Nutrient balancing for enhanced activated sludge reactor performance: UK perspective

Trace metals (K, Fe, Mg, Cu, Ga, Mn, Al, Zn, Mo, Co) and vitamins (biotin, niacin, pyridoxine, lactoflavin, thiamine, pantothenic acid) were tested fo r enhancing chemical oxygen demand (COD) and toxicity removal in activated sludge treating trade effluent. Rapid respirometry screening indicated that micronutrient addition could not ameliorate macronutrient deficiencies. bu t could significantly improve the degradation of hard COD in the wastewater (up to 4.24 kg COD/kg MLSS/d, i.e. 320% of the control) with no significan t effect on the air requirement of the sludge. Several positive effects led to the conclusion that micronutrients have the potential to optimise the p rocess performance of activated sludge plants treating industrial wastewate r. Porous pots were used to further trial eight of the micronutrients. The retention of biomass in the pots was increased in all cases, improvements i n the degradation of COD (up to 260% of the control) were observed while bi ological oxygen demand (BOD) degradation was not affected. This implied the use of recalcitrant substrate components as a food source. Toxicity tests showed that the effluents from the experimental porous pots were less toxic than the control effluents. The effects of niacin addition in activated sl udge treatment of industrial waste at pilot-scale were: improved sludge han dling, increased GOD, ammonia, suspended solids and phosphorus removal. Sev eral industrialists saw micronutrient addition as a route to successful ada ptation of processes to accommodate toxicity-based legislation.