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Kumar, J.L.G.
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Kumar, J.L.G.
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Kumar, J.L.G.
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- PublicationEffects of livestock wastewater variety and disinfectants on the performance of constructed wetlands in organic matters and nitrogen removalBackground, aim and scope: Treatment performance of constructed wetlands (CWs) is largely dependent on the characteristics of the wastewater. Although livestock wastewater is readily biodegradable in general, its variety in biodegradability can still be significant in practice. In addition, it is a common practice to periodically use disinfectants in livestock activities for health concerns. Obviously, the residual of the disinfectants in livestock wastewater may have serious inhibitory effect on the microbial activities during wastewater treatment. Thus, the main objective of this study was to examine the variety of livestock wastewater in biodegradability and its effect on the performance of a pilot scale tidal flow CWs (TFCWs) in organic matter and nitrogen removal. Furthermore, investigation of the potential inhibition of the chosen disinfectants on organic matter biodegradation and nitrification was another aim of this study. Materials and methods: The TFCWs system consisted of four-stage downflow reed beds with a hydraulic loading rate of 0.29 m3/m2·per day. Long-term stored livestock wastewater and fresh livestock wastewater were used, respectively, as feed to the system in different periods. Meanwhile, batch aeration tests were carried out to investigate the difference in biodegradation of the two types of wastewaters. Inhibitions of two types of disinfectants, namely UNIPRED and HYPROCLOR ED, on microbial activities were investigated in laboratory batch tests, with dosage of from 0.05% to 0.5%. Results: With fresh livestock wastewater, removal efficiencies of up to 93% and 94% could be achieved with average of 73% and 64% for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and TN, respectively. The performance deteriorated when the system was fed with long-term stored wastewater. In the batch tests, the long-time stored wastewater was characterized as non-biodegradable or at least very slowly biodegradable, while the fresh wastewater was readily biodegradable. UNIPRED showed very strong inhibition on both heterotrophic organisms and nitrifiers. Tested inhibition started from content of 0.05%, which is 1/10 of the recommended usage rate. Inhibitory effect of HYPROCLOR ED on COD degradation started from 0.1% and complete inhibition occurred from content of 0.3%, while significant inhibition on nitrification started from 0.1%. Conclusions: Livestock wastewater could vary significantly in biodegradability and it may turn to be non-biodegradable after a long-term storage. The variety of the livestock wastewater has a decisive influence on the performance of the CWs system, especially in TN elimination. In addition, the application of disinfectants UNIPRED and HYPROCLOR ED may cause serious inhibition on microbial activities and subsequent system failure.
540Scopus© Citations 12 - PublicationHigh rate nitrogen removal in an alum sludge-based intermittent aeration constructed wetlandA new development on treatment wetland technology for the purpose of achieving high rate nitrogen removal from high strength wastewater has been made in this study. The laboratory scale alum sludge-based intermittent aeration constructed wetland (AlS-IACW) was integrated with predenitrification, intermittent aeration, and step-feeding strategies. Results obtained from 280 days of operation have demonstrated extraordinary nitrogen removal performance with mean total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency of 90% under high N loading rate (NLR) of 46.7 g N m–2 d–1. This performance was a substantial improvement compared to the reported TN removal performance in literature. Most significantly, partial nitrification and simultaneous nitrification denitrification (SND) via nitrite was found to be the main nitrogen conversion pathways in the AlS-IACW system under high dissolved oxygen concentrations (3–6 mg L–1) without specific control. SND under high dissolved oxygen (DO) brings high nitrogen conversion rates. Partial nitrification and SND via nitrite can significantly reduce the demand for organic carbon compared with full nitrification and denitrification via nitrate (up to 40%). Overall, these mechanisms allow the system to maintaining efficient and high rate TN removal even under carbon limiting conditions.
1017Scopus© Citations 159 - PublicationPilot field-scale demonstration of a novel alum sludge-based constructed wetland system for enhanced wastewater treatmentIn this study, beneficial reuse of the alum-contained drinking water treatment sludge is extended into developing a novel constructed wetland system (CWs) using the alum sludge as main substrate. The study reports on the first pilot field-scale alum sludge-based CWs operated in the tidal flow mode with enhanced capacity for phosphorus and organic matter removal from animal farm wastewater. The concept of the development is presented and this is followed by the performance analysis of the first CWs of its kind. The CWs consists of four identical compartments in series operated using a tidal flow strategy with a hydraulic loading rate of 0.29 m3/m2.d. First year analysis of the system’s performance shows that it is a unique and promising low-cost wastewater treatment system. The mean monthly removal efficiencies obtained was determined to range from 57%-84%, 36%-84%, 11%-78%, 49%-93%, 75%-94%, 73%-97% and 46%-83% for BOD5, COD, TN, NH4-N, TP, P (inorganic phosphorus) and SS. The system showed a distinct phosphorus removal and also, the system was effective in reducing levels of organics and ammonium-nitrogen. More importantly, the system showcases a novel reuse alternative for the alum sludge as opposed to its landfilling, demonstrating a win-win technique with a great potential for larger-scale application.
