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Anaerobic mono-digestion and co-digestion are nowadays widely used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). However, the data processing of the conventional biochemical potential test (BMP) carried out to assess potential substrates should be enhanced to reduce the uncertainty of the results. In this study, two methodologies aiming to improve the data processing in anaerobic digestion studies were proposed. The methodologies aimed at the estimation of synergy in anaerobic co-digestion of organic waste and the standardization of the BMP test results by considering the activity of the inoculums under mono-digestion conditions. Both methodologies comprise the application of the Gompertz equation. For the first methodology, four cosubstrates and two types of substrates were used. Regarding synergy estimation, the cosubstrates dairy whey and grease sludge had an impact on the degradation kinetic. In regard to the second methodology, the results indicate that the activity of the inoculums exerts an influence on the BMP analysis, and it should be considered. This can be meaningful when comparing results among studies when different inoculums are used or even for studies where the same inoculum is used but it is taken at different reactor operational moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia-based aeration control (ABAC) is a cascade control concept for controlling total ammonia nitrogen (NHx-N) in the activated sludge process. Its main goals are to tailor the aeration intensity to the NHx-N loading and to maintain consistent nitrification, to meet effluent limits but minimize energy consumption. One limitation to ABAC is that the solids retention time (SRT) control strategy used at a water resource recovery facility (WRRF) may not be consistent with the goals of ABAC. ABAC-SRT control is a strategy for aligning the goals of ammonia-based aeration control and SRT control. A supervisory controller is used to ensure that the SRT is always optimal for ABAC. The methodology has the potential to reduce aeration energy consumption by over 30% as compared to traditional dissolved oxygen (DO) control. Practical implementation aspects are highlighted for implementation at full scale, such as proper selection of the set point for the supervisory controller, proper calculation of the rate of change in sludge inventory, using a mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) controller, and tuning of the controllers. In conclusion, ABAC-SRT is a promising approach for coordinated control of SRT, total ammonia nitrogen, and dissolved oxygen in the activated sludge process that balances both treatment performance and energy savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are surface-active organic compounds common in industrial cleaner formulations widely used in various sanitation applications. While acting as effective pathogenic biocides, QACs lack selective toxicity and often have poor target specificity. As a result, adverse effects on biological processes and thus the performance of biological nutrient removal (BNR) systems may be encountered when QACs enter wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Because of these impacts, there is motivation to screen wastewater influents for QACs and for process engineers to consider the inhibition effects of QACs on process evaluation and design of BNR plants. This paper introduces a mathematical model to describe the fate of QACs in a WWTP via biodegradation and bio-adsorption, and the inhibitory effect of QACs on nitrifiers and ordinary heterotrophic organisms. The model was incorporated as an add-on model in BioWin 5.3 and simulations of experimental systems were used for comparison of model results to measured data reported in the literature. The model was found to accurately predict the bulk phase concentration of QAC and the inhibition of nitrification with QAC concentrations ≥2 mg/L. This work provides a preliminary framework for simulation of BNR plants receiving inhibitory substances in the influent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

in this work, the mathematical modeling of the facilitated transport of germanium (non-dispersive extraction) through a flat sheet membrane with an Aliquat 336 carrier was described. The flat sheet supported liquid membrane (FSSLM) experiments were performed under conditions germanium ≈ 100 mg/L, tartaric acid concentration of 2.76 mmol/L, and carrier concentrations of 2.5-10%v/v. The extraction equilibrium, mass transfer, and diffusion equations based on Fick's law were the principles of modeling. Modeling was carried out by programming in Matlab mathematical software to obtain the extraction (Kex) and mass transfer constants (Km) as the objective parameters. According to the model resolution, Kex and Km were found to be 0.178 and 9.25 × I0-2cm/s, respectively. The correlation coefficients between model and experimental data relating to the Aliquat 336 concentrations of 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%v/v were found as 0.96, 0.98, 0.99, and 0.92. The parameters of root mean square error, bias, and scatter index showed the model accuracy, in addition, diffusion coefficients relating to Aliquat 336 concentrations of 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%v/v were calculated using mass transfer coefficients to be2.4×0-4, 2.23 × O-4,1.91 xiO-4, and 1.79 × 10-4 cm2/s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluates the phosphorus (P) adsorption by alkaline soil in fixed bed column mode operation. The effects of flow rate, bed height, and initial P concentration on breakthrough curves were evaluated. Data confirmed that both the breakthrough and exhaustion time increased in parallel with the rise in bed height and the decline in flow rate and initial P concentration. The adsorption capacity was observed to increase with decreasing flow rate and bed height and increasing initial concentration. Moreover, continuous adsorption experiments were conducted using three salts (NaCl, KCl and CaCl2) with the same concentration (0.01 M) to investigate the P adsorption behavior in saline conditions. The results showed that all three salts improve the P adsorption in the soil column. Consequently, the bed performance was significantly enhanced with salts addition. The maximum adsorption capacity of 13.47 mg g-1 for P, 16.13 mg g-1 for P-NaCl, 22.10 mg g-1 for P-KCl, 30.05 mg g-1 for P-CaCl2 was attained at an initial influent concentration of 300 mg g-1, bed height of 22 cm, and flow rate of 10 mL min-1. The CaCl2 addition was therefore the most effective in increasing P adsorption. Thomas, Yoon-Nelson and Clark models were applied to experimental results to forecast the breakthrough curves by nonlinear regression analysis. Meanwhile, the bed depth service time model was employed to examine the effective model parameters in scaling up the process using linear regression analysis. The values of correlation coefficient (R²) and the sum of squared error evidenced that the Thomas model is the most appropriate model to fit the experimental data. The reusability experiment showed that the adsorbent material still had high P adsorption capacity, and tolerable desorption efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical oxygen demand (COD), an important indicative measure of the amount of oxidizable pollutants in wastewater, is often analyzed off-line due to the expensive sensor required for on-line analysis. However, its off-line analysis is time-consuming. An on-line COD estimation method was developed with photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) technology. Based on the on-line data of the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH of wastewater, four different artificial