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Bio-tower Application for Wastewater Treatment

Article in Journal of Engineering Research and Reports · March 2020

DOI: 10.9734/jerr/2020/v11i117048

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 Journal of Engineering Research and Reports

11(1): 1-7, 2020; Article no.JERR.54868

ISSN: 2582-2926

Bio-tower Application for Wastewater Treatment

Klaus Doelle1*, Yue Qin1 and Qian Wang1
1
Department of Paper and Bioprocess Engineering (PBE), College of Environmental Science and
Forestry (ESF), State University of New York (SUNY), One Forestry Drive, Syracuse,
NY 13210, USA.

Authors’ contributions

This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Authors YQ and QW wrote the first draft
of the manuscript. Author KD wrote the final draft and approved the final manuscript.

Article Information

DOI: 10.9734/JERR/2020/v11i117048
Editor(s):
(1) Dr. Heba Abdallah Mohamed Abdallah, National Research Centre, Egypt.
(2) Dr. Ahmed Bdour, The Hashemite University, Jordan.
Reviewers:
(1) Cristina Hegedüs, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, România.
(2) Ivona Nuić, University of Split, Croatia.
Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/54868

Received 26 December 2019

Accepted 01 March 2020
Original Research Article
Published 11 March 2020
Article

ABSTRACT
The study tested the performance of a batch-type recirculating laboratory scale bio-tower for the
treatment of municipal wastewater. Performance tests were done with a HACH DR-1900
spectrophotometer include chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus and nitrogen ammonia.
3 3
This study showed that the recirculated laboratory type bio-tower containing 0.276 ft (0.008 m ) of
polypropylene growth media with a surface area of 6.624 ft2 (0.615 m2) can reduce the chemical
oxygen demand between 70% to 87%. NH3-N reduction was found to be between 94% to 96%,
and total phosphorus reduction was between 69% and 87% for flow rates of 0.6 l/min to 1.5 l/min.

Keywords: Bio-tower; wastewater treatment; chemical oxygen demand; total phosphorous; ammonia
nitrogen.

1. INTRODUCTION residential, commercial and industrial use

accelerate the depletion of the water resources.
The most significant challenge facing our world in Reuse of the effluent water before and after
the future pertains to clean water. The constantly treatment can become an effective solution to the
increasing needs for water resources for shortage of the water resources. Currently golf
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Corresponding author: Email: kdoelle@esf.edu;

 Doelle et al.; JERR, 11(1): 1-7, 2020; Article no.JERR.54868

courses require on average of 48.2-acre-feet to nitrification trickling filters. Choosing the right
386.2 acre-feet (15,706,000 to 125,844,000 BOD-loading is of primary importance to achieve
gal/year) of water for irrigation purpose annually proper nitrification, whereas a low BOD-loading
[1]. Today mostly fresh water or well water generally means good nitrification. The United
resources is used for irrigation purposes. This States Environmental Protection Agency
irrigation water might come in the future from (USEPA) has recommended organic loading
resources such as: Storm runoff from impervious rates per unit volume for different filter media and
surfaces captured in retention ponds, high flow Richards and Parker [12] have published
(flood) water diversion into storage ponds, comparable data on a surface area basis
secondary or tertiary effluent from a Waste Water [9,10,11].
Treatment Plant (WWTP), grey water, and
treated or raw water from a local public water According to the USEPA, temperature highly
supply distribution systems [2]. influences the nitrification and must be set in a
range between 4 and 45 degree Celsius
A bio-tower or sometimes known as trickling filter temperature. Even though there is no consistent
is one of the two main types of biological control data that quantifies the effect of different
units [3]. Industrial and municipal WWTP use bio- temperatures on nitrification, satisfactory
towers as part of the secondary treatment nitrification occurs in the range from 15 to 25°C.
process [4,5]. A bio-tower is a round tank The pH-value of the wastewater should range
structure and contain usually engineered growth from 6.5 to 8.0 to ensure process stability [9].
media with a high surface area [6]. Rock, slag The rate of dissolved oxygen usually does not
and wood was a common growth media in the limit combined nitrification and carbon oxidation
past but provide lower surface area and void processes with natural air draught, as they are
volume, limiting the hydraulic flow rate of the bio- typically operate with low organic loading rates.
tower and therefore require larger more costly Recirculation of the effluent and therefore
systems for WWTP. Today, materials such as increasing hydraulic loading can improve
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polypropylene (PP) nitrification rates above 50% for moderate or high
with a defined specific surface area between 90 temperatures. Recirculation has also a quite
to 226 m2/m3 are utilized [7,8]. pronounced effect on removal of organic matter
for deep bio filters, as in a bio-tower [12,13,14]. A
In bio-towers, a distribution system equally
recent study shows that a bio-tower can remove
spreads the wastewater (WW) over a biofilm
volatile organic compounds, which would harm
covered growth media. The wastewater then
humans and the environment [15].
trickles over the medium and is collected at the
bottom of the bio-tower. The growth media is The following study explores if the combined
located above the bottom of the bio-tower to nitrification and organic matter removal from
ensure air transfer throughout the filter media. A Municipal Waste Water (MWW) using a
pump lifts the inflowing wastewater to the Laboratory Benchtop Bioreactor System (LBBS).
distributor as well as partially recirculates the
effluent [9]. 2. MATERIAL AND TESTING
Even though, bio-towers traditionally remove
organic matter by heterotrophic bacteria, this 2.1 Laboratory Benchtop Bioreactor
process can be successfully combined with a System
nitrification process. Nitrification is the sequential
reaction from ammonium over nitrite to nitrate, A Laboratory Benchtop Bioreactor System
carried out by the autotrophic nitrosomonas and (LBBS) was designed and installed according to
nitrobacter bacteria [10]. In the upper portion of Fig. 1. The LBBS consisted of a 15 l WW
the bio-tower, the heterotrophic bacteria outgrow reservoir, made from a 5 gal (18.92 l) pail (a).
the nitrifying species. As soon as the organic The wastewater is pumped from the reservoir
matter in the WW is subsequently decreased with small 25-Watt pond pump (b). The pond
below a threshold concentration of approximately pump has a maximal flow rate of 4.40 gal/min
20 mg/l soluble BOD5 (biochemical oxygen (16.66 l/min) at a head of 5.5 ft. (1.67 m) at a rate
demand), the nitrifying bacteria can compete and of 0.5 l/min trough a Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
initiate nitrification [9,11]. hose with a 10 mm inside diameter (c) to the
distributer (e) build from a small 0.5 liter PVC
Past studies provide good empirical data for container. The distributor had 50 holes with 2
setting up combined carbon oxidation and mm in diameter equally spaced on the bottom.

