bacteria.Sludge storage can be used as an effective control handle to adjust plant capacity to large influent variations. The sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology is well suited for temporary sludge storage because reactors can easily be switched off individually and operated in an idle mode. In this study experimental results on the effect of long term (weeks) idle periods on nitrogen removal are presented. The SBRs were operated with idle times ranging from 6 to 20 days. Batch experiments were performed where sludge was stored without the addition of any substrate for 7 weeks. In the SBRs, repeated long-term idle phases had only a minor effect on ammonia oxidation. The nitrite oxidation process was more sensitive to long idle phases resulting in temporary nitrite accumulation in the SBRs. Quantitative gene probe analyses demonstrated that the decay of ammonia oxidizers was slower than the decay of nitrite oxidizers which in turn decayed slower than heterotrophic bacteria.

Organisation(en)

Externe Organisation(en)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Technische Universität München, Europäische Akademie der Wissenschaften und Künste

Journal

Water Science and Technology

Band

41

Seiten

105-113

Anzahl der Seiten

9

ISSN

0273-1223

Publikationsdatum

2000

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

1060 Biologie

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/e347c3a1-ea42-4e06-81af-f1e1634099d3