Freshwater fish farm effluents have low nutrient concentrations but high flow rates, resulting in pollutant load, especially phosphorus (P), causing eutrophication. The feasibility was tested of a treatment combining, within a single constructed wetland, the contribution of macrophytes for reducing organic matter and nitrogen (N), with the high efficiency of steel slag and limestone for P removal. Twenty subsurface flow (SSF) basins of 280 L with different combinations of plants (Phragmites communis or Typha latifolia) and substrates (steel slag, limestone, gravel, peat) were fed with a reconstituted fish farm effluent in a greenhouse experiment. Pollutant removal was generally very good under all treatments. N and organic matter removal were correlated with plant biomass while P removal was better in substrates with steel slag and limestone. However, the high pH of the P-adsorbing substrate was detrimental to plant growth so that no combination of plants and substrates could maximise in one step the simultaneous removal of all evaluated pollutants. Therefore, the use of two sequential units is recommended, a first one consisting of a macrophyte planted basin using a neutral substrate to remove organic matter and N, followed by a second unplanted basin containing only a P-adsorbing substrate.

Activated sludge models have assumed that a portion of organic solids in municipal wastewater influent is unbiodegradable. Also, it is assumed that solids from biomass decay cannot be degraded further. The paper evaluates these assumptions based on data from systems operating at higher than typical sludge retention times (SRTs), including membrane bioreactor systems with total solids retention (no intentional sludge wastage). Data from over 30 references and with SRTs of up to 400 d were analysed. A modified model that considers the possible degradation of the two components is proposed. First order degradation rates of approximately 0.007 d(-1) for both components appear to improve sludge production estimates. Factors possibly influencing these degradation rates such as wastewater characteristics and bioavailability are discussed.

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High-rate wastewater processes are receiving a renewed interest to obtain energy positive/efficient water resource recovery facilities. An innovative treatment train combining a high-rate moving bed biofilm reactor (HR-MBBR) with an enhanced flotation process was studied. The two objectives of this work were 1) to maximize the conversion of soluble organics to particulate matter in an HR-MBBR and 2) to maximize the particulate matter recovery from the HR-MBBR effluent by green chemicals to enhance biogas production by anaerobic digestion. To achieve these objectives, lab-scale MBBRs fed with synthetic soluble wastewater were operated at organic loading rates (OLRs) between 4 and 34 kg COD m reactor d corresponding to hydraulic retention times (HRTs) between 6 and 54 min. Colloidal and soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency in the HR-MBBR increased with HRT to reach a plateau of 85% at an HRT longer than 27 min. Carrier clogging observed at an OLR higher than 16 kg COD m d (HRT < 13 min) resulted in about 23% loss in colloidal and soluble COD removal efficiency. Thus, the recommended parameters were between 22 and 37 min and between 6 and 10 kg COD m d for the HRT and the OLR, respectively, to maximize the conversion of soluble organics to particulate matter. Total suspended solids (TSS) recovery of 58-85% and 90-97% were achieved by enhanced flotation using green and unbiodegradable chemicals, respectively, corresponding to a TSS effluent concentration below 14 and 7 mg TSS/L. Among the synthetic polymers tested, a high molecular weight and low charge density cationic polyacrylamide was found to give the best results with less than 2 mg TSS/L in the clarified effluent (97% TSS recovery). Green chemicals, although performing slightly less for solids separation than unbiodegradable chemicals, achieved a mean TSS concentration of 10 ± 3 mg/L in the clarified effluent.

The effect of ozonation of anaerobic digested sludge on methane production was studied as a means of increasing the capacity of municipal anaerobic digesters. Ozone doses ranging from 0 to 192 mg O/g sludge COD were evaluated in batch tests with a bench scale ozonation unit. Ozonation initially, and temporarily, reduced biomass viability and acetoclastic methanogenic activity, resulting in an initial lag phase ranging from 0.8 to 10 days. Following this lag phase, ozonation enhanced methane production with an optimal methane yield attained at 86 mg O/g COD. Under these conditions, the yield of methane and the rate of its formation were 52% and 95% higher, respectively, than those factors measured without ozonation. A required optimal ozone dose could be feasible to improve the anaerobic digestion performance by increasing the methane production potential with a minimum impact on microbial activity; thus, an optimal ozone dose would enable an increase in the capacity of anaerobic digesters.