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 Doelle et al.; JERR, 11(1): 1-7, 2020;; Article no.JERR.54868
no.

The flow is regulated with a hose clamp valve (d). den pumped with pump (b) at a rate of 0.5 l/min
The distributer trickled the influent onto trough pipe (c) to the distributer (e). The flow
Polypropylene (PP) bacteria growth media (g), regulation occurred with valve (d). The distributer
3 3
which was cut randomly from 0.276 ft (0.008 m ) (e) trickled the CM-suspension
suspension onto the growth
recycled Bentwood CF-1900 1900 cross flow media media (g) were bacteria contained in the cow
with 48 ft2/ft3 157 m2/m3 [8] to a maximum size of manure started to grow removing the
1.0 x 1.0 x 1.0 in (25 x 25 x 25 mm). The cut contaminants contained in the CM CM-suspension.
media is installed in two equal 250 mm long After the CM-suspension
suspension made its way through
segments with a diameter of 90 mm into the the growth media (g) it runs back with pipe (h)
glass tank with 900 mm in height and 90 mm in into the reservoir (b). Airflow at 0.14
.14 gal/min (0.5
diameter (f) separated by 40 mm with a distance l/min) is supplied with a fish tank air pump (i) into
3
holder.
older. Each installed segment from 0.138 ft the bottom of the LBBS using a fish tank air
3
(0.004 m ) cut crossflow media has a surface stone (j).
2 2
area of 6.624 ft (0.615 m ).
The LBBS continued to operate in this way for 3
weeks. The evaporated portion of the CM CM-
suspension in the reservoir is replaced daily with
diluted new CM suspension, until the growth
media contains a cover of brown bacteria. After
the 3-week
week inoculation phase, the reservoir is
emptied and cleaned. The initial testing starts
with 10 liters of WW as described in the following
sections 2.2 and 2.3.