neural network methods were applied to develop working models for COD estimation. Six different batches of sequence batch reactor (SBR) effluent from a paper mill were treated with PEC oxidation for 90 minutes, and 546 data points were collected from the on-line measurements of ORP, DO and pH, and the off-line COD analysis. After having training and validation with 75% and 25% of data, and evaluation with four statistical criteria (R², RMSE, MAE and MAPE), the estimation results indicated that the developed radial basis neural network (RBNN) model demonstrated the highest precision. Subsequently, the application of the RBNN model to a new batch of SBR effluent from the paper mill revealed that the RBNN model was acceptable for COD estimation during the PEC advanced treatment process of papermaking wastewater, which implied its possible application in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A researcher or practitioner can employ a biofilm model to gain insight into what controls the performance of a biofilm process and for optimizing its performance. While a wide range of biofilmmodeling platforms is available, a good strategy is to choose the simplest model that includes sufficient components and processes to address the modeling goal. In most cases, a onedimensional biofilm model provides the best balance, and good choices can range from handcalculation analytical solutions, simple spreadsheets, and numerical-method platforms. What is missing today is clear guidance on how to apply a biofilm model to obtain accurate and meaningful results. Here, we present a five-step framework for good biofilm reactor modeling practice (GBRMP). The first four steps are (1) obtain information on the biofilm reactor system, (2) characterize the influent, (3) choose the plant and biofilm model, and (4) define the conversion processes. Each step demands that the model user understands the important components and processes in the system, one of the main benefits of doing biofilm modeling. The fifth step is to calibrate and validate the model: System-specific model parameters are adjusted within reasonable ranges so that model outputs match actual system performance. Calibration is not a simple 'by the numbers' process, and it requires that the modeler follows a logical hierarchy of steps. Calibration requires that the adjusted parameters remain within realistic ranges and that the calibration process be carried out in an iterative manner. Once each of steps 1 through 5 is completed satisfactorily, the calibrated model can be used for its intended purpose, such as optimizing performance, trouble-shooting poor performance, or gaining deeper understanding of what controls process performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For engineering purposes it is especially useful to be able to predict and control sewer corrosion rates and odor impacts as well as to design effective measures aiming to reduce effects related to hydrogen sulfide formation and release. Doing so, it is important to use modeling tools that are capable of assessing variations of dissolved oxygen, dissolved sulfide and hydrogen sulfide gas concentrations for a wide range of environmental scenarios. Two such models were assessed: AEROSEPT, an empirical formulation, and WATS, a conceptual and more complex approach. The models were applied to evaluate the effects of transitions between pressure mains and gravity sewers in the air--liquid mass transfer of hydrogen sulfide at the Ericeira sewer system in Portugal. This network is known to have odor and corrosion problems, especially during summer. Despite the unavoidable uncertainties due to the unsteady flow rate and the quantification of air velocity and turbulence, the simulation results obtained with both models have been shown to adequately predict the overall behavior of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop low-cost adsorbents for aqueous nitrate, biochars were prepared from three types of agricultural residuals at different pyrolysis temperatures (300 °C, 450 °C, and 600 °C). The corncob biochar produced at 600 °C (CC600) was the best nitrate adsorbent of all the tested biochars. Characterization results showed that CC600 had good thermal stability, porous structure, and abundant surface functional groups. Findings from batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that CC600 showed relatively fast adsorption kinetics to nitrate in aqueous solutions. In addition, the Langmuir adsorption capacity of CC600 to nitrate was 14.46 mg/g, comparable to that of other biochar-based adsorbents. Therefore, CC600 showed promising potential to be used as a low-cost adsorbent for the treatment of nitrate in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine biomass Ulva compressa L. (ECL) was used as a low-cost biosorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from contaminated aqueous solutions. The operating variables were optimized: pH ∼ 2, initial concentration of 25 mg/L, solid/liquid ratio of 6 g/L and a temperature of 50 ±C, leading to an uptake elimination of 96%. A full factorial experimental design technique enabled us to obtain a mathematical model describing the Cr(VI) biosorption and to study the main effects and interactions among operational parameters. The equilibrium isotherm was analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models; it has been found that the adsorption process follows well the Langmuir model. Kinetic studies showed that the pseudo-second order model describes suitably the experimental data. The thermodynamic parameters indicated an endothermic heat and a spontaneity of the Cr(VI) biosorption onto ECL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient fluxes in stream basins need to be controlled to achieve good water quality status. In stream basins with intensive agricultural activities, nutrients predominantly come from diffuse sources. Therefore, best management practices (BMPs) are increasingly implemented to reduce nutrient input to streams. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of vegetated filter strip (VFS) application as an agricultural BMP. For this purpose, SWAT is chosen, a semi-distributed water quality assessment model that works at the watershed scale, and applied on the Nif stream basin, a small-sized basin in Western Turkey. The model is calibrated with an automated procedure against measured monthly discharge data. Nutrient loads for each sub-basin are estimated considering basin-wide data on chemical fertilizer and manure usage, population data for septic tank effluents and information about the land cover. Nutrient loads for 19 sub-basins are predicted on an annual basis. Average total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads are estimated as 47.85 t/yr and 13.36 t/yr for the entire basin. Results show that VFS application in one sub-basin offers limited retention of nutrients and that a selection of 20-m filter width is most effective from a cost-benefit perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption and sludge production minimization represent rising challenges for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The goal of this study is to investigate howenergy is consumed throughout the whole plant and how operating conditions affect this energy demand. A WWTP based on the activated sludge process was selected as a case study. Simulations were performed using a pre-compiled model implemented in GPS-X simulation software. Model validationwas carried out by comparing experimental and modeling data of the dynamic behavior of the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration and nitrogen compounds concentration, energy consumption for aeration, mixing and sludge treatment and annual sludge production over a three year exercise. In this