Hydrolysis and degradation of particulate organic matter has been isolated and investigated in laboratory scale and pilot scale biofilters. Wastewater was supplied to biofilm reactors in order to accumulate particulates from wastewater in the filter. When synthetic wastewater with no organic matter was supplied to the reactors, hydrolysis of the particulates was the only process occurring. Results from the laboratory scale experiments under aerobic conditions with pre-settled wastewater show that the initial removal rate is high: rV, O2 = 2.1 kg O2/(m3 d) though fast declining towards a much slower rate. A mass balance of carbon (TOC/TIC) shows that only 10% of the accumulated TOC was transformed to TIC during the 12 hour long experiment. The pilot scale hydrolysis experiment was performed in a new type of biofilm reactor - the B2A® biofilter that is characterised by a series of decreasing sized granular media (80-2.5 mm). When hydrolysis experiments were performed on the anoxic pilot biofilter with pre-screened wastewater particulates as carbon source, a rapid (rV, NO3=0.7 kg NO3-N/(m3 d)) and a slowler (rV, NO3 = 0.3 kg NO3-N/(m3 d)) removal rate were observed at an oxygen concentration of 3.5 mg O2/l. It was found that the pilot biofilter could retain significant amounts of particulate organic matter, reducing the porosity of the filter media of an average from 0.35 to 0.11. A mass balance of carbon shows that up to 40% of the total incoming TOC accumulates in the filter at high flow rates. Only up to 15% of the accumulated TOC was transformed to TIC during the 24 hour long experiment.
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Research Article|
October 01 1998
Hydrolysis of organic wastewater particles in laboratory scale and pilot scale biofilm reactors under anoxic and aerobic conditions
K. F. Janning;
K. F. Janning
*Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 115, DK2800 Lyngby, Denmark
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X. Le Tallec;
X. Le Tallec
**Anjou Recherche, Centre de Recherche de la Compagnie Générale des Eaux-OTV, Chemin de la Digue, BP 76 78603 Maisons-Laffitte Cedex, France
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P. Harremoës
P. Harremoës
*Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 115, DK2800 Lyngby, Denmark
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Water Sci Technol (1998) 38 (8-9): 179–188.
Citation
K. F. Janning, X. Le Tallec, P. Harremoës; Hydrolysis of organic wastewater particles in laboratory scale and pilot scale biofilm reactors under anoxic and aerobic conditions. Water Sci Technol 1 October 1998; 38 (8-9): 179–188. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1998.0805
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