2.2 Testing Regime and Sample

Collection

10 l of wastewater was collected directly form the

influent stream of primary clarifier and filled into
the reservoir of the LBBS prior to each test run.
During each test run a 30 ml WW sample were
collected directly from the reservoir of the LBBS
at the beginning of the test (0--hour), after 4
hours, 8 hours and 24 hours. Flow rates applied
to the bio-tower
tower system were 0.6 l/min, 0.8 l/min,
1 l/min and 1.5 l/min. Based on the above flow
rates the daily (24h) hydraulic loading is 0.7
3 2 3 2 3 2
m /m d, 0.94 m /m d, 1.18 m /m d, and 1.76
Fig. 1. Laboratory Biotower; a) Reservoir, b) m3/m2d respectively.
Pump, c) Feed pipe,, d) Valve, e) Distributor f)
Reactor vessel, g) Growth media,
media h) Return After each test, the treated wastewater in the
pipe, i) Air pump, j) Air stone reservoir is discharged and replaced with new 10
l of pre-clarified
clarified wastewater. Samples were
After the suspension made its way through the stored in a refrigerator at 4°C between collection
growth media (g), the suspension is collected in and analyzation.
the lower part of the glass tank and transferred
back to the reservoir (b) with a 10 mm diameter 2.3 Testing and Recording
PVC hose (h).
To verify the exact concentration of Chemical
The LBBS operation ability is tested with tap Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Phosphorous (TP)
water before the start up was initiated.
initiate and Ammonia Nitrogen (NH3-N) N) a HACH DR900
Spectrophotometer and a HACH DRB200
For starting up the LBBS, Cow Manure (CM) with Reactor is used for analyzation. The analyzation
12% solids content was obtained from the of the collected 30 ml samples followed HACH
SUNY-Morrisville
Morrisville Farm. The CM was diluted 100 Method 8000 [16] 6] for COD using HACH COD
times with tap water. 10 liter of the diluted CM- TNTplus Vial Test (3-50.0mg/L),
50.0mg/L), HACH Meth
Method
suspension is then put into the reservoir (a) and 10127 [17] for TP using HACH-TNT
TNT Reagent Set

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 Doelle et al.; JERR, 11(1): 1-7, 2020;; Article no.JERR.54868
no.

(1-100.0mg/L),
100.0mg/L), and HACH Method 10031 [18] for rate 0.6 l/min, COD concentration dropped from
NH3-N using HACH-TNTTNT Reagent Set (0.4-50.0
(0.4 55.0 to 7.0 mg/l, TP dropped from 1.6 to 0.3 mg/
mg/l
mg/L). and NH3-N N dropped from 9.2 to 0.4 mg/l. At a
flow rate 0.8 L/min, COD concentration dropped
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION from 130.0 to 32.0 mg/l, TP dropped from 5.4 to
0.5 mg/l, and NH3-N N dropped from 12.5 to 8.0
Figs. 2 to 5 shows that under
nder different flow rates mg/l and NH3-N N dropped from 7.6 to 0.3 mg/l. At
in the LBBS, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), a flow rate 1.5 L/min the COD concentration
Total Phosphorus (TP) and Nitrogen ammonia dropped from 57.0 to 11.0 mg/l, TP dropped from
(NH3-N) concentration decreased dramatically at 3.7 to 0.6 mg/l and NH3-N N dropped from 11.5 to
first 8-10 hours independent from the WW values 0.6 mg/l. After
fter 8 hours, the concentration of
of each test at the 0-hour. Values of the WW COD, TP and NH3-N kept at a very low level. In
shown at the 0-hour
hour are different values due to this case, the bioreactor significantly reduc
reduced
the daily fluctuation of the incoming WW at the COD, TP and NH3-N content in wastewater at
WWTP at the day of collection [5,19]. At a flow different flow rates.

Fig. 2. COD, TP and NH3-N at 0.6 l/min flow rate

Fig. 3. COD, TP and NH3-N at 0.8 l/min flow rate

4
 Doelle et al.; JERR, 11(1): 1-7, 2020;; Article no.JERR.54868
no.

Fig. 4. COD, TP and NH3-N at 1.0 l/min flow rate

Fig. 5. COD, TP and NH3-N at 1.5 l/min flow rate

Table 1. COD, TP and NH3-N reduction at different flow rate

Flow rate COD reduction N reduction P reduction

(l/min) percentage percentage percentage
0.6 87% 96% 81%
0.8 78% 94% 87%
1.0 70% 96% 69%
1.5 81% 95% 84%

Also, as the flow rate increased, the COD insufficient oxygen supply in the tower might
percentage reduction decreased as shown in have an effect on the microorganisms, inhibiting
Table 1. This can be explained by a shorter an effectively degradation of COD. NH3-N
residence time of the wastewater in the reservoir reduction was found to be between 94% and
and bioreactor giving the microorganisms not 96%, whereas TP reduction was between 69%
enough time to degrade the COD. Also, and 87%. Overall, depending on the daily WW

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 Doelle et al.; JERR, 11(1): 1-7, 2020; Article no.JERR.54868

supply the LBBS was able to achieve effluent wastewater treatment systems. Chemical
permit levels of TP of 0.8 mg/l, NH3-N of 0.5 mg/l, Engineering Journal. 2005;113(2-3):93-
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