plant, the energy required for bioreactor aeration was calculated at approximately 44% of the total energy demand. A cost optimization strategy was appliedby varying the MLSS concentrations (from1 to 8 gTSS/L)while recordingenergy consumption, sludge production and effluent quality. An increase of MLSS led to an increase of the oxygen requirement for biomass aeration, but it also reduced total sludge production. Results permit identification of a key MLSS concentration allowing identification of the best compromise between levels of treatment required, biological energy demand and sludge production while minimizing the overall costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effect of suspended flocs on the tailing of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection kinetics of secondary effluents was examined. To achieve this goal, final effluents produced in two processes for treating wastewater; namely, a trickling filter system and an activated sludge system, were collected and their UV disinfection were compared. Tailing of the UV dose response curve was controlled by the fraction of flocs that are both culturable and UV-resistant, referred to as the ‘tailing propensity’. Using this parameter, the contribution of various floc size fractions in reducing the UV disinfection efficiency of wastewater samples was quantified. Activated sludge flocs larger than 125 μm exhibited as much as 35 times greater tailing propensity than smaller flocs in the range of 20–25 μm. Within a fixed size range, the tailing propensity of flocs generated in the trickling filter system was 3 to 8 times higher than that of activated sludge flocs, and this difference increased with the floc size. A mathematical model was developed to predict the UV disinfection of secondary effluents from suspended particle size distribution data. The model showed good agreement with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the relative importance of a vegetative filter strip and a biofiltration swale in a treatment train for road runoff, US EPA Storm Water Management Model was used to model infiltration and runoff from the filter strip. The model consisted of a series of subcatchments representing the road, the filter strip and the side-slopes of the swale. Simulations were carried out for different rain scenarios representing a variety of climatic conditions. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted for the model's different parameters (soil characteristics and initial humidity, roughness, geometry, etc.). This exercise showed that for the system studied, the majority of road runoff is treated by the filter strip rather than the biofiltration swale, an effect observed especially during periods of low-intensity rainfall. Additionally, it was observed that the combination of infiltration of road runoff in the filter strip and direct rainfall on the system leads to a significant and variable dilution of the runoff reaching the swale. This result has important implications for evaluating the treatment efficiency of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with finding optimum reaction conditions for wet air oxidation (WAO) of malathion aqueous solution, by Response Surface Methodology. Reaction conditions, which affect the removal efficiencies most during the non-catalytic WAO system, are: temperature (60-120 °C), applied pressure (20-40 bar), the pH value (3-7), and reaction time (0-120 min). Those were chosen as independent parameters of the model. The interactions between parameters were evaluated by Box-Behnken and the quadratic model fitted very well with the experimental data (29 runs). A higher value of R2 and adjusted R2 (>0.91) demonstrated that the model could explain the results successfully. As a result, optimum removal efficiency (97.8%) was obtained at pH 5, 20 bars of pressure, 116 °C, and 96 min. These results showed that Box-Behnken is a suitable design to optimize operating conditions and removal efficiency for non-catalytic WAO process. The EC20 value of raw wastewater was measured as 35.40% for malathion (20 mg/L). After the treatment, no toxicity was observed at the optimum reaction conditions. The results show that the WAO is an efficient treatment system for malathion degradation and has the ability of converting malathion to the non-toxic forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine the pH effects on nitrogen removal in the anammox-enriched granular sludge. The experimental data were extracted from a 4 L completely-mixed batch reactor with the granular sludge at different initial pH values (6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5) and constant temperature T= 30 °C. Simulations were run in GPS-X 6.4 using a comprehensive mechanistic model Mantis2. Two kinetic parameters, the maximum specific growth rates of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anammox bacteria, were optimized at different pH scenarios. The inhibitory effects of the pH extremes on the anammox-enriched sludge were discussed in terms of the inhibition of free nitrous acid and free ammonia and metabolic mechanisms. Two different pH functions were used to examine the pH effects on the nitrogen removal kinetics. The pH optima for AOB and anammox bacteria were 7.4 and 7.6, respectively. The maximum specific growth rates of AOB and anammox bacteria at the pH optima were 0.81-0.85 d-1 and 0.36-0.38 d-1 (at T = 30 °C). The measured specific anammox activities (SAAs), predicted SAAs by Mantis2 and fitted SAAs by the Michaelis pH function at the pH optima were 0.895, 0.858 and 0.831 gN/(gVSS•d), respectively (VSS: volatile suspended solids). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of fouling mechanisms and accurate quantitative prediction of nano-porous membrane behavior are of great interest in membrane processes. This work has focused on a comprehensive comparison of two classical and new fouling models. Different operational conditions were tested to analyze the level of agreement of these models with experimental observation. Whey solutions of 8, 0.8 and 0.5 g/L were ultrafiltered in transmembrane pressures (TMPs) of 300 and 500 KPa through a synthesized polyethersulfone/copolymer blend membrane. Fouling mechanisms and the effect of different combinations of TMPs and protein concentrations were determined and analyzed by fitting the experimental data to different models. Based on the results obtained from classical models, it was found that the predictions of the cake layer formation model were quite acceptable, followed by the intermediate blocking model. The new combined pore blockage-cake filtration model, however, was found to be very successful in predicting the flux decline over time for every operational condition tested, with all relative errors of prediction less than 5%. The latter also showed a good performance in the transition from the pore blockage mechanism to cake layer formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ammonium removal rate of the microalga Scenedesmus sp. was studied under outdoor conditions. Microalgae were grown in a 500 L flat-plate photobioreactor and fed with the effluent of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor. Temperature ranged between 9.5 °C and 32.5 °C and maximum light intensity was 1,860 μmol.m-2·s-1. A maximum specific ammonium removal rate of 3.71 mg NH4+-N.g TSS-1·h-1 was measured (at 22.6 °C and with a light intensity of 1,734 μmol·m-2·s-1). A mathematical model considering the influence of ammonium concentration, light and temperature was validated. The model successfully reproduced the observed values of ammonium removal rate obtained and it is thus presented as a useful tool for plant operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in hospital wastewater (HWW) pollutants and differences with