1775Scopus© Citations 141 - PublicationPerformance evaluation and prediction for a pilot two-stage on-site constructed wetland system employing dewatered alum sludge as main substrate(Elsevier, 2011-05)
; ; ; ; ; Dewatered alum sludge, a widely generated by-product of drinking water treatment plants using aluminium salts as coagulants was used as main substrate in a pilot on-site constructed wetland system treating agricultural wastewater for 11 months. Treatment performance was evaluated and spreadsheet analysis was used to establish correlations between water quality variables. Results showed that removal rates (in g/m2.d) of 4.6-249.2 for 5 day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), 35.6-502.0 for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 2.5-14.3 for total phosphorus (TP) and 2.7-14.6 for phosphate (PO4-P) were achieved. Multiple regression analysis showed that effluent BOD5 and COD can be predicted to a reasonable accuracy (R2=0.665 and 0.588, respectively) by using input variables which can be easily monitored in real time as sole predictor variables. This could provide a rapid and cheap alternative to such laborious and time consuming analyses and also serve as management tools for day-to-day process control.1009Scopus© Citations 44 - PublicationA two-prong approach of beneficial reuse of alum sludge in engineered wetland : first experience from IrelandEffective management of the industrial waste requires a sustainable approach that maximizes its value of reuse/recycle for other industrial demands and the environment needs. This paper aims in exploring the potential of the intended purposes in the newly developed dewatered aluminum-water treatment sludge (Al-WTS) based engineered wetland (EW) for wastewater treatment. Due to the low energy requirement and aesthetical appearance EW is seen as a ‘green’ wastewater treatment technique worldwide for a wide variety of wastewater treatment. The Al-WTS based EW developed at University College Dublin, Ireland, represents the latest initiative at using engineering ingenuity to further improve EWs performance. This paper summarizes the background of development and the results derived from different phases of the development of Al-WTS based EW.
735Scopus© Citations 16 - PublicationA review on numerous modeling approaches for effective, economical and ecological treatment wetlandsConstructed wetlands (CWs) for wastewater treatment have evolved substantially over the last decades and have been recognized as an effective means of “green technology” for wastewater treatment. This paper reviews the numerous modeling approaches ranging from simple first-order models to more complex dynamic models of treatment behaviour in CWs. The main objective of the modeling work is to better understand the process in CWs and optimize design criteria. A brief study in this review discusses the efforts taken to describe the process based model for the efficient removal of pollutants in CWs. Obtaining better insights is essential to understand the hydraulic and biochemical processes in CWs. Currently, employed modeling approaches can be seen in two categories, i.e. “black-box models” and “process-based models”. It is evident that future development in wetland technology will depend on improved scientific knowledge of internal treatment mechanisms.
