Wastewater Treatment by Aerobic Process - Environmental Biotechnology

ದಾವಣಗೆರೆ ವಿಶ್ವ ವಿದ್ಯಾನಿಲಯ
DAVANGERE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF STUDIES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

SEMINAR TOPIC:
WASTEWATER TREATMENT - AEROBIC PROCESS
PRESENTED BY:
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF: Prajwal Bhanu R B
Prof. Gopinath S M M.Sc. Biotechnology,
DoS in Biotechnology, II Year – IV Semester,
Davangere University. Register No: BT202018
DoS in Biotechnology,
Davangere University.
DEPARTMENT OF STUDIES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, DAVANGERE UNIVERSITY
CONTENT
•Introduction – wastewater treatment
•Wastewater treatment by aerobic process
•Principle of aerobic process
•Activated Sludge Process
•Oxidation Ponds/Stabilization Ponds
•Trickling Filters
•Current research and recent studies
•Conclusion
•References

INTRODUCTION
WASTE WATER TREATMENT:

•It removes harmful chemical contaminants & biological wastes.
•It coverts wastewater into an effluent.
•It helps to return treated water to the water cycle with minimal
environmental issues.
•The reuse of treated effluent is known as Water
Reclamation/Water recycling.
•Infrastructure used in treatment is known as Wastewater
treatment plant/Sewage treatment plant.
•It helps to control water pollution.
WASTEWATER
DOMESTIC STORM/RUNOFF
SEWAGE SEWAGE
INDUSTTRIAL
SEWAGE
Indicates amount of organic material present in

sewage
BIOLOGICAL The amount of dissolved oxygen needed by the

OXYGEN aerobic microorganisms to break down organic
DEMAND matter into smaller molecules.
Higher the organic material, Higher the BOD

Higher amount of oxygen is required by
microorganisms to decompose the organic
substances in sewage.
Figure: Waste water treatment plant in aerographic view

WASTE WATER TREATMENT:
AEROBIC PROCESS
•It’s a biological technique.

•It breaks down organic impurities like N and P using O2
•Organic impurities are consumed by aerobic bacteria.
•Aerobes convert organic impurities into CO2 and biomass.
•Later, biomass are removed by suitable methods
•Activated sludge process, Oxidation ponds, Biological
trickling filters, Membrane bioreactors are major methods of
aerobic waste water treatment systems.

Figure : Aerobic waste water treatment plant

PRINCIPLE OF AEROBIC PROCESS
•Aerobic treatment process

involves Aerobes.
•Aerobes use molecular free
oxygen to digest organic
materials and convert them
into carbon dioxide, water,
energy and biomass.
Energy
Organic Carbon
Oxygen Water &
materials dioxide
Biomass

ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS
•ASP - first developed in England in 1914.
•In ASP, wastewater from the primary treatment phase enters an
aeration tank.
•In aeration tank, the aeration process is achieved in the presence
of suspended (freely floating) aerobic microorganisms.
•Organic material is broken down and consumed, forming
biological solids which flocculate into larger clumps or flocs.
•The suspended flocs enter a settling tank and they are removed
from the wastewater by sedimentation.


ACTIVATED SLUDGE:
•Flocculent culture of organisms.
•Contains mixed blend of microbes where 95% are aerobes.
•Contains populations of Fungi, Protozoa & other species.
•Developed in aeration tanks under controlled conditions.
•Typically brown in color.
•Also known as waste activated biosolids/waste activated solids.
•Helps to establish and maintain a viable population of
microorganisms.

Figure : Using activated sludge process in wastewater treatment

COMPONENTS OF ASP
ASP have three main components:

a. Aeration tank: It serves as a bio reactor
b. Settling tank: It separates activated sludge & wastewater
c. Return activated sludge equipment: It transfers settled AS
from the clarifier to the aeration tank's influent.
WORKING OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS
Primary sewage contains organic matter with microbes
Wastewater is introduced into the aeration tank
Mixing of activated sludge in an aeration tank
Process is aerated by the mechanical aerator

Mixed liquor undergoes aerobic microbial metabolism in

aeration tank for 6-8 hours.
Microorganisms oxidizes the organic compounds

to form CO2, H2O and NO3
After oxidation, sewage is passed to settling tank

Left undisturbed for 2-3 hours where

Sludge settles to the bottom, where waste sludge is removed
This activated sludge can be

used as inoculum for next batch.