municipal wastewater (MWW), make the use of biokinetic coefficients obtained from activated sludge in the MWW treatment unprofitable for designing, modeling and evaluation of biological processes for HWW treatment. Since this study was conducted to evaluate the performance and biokinetic coefficients of a fixed bed bioreactor (FBBR) using rice husks as fixed media in HWW treatment, a new modified method was also proposed for biokinetic estimation in FBBR processes. For these purposes, five hydraulic retention times along with five sludge retention times were introduced to a pilot setup and the required data were attained. The performance process for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was significant (87.8-97.5%) in different conditions. The values of biokinetic coefficients k, Ks, Y and Kd were obtained as 2.42 (day-1), 55.5 (mgCOD/L), 0.2929 (mgBiomass/mgCOD) and 0.0164 (day-1), respectively. The rice husks with high surface area and high affinity for biomass accumulation on its surface are promising media for a green and environmentally friendly FBBR process. The kinetics parameters values are utilizable for modeling of FBBR using rice husks as fixed media in HWW treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioretention systems are designed to treat stormwater and provide attenuated drainage between storms. Bioretention has shown great potential at reducing the volume and improving the quality of stormwater. This study introduces the bioretention hydrologic model (BHM), a one-dimensional model that simulates the hydrologic response of a bioretention system over the duration of a storm event. BHM is based on the RECARGA model, but has been adapted for improved accuracy and integration of pollutant transport models. BHM contains four completely-mixed layers and accounts for evapotranspiration, overflow, exfiltration to native soils and underdrain discharge. Model results were evaluated against field data collected over 10 storm events. Simulated flows were particularly sensitive to antecedent water content and drainage parameters of bioretention soils, which were calibrated through an optimisation algorithm. Temporal disparity was observed between simulated and measured flows, which was attributed to preferential flow paths formed within the soil matrix of the field system. Modelling results suggest that soil water storage is the most important short-term hydrologic process in bioretention, with exfiltration having the potential to be significant in native soils with sufficient permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important tool in environmental management projects and studies due to the complexity of environmental systems, environmental modeling makes it possible to integrate many variables and processes, thereby providing a dynamic view of systems. In this study the bacteriological quality of the coastal waters of Fortaleza (a state capital in Northeastern Brazil) was modeled considering multiple contamination sources. Using the software SisBaHiA, the dispersion of thermotolerant coliforms and Escherichia coli from three sources of contamination (local rivers, storm drains and submarine outfall) was analyzed. The models took into account variations in bacterial decay due to solar radiation and other environmental factors. Fecal pollution discharged from rivers and storm drains is transported westward by coastal currents, contaminating strips of beach water to the left of each storm drain or river. Exception to this condition only occurs on beaches protected by the breakwater of the harbor, where counterclockwise vortexes reverse this behavior. The results of the models were consistent with field measurements taken during the dry and the rainy season. Our results show that the submarine outfall plume was over 2 km from the nearest beach. The storm drains and the Maceió stream are the main factors responsible for the poor water quality on the waterfront of Fortaleza. The depollution of these sources would generate considerable social, health and economic gains for the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of fly ash on biodegradability and methane production from secondary paper and pulp sludge, including its modeling, was evaluated. Three tests with fly ash concentrations of 0, 10 and 20 mg/L were evaluated at 32 WC. Methane production was modeled using the modified Gompertz equation. The results show that the doses used produce a statistically significant increase of accumulated methane, giving values greater than 225 mL of CH4 per gram of volatile solids (VS) added, and 135% greater than that obtained in the control assay. Biodegradability of VS increased 143% with respect to the control assays, giving values around 43%. The modified Gompertz model can describe well methane generation from residual sludge of the paper industry water treatment, with parameter values between those reported in the literature. Thus, the addition of fly ash to the process causes a significant increase of accumulated methane and VS removal, improving the biodegradability of paper and pulp sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reliable characterization of cladocerans' growth kinetic on their substrates is crucial for the estimation of their biochemical conversion rate in pond models. Although many studies reported cladocerans' growth inhibitions by high chlorophyceae contents, their growth kinetics had continued to be described in many pond system models by Monod-type kinetic, which describes growth saturation by high substrate contents, but fails to explain the disappearance of cladocerans observed during chlorophyceae's bloom periods. This study aimed to develop a methodology and assess whether growth-inhibition-type models used to describe microbial growth kinetics can be applicable to cladocerans. Experiments were carried out using Daphnia pulex populations and Scenedesmus sp. First, biomass of D. pulex was measured through digital image processing (DIP) during growth experiments. Then, three candidate models (i.e., Andrews, Edward and Haldane models), along with the Monod model, were fitted to the observed data and compared. The results showed that the DIP technique provided reliable results for estimating the biomass of D. pulex. Our findings show that the candidate growth inhibition-type models satisfactorily described D. pulex's growth kinetic (86% variance accounted for). Scenesdemus sp. were not strong inhibitors of the growth of D. pulex (high inhibition constant and low half-saturation constant found). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although studied extensively, modeling fouling phenomena in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) remains challenging. It has been well established that cake layer formation and pore blocking have a strong impact on the filtration performance but how to capture that in comprehensive models is not fully defined yet. Since it has been shown that bioflocculation characteristics of activated sludge have a clear link with (the extent of) membrane fouling, this study integrates activated sludge floc size (i.e., particle size distribution) information in the model for pore blocking and cake layer formation with a focus on constant flux operated MBRs. Based on these floc size distributions, a three-dimensional modeling and visualization of the cake layer is envisaged which can then provide the required input information (e.g., the porosity of the cake layer) for the fouling model. The model is calibrated and validated on the basis of experimental data from Hwang et al. (2012) in 'Membrane bioreactor: TMP rise and characterization of biocake structure using CLSM-image analysis' (see J. Membr. Sci. 419-420, 33-41). