Management of toxicity effects in a large wastewater treatment plant

Abstract

An unusually severe case of toxicity accompanied by activated sludge filamentous bulking was observed at the wastewater treatment plant Sao Paulo-Barueri. Treatment efficiency of the plant, operated without major problems for more than five years before, was significantly hindered for almost six months. Occurrence of toxic shocks was confirmed partly directly but mostly indirectly by inhibition of nitrification and biological phenomena related to toxicity. Several measures adopted, including the recycled activated sludge chlorination, are described in the paper.