5746Scopus© Citations 80 - PublicationSTELLA software as a tool for modelling phosphorus removal in a constructed wetland employing dewatered alum sludge as main substrate(Taylor & Francis, 2011-06)
; ; ; ; ; A dynamic simulation model was developed for the removal of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) from the vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) using a dynamic software program called STELLA (structural thinking, experiential learning laboratory with animation) 9.1.3 to aid in simulating the environmental nature and succession of relationship between interdependent components and processes in the VFCW system. In particular, the VFCW employed dewatered alum sludge as its main substrate to enhance phosphorus (P) immobilization. Although computer modelling of P in treatment wetland has been well studied especially in recent years, there is still a need to develop simple and realistic models that can be used for investigating the dynamics of SRP in VFCWs. The state variables included in the model are dissolved phosphorus (DISP), plant phosphorus (PLAP), detritus phosphorus (DETP), plant biomass (PLBI) and adsorbed phosphorus (ADSP). The major P transformation processes considered in this study were adsorption, plant and microbial uptake and decomposition. The forcing functions which were considered in the model are temperature, radiation, volume of wastewater, P concentration, contact time, flow rate and the adsorbent (i.e. alum sludge). The model results revealed that up to 72% of the SRP can be removed through adsorption process whereas the uptake by plants is about 20% and the remaining processes such as microbial P utilization and decomposition, accounted for 7% SRP removal based on the mass balance calculations. The results obtained indicate that the model can be used to simulate outflow SRP concentration, and it can also be used to estimate the amount of P removed by individual processes in the VFCW using alum-sludge as a substrate.1908Scopus© Citations 8 - PublicationOn the fit of statistical and k-C* models to projecting treatment performance in a constructed wetland system(Taylor & Francis, 2011-04)
; ; ; ; ; The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of statistical and the k-C* models to projecting treatment performance of constructed wetlands by applying the models to predict the final effluent concentrations of a pilot field-scale constructed wetlands system (CWs) treating animal farm wastewater. The CWs achieved removal rates (in g/m2.d) ranging from 7.1-149.8 for BOD5, 49.8-253.8 for COD and 7.1-47.0 for NH4-N. Generally, it was found that the statistical models developed from multiple regression analyses (MRA) were stronger in predicting final effluent concentrations than the k-C* model. However, both models were inadequate in predicting the final effluent concentrations of NO3-N. The first-order area-based removal rate constants (k, m/yr) determined from the experimental data were 200.5 for BOD5, 80.1 for TP and 173.8 for NH4-N and these indicate a high rate of pollutant removal within the CWs.632Scopus© Citations 14 - PublicationProcess-based modelling of phosphorus removal in a novel constructed wetland system using dewatered alum-sludge as substrateA process-based model that can evaluate the transport and the fate of phosphorus (P) in agricultural wastewater was developed for a novel 4-stage dewatered alum sludge cakes (DASC) based constructed wetlands (CWs) system using STELLA software (version 9.1.4). The model considered adsorption, plant and microbial uptakes as the major forms of P involved in the transformation chains. The results were obtained by experimental procedure through laboratory measurement, from literature and/or calibration. The observed effluent P concentration in the CWs ranged from 3.62 to 8.50 mg/L (stage 1), 2.00 to 4.45 mg/L (stage 2), 1.39 to 3.76 mg/L (stage 3) and 0.52 to 2.36 mg/L (stage 4), whereas the simulated values ranged from 2.12 to 10.99 mg/L (stage 1), 1.32 to 5.65 mg/L (stage 2), 0.84 to 3.64 mg/L (stage 3) and 0.53 to 2.25 mg/L (stage 4), respectively. The simulated and observed values of P removal in the CWs system were in good agreement. A mass balance analysis was performed for all the major processes which resulted in a major pathway of P removal through adsorption (64–75%, 58–66%, 57–63% and 49–58%) followed by plant uptake (7–11%, 8–14%, 14–17% and 9–19%) and microbial uptake (3–7%, 3–5%, 9–12% and 7–12%) for stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 and stage 4, respectively. Thus the mathematical model developed in this study could be used to explain the removal processes and simulate the fate of P in the DASC-based CWs system.
349Scopus© Citations 8 - PublicationConstructed wetlands using aluminium-based drinking water treatment sludge as P-removing substrate : should aluminium release be a concern?This study investigated an important issue of aluminium (Al) release in a novel reuse of Al-based water treatment sludge (Al-WTS) in constructed wetland system (CWs) as alternative substrate for wastewater treatment. Al-WTS is an inevitable by-product of drinking water treatment plants that use Al-salt as coagulant for raw water purification. It has recently been demonstrated that Al-WTS can be reused as a low-cost phosphorus (P) adsorbent and biofilm carrier in CWs for wastewater treatment. However, to facilitate the large scale application of Al-WTS in CWs as wetland substrate, concerns about Al leaching during its’ reuse in CWs must be addressed as Al is a dominant constituent in Al-WTS. In this study, a desk review of literature on Al release during Al-WTS reuse was conducted. Furthermore, a 42-week Al monitoring was carried out on a pilot field-scale CWs employing Al-WTS as main substrate. Results show that 22 out of the 35 studies reviewed, reported Al release with levels of soluble Al reported ranging from 0.01 to about 20 mg L-1. Monitoring of Al in the pilot field-scale CWs shows that there was Al leaching. However, except for the first three weeks of operation, effluents concentrations of both total- and soluble-Al were all below the general regulatory guideline limit of 0.2 mg L-1. Overall, the study addresses a very vital concern regarding the successful application of Al-WTS in CWs and shows that Al release during such novel reuse is quite low and should not preclude its use.
894Scopus© Citations 33