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of phototrophic biofilms in wastewater treatment has been recognized as a potential option for development of new reactor configurations. For better understanding of these systems, a numerical model was developed including relevant microbial processes. As a novelty, this model was implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics, a modern computational environment for complex dynamic models. A two-dimensional biofilm model was used to study the spatial distribution of microbial species within the biofilm and along the length of the reactor. The biofilm model was coupled with a one-dimensional plug-flow bulk liquid model. The impact of different operational conditions on the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia conversions was assessed. The model was tuned by varying two parameters: the half-saturation coefficient for light use by phototrophs and the oxygen mass transfer coefficient. The mass transfer coefficient was found to be determining for the substrate conversion rate. Simulations indicate that heterotrophs would overgrow nitrifiers and phototrophs within the biofilm until a low biodegradable COD value in the wastewater is reached (organic loading rate <2.32 gCOD/(m² d)). This limits the proposed positive effect of treating wastewater with a combination of algae and heterotrophs/autotrophs. Mechanistic models like this one are made for understanding the microbial interactions and their influence on the reactor performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is a recently discovered microbial process commonly applied to treat ammonium pollution in effluents with low organic carbon content. Modeling anammox processes is important for simulating and controlling full-scale plants. In this study, the anammox process was simulated using three models, and substrate and growth parameters obtained by different research groups. Two Brocadia spp.-dominated mixed cultures, one granular and the other flocculent, were used for this purpose. A very good correlation between experimental data using both sludges and model predictions was achieved by one of the models, obtaining correlation coefficients higher than 0.997. Other models and stoichiometric equations tested were unable to predict the anammox kinetics and stoichiometry. Furthermore, the thermodynamic behavior of the two mixed cultures was compared through the determination of the energy of activation of the anammox conversion at temperatures ranging from 9 to 40 °C. Optimum temperature for anammox activity was established at 30-35 °C in both cases. The energy of activation values calculated for granular sludge and flocculent sludge were 64 and 124 kJ mol-1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current anaerobic digestion models cannot properly simulate processes that are operated under high solids concentrations or high temperatures. A modification to existing models has been implemented by adding important missing degradation pathways, to accommodate these systems without artificially recalibrating the model parameters. Specifically, we implemented the alternate acetate oxidizing mechanism that is more tolerant to ammonia than the standard aceticlastic pathway. Inhibition values were estimated and an empirical function has been used to apply ammonia inhibition. The model also relates metabolic activity to un-ionised species such as undissociated acetic acid as substrate (although not obligatory for all organisms) and unionised ammonia as inhibitor. The model relies on an equilibrium chemistry module (e.g. including the phosphate buffer), resulting in more accurate pH predictions, which is crucial for proper modeling of CO2 and NH3 stripping. Calibration results from three case-studies modeling thermal hydrolysis and subsequent digestion of sludge are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring pollutant concentrations inmajor tributaries is the standardmethod for establishing pollutant fluxes to the sea. However, this method is costly and difficult, and may be subject to a great deal of uncertainty due to the presence of unknown sources. This uncertainty presents challenges tomanagers and scientists in reducing contaminant discharges to water bodies. As one less costly method, a threedimensional model was developed and used to predict pollutant fluxes to the sea. The sorptive contaminantmodelwas incorporated into hydrodynamic and sediment models. Adsorption-desorption of copper by sediments in the Oujiang estuary were described using Henry's law. The model was validated using measured data for water surface elevations, flow velocity/direction, suspended sediment concentrations, and the proportion of copper sorbed to sediment. The validated model was then applied to predict fluxes of copper. Combinedwith the measured data, the copper concentration in the Oujiang River discharge was calculated as 13.0 μg/L and copper fluxes were calculated as 52 t in 2010. This copper flux prediction was verified using measured dissolved copper concentrations. Comparisons between the modeled and measured results showed good agreement at most stations, demonstrating that copper flux prediction in the Oujiang estuary was reasonably accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artificial neural network (ANN) was implemented for modeling phenol mineralization in aqueous solution using the photo-Fenton process. The experiments were conducted in a photochemical multi-lamp reactor equipped with twelve fluorescent black light lamps (40 W each) irradiating UV light. A three-layer neural network was optimized in order to model the behavior of the process. The concentrations of ferrous ions and hydrogen peroxide, and the reaction time were introduced as inputs of the network and the efficiency of phenol mineralization was expressed in terms of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) as an output. Both concentrations of Fe2+ and H2O2 were shown to be significant parameters on the phenol mineralization process. The ANN model provided the best result through the application of six neurons in the hidden layer, resulting in a high determination coefficient. The ANN model was shown to be efficient in the simulation of phenol mineralization through the photo-Fenton process using a multi-lamp reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onsite greywater reuse (GWR) and installation of water-efficient toilets (WETs) reduce urban freshwater demand and thus enhance urban water use sustainability. Research on GWR and WETs has generally overlooked their potential effects on municipal sewer systems: GWR and WETs affect the flow regime in sewers, and consequently also influence gross solids transport. To asses these impacts, a gross solids transport model was developed. The model is based on approaches found in the literature. Hydrodynamic calculations of sewage flow were performed using the SIMBA6 simulator and then used for the gross solid movement models. Flow characteristics in the up- and downstream sections of the sewer network differ. Therefore different approaches were used to model solids movement in each of these two parts. Each model determines whether a solid moves as a result of a momentary sewage flow, and if it moves, calculation of its velocity is possible. The paper shows the adoption and implementation of two gross solids transport models using SIMBA6 and depicts the results of the effects of various GWR and WET scenarios on gross solids movement in sewers for a real case study in Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground or surface stormwater storage tank systems that enable the infiltration of water into the ground are basic elements used in Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS). So far, the design methods for such facilities have not taken into account the phenomenon of ground clogging during