Sludge is recycled to the aeration tank as the seed of

microorganisms
• To maintain high microbial activity
• To increase the decomposition
Hence the term, activated sludge process.
Achromobacter Alcaligenes Arthrobacter
Flavobacterium Citromonas Zoogloea Pseudomonas
Figure: Bacteria present in activated sludge

ADVANTAGES
•Less complicated process and odorless
•Less space compared to biological filters
•Highly efficient treatment system for sewage treatment
•Excess sludge has higher fertilizer value.
DISADVANTAGES
•Initial high capital
•High operating cost
•High power consumption
•Requirement of skilled professionals
OXIDATION PONDS/STABILIZATION PONDS
•Oxidation ponds are also called as lagoons/stabilization ponds.
•It is an aerobic method of sewage treatment process.
•These are large, shallow ponds designed to treat wastewater
•Oxidation ponds interacts with sunlight, bacteria, and algae.
•It reduces organic content and remove pathogens from
wastewater.
•Sewage from primary treatment plant is placed in an oxidation
pond and left there for 10-40 days
•Microorganisms like bacteria, algae and sunlight are involved in
stabilization of wastewater.
OXIDATION PONDS/STABILIZATION PONDS
Figure 4: Aerial view of oxidation ponds

MECHANISM OF OXIDATION PONDS
Bacteria present in the oxidation pond will oxidize the organic

waste by utilization of oxygen
Bacteria releases carbon dioxide, water and ammonia by

Oxidation
Algae utilizes CO2, H20 & NH4 formed by the decomposition

of organic matter by bacteria
Algal growth occurs in the presence of sunlight by

photosynthesis and finally algae releases oxygen by reduction

•Algae and bacteria work mutually to
fulfill each other’s requirement.
•The bacteria uses oxygen released by
the algae to oxidize the biodegradable
organics.
•The oxidation of organic waste by the
bacteria releases carbon dioxide.
•Later, algae uses carbon dioxide to
reduce inorganic wastes like nitrogen,
phosphorus compounds etc.
PROCESS INVOLVED IN OXIDATION PONDS
Figure : Process involved in oxidation ponds

BACTERIAL SPECIES IN OXIDATION PONDS
Alcaligenes Pseudomonas
Proteus
Achromobacter Thiospirillum
Figure: Dominating bacterial species in Oxidation ponds

ALGAL SPECIES IN OXIDATION PONDS
Chlorella Euglena
Scenedesmus Microcystis
Figure: Predominating algal species in oxidation ponds

•In this process, remaining non-biodegradable or solid organic

wastes settle down in the bottom of the stabilization pond
as sludge.
•The treated water releases out through the outlet system of a
stabilization pond.
•By employing the dredging method, one can separate the sludge
deposits from the stabilization pond.
•The filtration method or the combination of chemical treatment
and settling process separates the algal and bacterial biomass.

ADVANTAGES
•Reduces the biological oxygen demand up to 90% naturally
•It is a simple method to operate
•No sophisticated equipment required
•The operation of stabilization pond requires low labor-power
•It is an effective and economical method
DISADVANTAGES
•The construction of a stabilization pond requires more land area
•It gives a foul smell & chance of mosquito menace [Breeding]
•Holding time is very long i.e. up to 10-40 days
•Chance of effluent seepage into the ground water
TRICKLING FILTERS
•Trickling filters are also known as percolating or sprinkling
filters.
•It is conventional aerobic biological wastewater treatment.
•This process includes high specific surface area.
•Mainly used for domestic sewage and industrial waste water.
•It is a fixed-bed bioreactor, which eliminates the coarse
particles, suspended organic and inorganic waste, small
colloids present in the wastewater.
•A trickling filter uses filtration, adsorption, and assimilation
for removal of contaminants from wastewater.
TRICKLING FILTERS
•The designing of a trickling filter unit includes a support

