Fate of Emerging Contaminants in High-Rate Activated Sludge Systems.

High-rate activated sludge (HRAS) systems are designed to shift the energy-intensive processes to energy-saving and sustainable technologies for wastewater treatment. The high food-to-microorganism (F/M) ratios and low solid retention times (SRTs) and hydraulic retention times (HRTs) applied in HRAS systems result in the maximization of organic matter diversion to the sludge which can produce large amounts of biogas during anaerobic digestion, thus moving toward energy-neutral (or positive) treatment processes. However, in addition to the energy optimization, the removal of emerging contaminants (ECs) is the new challenge in wastewater treatment.

A hypothesis on Microthrix parvicella proliferation in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems with selector tanks.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of Microthrix parvicella for long-chain fatty acids uptake under anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic conditions as well as its ability to utilize volatile fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids under anoxic and aerobic conditions. According to the results, a hypothesis on the competition between floc-forming microorganisms and M. parvicella for long-chain fatty acids uptake under aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic conditions was formulated.

Investigation of long-term operation and biomass activity in a membrane bioreactor system.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the long-term performance of a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) that operated continuously for 2.5 years and to assess membrane fouling and biomass activity under various operating conditions. Furthermore, a method for the characterisation of influent wastewater was developed based on its separation into various fractions.

Fractionation of proteins and carbohydrates of extracellular polymeric substances in a membrane bioreactor system.

The major operational problem associated with membrane bioreactors (MBR) is membrane fouling, for which extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are primarily responsible. In this work both the soluble and bound EPS (i.e.

Comparison of bioluminescence and nitrification inhibition methods for assessing toxicity to municipal activated sludge.

The aim of this study was to compare two alternative toxicity assessment methods to determine wastewater toxicity and predict treatment plant process upsets. The toxicity of two synthetic organic compounds (triclosan and 4-n-nonylphenol), which are commonly detected in municipal wastewater, and municipal and industrial wastewaters with different heavy metals content were evaluated by the nitrification inhibition assay and bioluminescence toxicity test. Comparison between both assays confirmed that Vibrio fischeri is generally more sensitive than autotrophic bacteria, and, if not calibrated, the bioluminescence method tends to overestimate toxic effects on activated sludge biomass.