Municipal Wastewater and Pig Slurry Treatment in a Batch Reactor

B. Tepuš and M. Roš

Abstract
The degradation of organic compounds, and TKN elimination were studied in a batch reactor under different aerobic and anoxic/anaerobic conditions. The objective of this experimental procedure was to reduce γCOD to below 100 mg L–1 and γTKN to below 10 mg L–1. The experiments were carried out in such a way that the aeration and non-aeration phases were repeated, in sequences. The following systems were tested: 2 + 2 (2 h of aeration and 2 h without aeration), 3 + 2, and 4 + 1. Satisfactory results were obtained in all cases. The expected results were obtained after 10 h of retention time for systems 3 + 2 and 4 + 1 and, after 12 h for system 2 + 2. The best results were obtained for system 4 + 1 after 10 h. The wastewater treated in the batch reactor had the following characteristics: γCOD was 913 mg L–1, γTKN was 56.0 mg L–1, and γ NH4 + –N was 33.0 mg L–1. The following results were obtained for treated wastewater (effluent): γCOD = 54 mg L–1, γTKN = 4.4 mg L–1, and γ NH4 + –N < 1.2 mg L–1, respectively. The maximal values for specific substrate utilization and nitrification rate were obtained for system 4 + 1; UX,max was 0.406 h–1 and qN,max was 0.0182 h–1. Such batch tests are appropriate for fast determination of main treatment parameters in regard to existing wastewater treatment plants, where expansion is on programme.

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Keywords
Batch reactor, municipal wastewater treatment, nitrogen removal, pig slurry