structure, pebble or plastic filled media and rotary distributor.
•It has a bed of course which is hard and porous material, over
which sewage is sprayed.
OPERATION OF TRICKLING FILTERS
The trickling filter process goes

through a series of operation, which
involves the following stages:
•Primary effluent enters the trickling

filters through the feed pipe.
•Then it goes upward to the rotating
effluent distributor.
•Influent passes through the filter
Figure 6: Operation of
media containing microbes. Trickling Filters
OPERATION OF TRICKLING FILTERS
•The organic matter is oxidized by
the aerobic microbes.
•The filter effluent goes down the
drainage system to the clarifier.
•Clarifier separates small colloids out
of effluent as waste sludge.
•Waste sludge is recycled back to the
trickling filter.
•Effluent is treated further by using
Figure 6: Operation of
disinfectants. Trickling Filters
TRICKLING FILTERS
•The biomass attached to the media surface grows and forms a
layer called biological film or microbial slime with the thickness
of 0.1 to 2.0 mm and it is rich in microorganisms.
•As the sewage trickles through the biofilm, the organic matter gets
oxidized to CO2 and NO2 by the microbial metabolism by the
aerobic bacteria present at upper portion of the biofilm.
•The biological film is rich in the bacteria- Pseudomonas,
Flavobacterium, Alcaligenes and algae- Chlorella, Utothrix, and
Stigeoclonium, besides some fungi and yeasts.
•Trickling filter can reduce BOD of sewage by about 65-85%
TRICKLING FILTERS
ADVANTAGES
•Simple and efficient process
•Occupies less space and no requirement of skilled supervision
•Self cleansing
•Less power consumption
DISADVANTAGES
•High capital costs
•Clogging of distributor arms and beds
•Process may develop odor and fly nuisance
•High construction cost
CURRENT RESEARCH & RECENT STUDIES

CURRENT RESEARCH & RECENT STUDIES
•Heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification (HN-
AD) is a novel process and it is gaining tremendous attention after
the discovery of metabolically versatile bacteria.
•HN-AD offers several advantages because individual bacteria
could achieve one-stage nitrogen removal under aerobic
conditions in the presence of organic carbon.
•HN-AD has promising effect in wastewater treatment plants by
harnessing HN-AD bacteria for effective nitrogen removal.
•HN-AD bacteria are metabolically versatile and phylogenetically
diverse and had great impact on nitrogen removal from waste.
CONCLUSION
•Aerobic wastewater treatment is an effective biological process.
•Oxygen is the key to breakdown organic matter and to remove
the pollutants by aerobes by its metabolism in aerobic process.
•The important objective is to reduce BOD in wastewater.
•Activated sludge process, Oxidation ponds, Trickling filters are
the well established aerobic wastewater treatment methodologies.
•Toxic compound removal, improvement of public health,
sanitation, soil integrity and conservation of fresh water resources
are the key applications to be noted.

REFERENCES
•K Allen (2016) – “Environmental Biotechnology – Principle, process and
applications” – 2nd Edition – CBS Publishers and Distributors, Mumbai,
ISBN-23544-55677 – pp. 315-324
•Pradipa K Mohapatra (2006) – “Textbook of Environmental Biotechnology”
– 1st Edition - JK International Publishing House, New Delhi – ISBN 68642-
49752 – pp.101-147
•Haipeng Xi, Xiangtong Zhou et al. “Heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic
denitrification process: Promising but a long way to go in the wastewater
treatment” - Science of The Total Environment, Volume 805, 2022, 150212,
ISSN 0048-9697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150212. [Recent
review article]
•www.environbiotechnology.com
THANK YOU

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ದಾವಣಗೆರೆ ವಿಶ್ವ ವಿದ್ಯಾನಿಲಯ

DEPARTMENT OF STUDIES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, DAVANGERE UNIVERSITY