stormwater infiltration. Top layer sealing of the filter bed influences the infiltration rate of water into the ground. This study presents an original mathematical model describing changes in the infiltration rate variability in the phases of filling and emptying the storage and infiltration tank systems, which enables the determination of the degree of top ground layer clogging. The input data for modelling were obtained from studies conducted on experimental sites on objects constructed on a semitechnological scale. The experiment conducted has proven that the application of the model developed for the phase of water infiltration enables us to estimate the degree of module clogging. However, this method is more suitable for reservoirs embedded in more permeable soils than for those located in cohesive soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature, analytical models have been shown to be extremely useful for estimating the decay rates of coliform as fecal indicator microorganisms, providing reliable predictions of bathing conditions in coastal and continental waters. Although a number of different formulations have been developed in the literature, each one may only be suitable for specific environments, and no comparison between these methods has ever been carried out. In the present article, a comparative analysis of bacterial decay models, calculated by eight different formulations, was performed in coastal outfall plumes, considering identical environmental conditions of solar radiation, temperature and salinity. A statistical approach was applied to identify the differences in means and in behaviors of the results obtained in the various simulations. The results indicate good agreement between bacterial decay rates calculated with at least four methods that were considered more reliable, and at least one of the models was shown to be suitable for estimating bacterial decay rates under nighttime conditions, considering only the combined influences of temperature and salinity. Moreover, under daytime conditions, it provides consistent decay rates when compared with measurements taken in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revision of existing methodologies for generating monthly-flow series at ungauged basins based on multivariate nonlinear correlation has led to a simple two-parameter model. While the existing methodology used hydrological, meteorological and geomorphologic input data, the proposed model requires hydrological and geomorphologic input data only. The proposed methodology requires formation of separate pools of donor catchments for model parameter estimates. The proposed two-parameter model and improvement in the sphere of homogeneous region identification were verified using 195 runoff data sets from hydrologic stations in Serbia in the 1961-2005 period, divided into three non-overlapping 15-year periods. Nash-Sutcliffe's model efficiency coefficient (NSE) was used to assess the: (1) quality of proposed model with identified model parameters; (2) quality of a nonlinear multivariate equation for standard normal variables estimation with identified model parameters; (3) quality of proposed model with model parameter estimates. Generated time-series statistics and nonlinear multivariate equation quality are also evaluated. Five model calibration and validation results are shown. Generated flow series variation coefficient is the best replicated statistics with relative absolute error less than 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pH simulator consisting of an efficient numerical solver of a system of nine nonlinear equations was constructed and implemented in the modeling software MATLAB. The pH simulator was integrated in a granular biofilm model and used to simulate the pH profiles within granules performing the nitritation-anammox process for a range of operating points. The simulation results showed that pH profiles were consistently increasing with increasing depth into the granule, since the proton-producing aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were located close to the granule surface. Despite this pH profile, more NH3 was available for AOB than for anaerobic ammonium oxidizers, located in the center of the granules. However, operating at a higher oxygen loading resulted in steeper changes in pH over the depth of the granule and caused the NH3 concentration profile to increase from the granule surface towards the center. The initial value of the background charge and influent bicarbonate concentration were found to greatly influence the simulation result and should be accurately measured. Since the change in pH over the depth of the biofilm was relatively small, the activity potential of the microbial groups affected by the pH did not change more than 5% over the depth of the granules [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated carbon produced from cotton stalks was examined for the removal of heavy metal contaminants. Adsorption studies in completely mixed batch reactors were used to generate equilibrium pH adsorption edges. Continuous flow experiments using the activated carbon in fixed beds were conducted to determine heavy metal breakthrough versus bed volumes treated. At given pH value in the range 5-7, the adsorption capacity was similar for copper and lead and clearly greater than for cadmium. A surface titration experiment indicated negative surface charge of the activated carbon at pH > 6, meaning that electrostatic attraction of the divalent heavy metals can occur below the pH required for precipitation. Substantive metal removal below the pH of zero charge might be due to surface complexation. Accordingly, a surface complexation model approach that utilizes an electrostatic term in the double-layer description was used to estimate equilibrium constants for the protolysis interactions of the activated carbon surface as well as equilibria between background ions used to establish ionic strength and the sorbent surface. Pb(II) adsorption edges were best modeled using inner-layer surface complexation of Pb2+, while Cd(II) and Cu(II) data were best fit by outer-layer complexes with Me2+. The full set of equilibrium constants were used as input in a dual-rate dynamic model to simulate the breakthrough curves of the target metals (Pb, Cu and Cd) from fixed bed experiments and to estimate external (or film) diffusion and internal (surface) diffusion coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an evaluation of the hydrolytic activity of a continuous thermophilic anaerobic reactor in long-term operation. The hydrolytic coefficient was estimated by fitting a three-reaction model of the anaerobic digestion process with experimental data obtained from a pilot thermophilic digester operated for about 2 years. The model fitting and the cross-validation indicate that this model can represent the behavior of the system in a proper way; moreover, the results show a variation of the hydrolytic capacity of the system throughout the evaluation period. The increase in the hydrolytic coefficient is in agreement with the increase in the organic load applied to the reactor, which shows the capacity of the continuous reactor to select populations according to the input conditions of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conceptual model to simulate transformations of organic matter and sulfur compounds in the wastewater phase of sewer networks under anaerobic conditions was developed. For calibration and validation of the model, a series of laboratory experiments on generation of readily biodegradable organic matter and sulfide under anaerobic conditions in samples of wastewater was conducted. Compared with previous studies, the proposed model includes sulfate reduction in the bulk water as well as a revised