The effect of chemical bulking control on biological nutrient removal in a full scale activated sludge plant

Abstract

The use of chemicals for sludge bulking control has a direct effect on the biological nutrient removal processes in activated sludge systems designed for this purpose. Chlorine has been used on full scale but information on the use of ozone and hydrogen peroxide is limited to pilot scale tests. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of chlorine, ozone and hydrogen peroxide on nutrient removal processes when used on a continuous basis for bulking control in a full scale biological nutrient removal activated sludge plant. The full scale studies were conducted over a period of 39 months at the Daspoort sewage works of the City Council of Pretoria. The results indicate that at low dosages the oxidants have limited effects on the nutrient removal processes but at higher levels chlorine had a detrimental effect resulting in the phosphate limit of 1 mg P.1−1 being exceeded. It is concluded that chlorine is the most effective of the three oxidants for bulking control, but that it should be used with caution in order not to upset the biological phosphate removal processes. Ozone at low levels had a small but consistent positive effect on bulking control as well as on nutrient removal. The effects of hydrogen peroxide were very small except at high dosages.