description of fermentation processes. Substrate affinity for fermentative bacteria was found to be significantly higher than what has been proposed in the activated sludge model, resulting in higher fermentation rates at low substrate concentrations. The findings of the study are important to understand formation of volatile organic compounds and odorous substances in sewers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and operational parameters of an activated sludge system were analyzed treating the municipal wastewaters in Istanbul. The design methods of ATV131, Metcalf & Eddy together with model simulations were compared with actual plant operational data. The activated sludge model parameters were determined using 3-month dynamic data for the biological nutrient removal plant. The ATV131 method yielded closer sludge production, total oxygen requirement and effluent nitrogen levels to the real plant after adopting correct influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) fractionation. The enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) could not easily be predicted with ATV131 method due to low volatile fatty acids (VFA) potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An anaerobic hybrid reactor (UASB/Filter) was used for petrochemical wastewater treatment in mesophilic conditions. The seeded flocculent sludge from a UASB plant treating dairy wastewater, acclimatized to the petrochemical wastes in a two-stage operation. After start up, under steady-state conditions, experiments were conducted at OLRs of between 0.5 and 24 kg TCOD m-3 d-1, hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 4-48 h and up-flowvelocities 0.021-0.25mh-1. Removal efficiencies in the range of 42-86% were achieved at feed TCOD concentrations of 1,000-4,000 mg L-1. The results of reactor performance at different operational conditions and its relations are presented and discussed in this paper. Then, the obtained data are used for determination of kinetic models. The results showed that a second-ordermodel and amodified Stover-Kincannonmodel were themost appropriate models for this reactor. Finally, the biogas production datawere used for the determination of biogas production kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful modeling of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes requires an accurate description of the plant hydraulics. Common methods such as tracer experiments are difficult and costly and thus have limited applicability in practice; engineers are often forced to rely on their experience only. An implementation of grammar-based genetic programming with an encoding to represent hydraulic reactor models as program trees should fill this gap: The encoding enables the algorithm to construct arbitrary reactor models compatible with common software used for WWTP modeling by linking building blocks, such as continuous stirred-tank reactors. Discharge measurements and influent and effluent concentrations are the only required inputs. As shown in a synthetic example, the technique can be used to identify a set of reactor models that perform equally well. Instead of being guided by experience, the most suitable model can now be chosen by the engineer from the set. In a second example, temperature measurements at the influent and efflueht of a primary clarifier are used to generate a reactor model. A virtual tracer experiment performed on the reactor model has good agreement with a tracer experiment performed on-site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) with recycled water or other alternative resources is one of the most rapidly growing techniques that is viewed as a necessity in water-short areas. In order to better control health and environmental effects of MAR, this paper presents two case studies demonstrating how to improve water quality, enable reliable tracing of injected water and better control and manage MAR operation in the case of indirect and direct aquifer recharge. Two water quality management strategies are illustrated on two full-scale case studies, including the results of the combination of non conventional and advanced technologies for water quality improvement, comprehensive sampling and monitoring programs including emerging pollutants, tracer studies using boron isotopes and integrative aquifer 3D GIS hydraulic and hydrodispersive modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, results of an experimental and modeling of separation of oil from industrial oily wastewaters (desalter unit effluent of Seraje, Ghom gas wells, Iran) with mullite ceramic membranes are presented. Mullite microfiltration symmetric membranes were synthesized from kaolin clay and a-alumina powder. The results show that the mullite ceramic membrane has a high total organic carbon and chemical oxygen demand rejection (94 and 89%, respectively), a low fouling resistance (30%) and a high final permeation flux (75 L/m² h). Also, an artificial neural network, a predictive tool for tracking the inputs and outputs of a non-linear problem, is used to model the permeation flux decline during microfiltration of oily wastewater. The aim was to predict the permeation flux as a function of feed temperature, trans-membrane pressure, cross-flow velocity, oil concentration and filtration time, using a feed-forward neural network. Finally the structure of hidden layers and nodes in each layer with minimum error were reported leading to a 4-15 structure which demonstrated good agreement with the experimental measurements with an average error of less than 2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collection system of a major city at the Persian Gulf was simulated for bulk water hydrogen sulfide and the release of sewer gas to the urban atmosphere. Geometry data on 870 km of sanitary sewer and data on dry weather flow entering all nodes in the catchment was exported from a Mike Urban database and imported to the sewer process model WAST. The process model then routed sewage and sewer gas through the system and simulated relevant physical, chemical and biological processes. In its non-calibrated state, the model was used as a planning tool to identify problem areas and to identify locations to install monitoring equipment and make preliminary choices for control strategies in terms of dosing of nitrate and iron salts. The monitoring equipment consisted of flow meters, level gauges, UV–Vis spectroscopes, and H2S gas sensors. Data from the first set of installed monitoring equipment were applied to calibrate and validate the model. It was illustrated how the calibrated model can be applied to assess compliance with quantitative formulated service levels and to design control strategies in terms of dosing of iron and nitrate salts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternate water sources are being implemented in urban areas to augment scheme water supplied by a water utility to homes. These sources include residential wells, rainwater tanks and greywater systems. Greater water efficiency can be achieved when these systems are designed to match a water source to a given demand based on both water quantity and quality parameters. In this way the use of an alternate water source can be maximised and the use of the high quality scheme water minimised. This paper examines the use of multiple alternate water sources sequentially to supply the same demand point potentially optimising the use of all available water sources. It also allows correct sizing of such water systems and their components to reduce scheme water demand. A decision support tool based on water balance modelling was developed that considers such water options at the household scale. Application of this tool to eight scenarios for both large and small house lots shows that using alternate water sources individually can result in significant scheme water savings. However by integrating these sources additional scheme water saving can be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on three case studies it is demonstrated that the application of mathematical models in biological wastewater treatment has not yet reached its full potential. Model structure uncertainty and correlation of uncertain parameter values make up the first case. The combination of biokinetic and hydraulic models relates to the second case. The evolution of a full scale plant over its life expectancy is the frame for the third case. This paper was initially presented as a discussion starter and thus is raising questions rather than providing answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study has been carried out in three French hospitals in order to assess and model the pharmaceutical load in hospital wastewater and its impact in WWTP. This study, called Mediflux, consisted of three successive steps: first, an original prioritization procedure developed in our laboratory enabled us to select a list of relevant molecules from different Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classes containing pharmaceuticals for specific hospital use such as anesthetics or antineoplastic agents and pharmaceuticals dispensed in the community. Then, analytical quantification procedures were developed and validated according to 2002/657/EC European directive. Sampling campaigns were performed in three different hospitals, two located in the Paris area and one in a medium-sized city 150km from Paris. Sampling was also carried out in wastewater treatment plants. At the same time, in order to model the pharmaceutical loads from hospitals, predicted concentrations were calculated as a first approach assuming it would be a single-box model, i.e. hospitals have no effect on drug loads and only human metabolism is taken into account to evaluate the fraction of drugs eliminated in hospital effluent. In the last step, the comparison of measured and calculated concentrations showed a satisfactory correlation for some pharmaceuticals, mainly those with short elimination half-lifes and weak human metabolism. For others, it appeared that modeling should take into account various factors such as out patient use, pharmacokinetic data and molecule stability in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a new method for selecting monitoring wells for optimal evaluation of groundwater quality. The basic approach of this work is motivated by difficulties in interpolating groundwater quality from information collected for only few sampled wells. The well selection relies on other existing data relevant to contaminant distribution in the sampling domain, e.g. predictions of models which rely on past measurements. The objective of this study is to develop a method of selecting the optimal wells, from which measurements could best serve some external model, e.g. a kriging system for characterizing the entire plume distribution, a flow-and-transport model for predicting a future distribution, or an inverse model for locating contaminant sources or estimating aquifer parameters. The decision variable at each sampling round determines the specific wells to be sampled. The study objective is accomplished through a spatially-continuous utility density function (UDF) which describes the utility of sampling at every point. The entire methodology which utilizes the UDF in conjunction with a sampling algorithm is entitled the UDF method. By applying calculations in steady and unsteady state sampling domains the effectiveness of the UDF method is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical modeling case study of groundwater flow in a diffuse pollution prone area is presented. The study area is located within the metropolitan borders of the city of Izmir, Turkey. This groundwater flow model was unconventional in the application since the groundwater recharge parameter in the model was estimated using a lumped, transient water-budget based precipitation-runoff model that was executed independent of the groundwater flow model. The recharge rate obtained from the calibrated precipitation-runoff model was used as input to the groundwater flow model, which was eventually calibrated to measured water table elevations. Overall, the flow model results were consistent with field observations and model statistics were satisfactory. Water budget results of the model revealed that groundwater recharge comprised about 20% of the total water input for the entire study area. Recharge was the second largest component in the budget after leakage from streams into the subsurface. It was concluded that the modeling results can be further used as input for contaminant transport modeling studies in order to evaluate the vulnerability of water resources of the study area to diffuse pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbiological quality of waters in estuaries determines their acceptability for recreational uses. Microbiological contamination often results from urban wastewater discharges or non-point source pollution (manure spreading), and can cause bathing zones to be closed. European regulations (EC/7/2006) have proposed standards (500 E. coli/100 ml) for the acceptability areas for bathing. In this study, two models were associated to simulate contamination: SWAT on a catchment and MARS 2D in the downstream estuary. After river flow calibration and validation, two scenarios were simulated in SWAT, and E. coli fluxes obtained at the main outlet of the catchment were then introduced into MARS 2D to follow E. coli concentrations in the estuary. An annual evaluation of compliance to bathing area water quality standards was then calculated, linked with daily rainfall classes. Water quality in the estuary was below the standard on 13 days, including 5 days with rainfall superior to 10mm, due to faecal contamination from soil leaching by rain, and 5 days with rainfall ranging from 0.1 to 5 mm/day, due to the high frequency of this level of rainfall. To conclude, this study allowed us to demonstrate the efficiency of models to gain a better understanding on water quality degradation factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many unit process models are available in the field of wastewater treatment. All of these models use their own notation, causing problems for documentation, implementation and connection of different models (using different sets of state variables). The main goal of this paper is to propose a new notational framework which allows unique and systematic naming of state variables and parameters of biokinetic models in the wastewater treatment field. The symbols are based on one main letter that gives a general description of the state variable or parameter and several subscript levels that provide greater specification. Only those levels that make the name unique within the model context are needed in creating the symbol. The paper describes specific problems encountered with the currently used notation, presents the proposed framework and provides additional practical examples. The overall result is a framework that can be used in whole plant modelling, which consists of different fields such as activated sludge, anaerobic digestion, sidestream treatment, membrane bioreactors, metabolic approaches, fate of micropollutants and biofilm processes. The main objective of this consensus building paper is to establish a consistent set of rules that can be applied to existing and most importantly, future models. Applying the proposed notation should make it easier for everyone active in the wastewater treatment field to read, write and review documents describing modelling projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]