Transcript XXXI CONGRESO INTERAMERICANO AIDIS Santiago – CHILE

8th IWA Specialist Group Conference on Waste
Stabilization Ponds - Belo Horizonte/MG , April 2009
Utilization of Shallow Ponds for Ammonia
Nitrogen Removal from Facultative Pond
Effluent
Humberto Carlos Ruggeri
Frederico de Almeida Lage Filho
Mônica Medeiros
Roque Passos Piveli
State of the Art

Ponding Systems can be economically
feasible alternatives regarding wastewater
treatment in developing countries & small
communities.

There are hundreds of ponding systems in
operation in Brazil, however there is a lack of
predictive models for ammonia N.
Introduction

Ammonia N removal can take place by
means of three processes:
 Ammonia
stripping to the atmosphere
 Ammonia assimilation by algal biomass
 Biological Nitrification.

Several researchers (e.g. Yánez) have
reported that ammonia N removal via
nitrification in photosynthetic ponds is NOT
SIGNIFICANT.
Introduction (cont.)

Pano & Midlebrough (1) associated
ammonia N removal in ponds with: surface
hydraulic loading rate, the depth, pH and
temperature – they recognized volatilization
as the main mechanism.

Yánez (2) associated ammonia N removal to
the TKN and BOD loading rates and
stablished an experimental model.
Objective
 To
investigate which type of connection
there is between ammonia N loading rate
and ammonia concentration in the
maturation pond final effluent
An in parallel look: possible effects of
the pond depth and stripping to
atmosphere.
Experimental Setting - Intro



Experimental Field Station
owned by SABESP, located
in the municipality of Lins,
SP.
Agricultural reuse of treated
sewage.
Real scale treat// system
treats domestic sewage
generated by 65,000
inhabitants: anaerobic pond
followed by facultative pond
Experimental Setting

Facultative pond effluent fed to tertiary treatment pilot ponds.
Experimental Setting (cont.)

Two pilot scale ponds - 8 m long and 2 m wide.

Chicane: L/W = 16/1
Experimental Results
 Operating Conditions: HRT
PHASE
1
2
3
H = 0,5 m
H = 1,0m
H = 0,5 m
H = 1,0m
H = 0,5 m
H = 1,0m
5
5
10
10
7,5
15
Results
 Phase 01 – (HRT = 5 days)
HL
HRT 18,0
(d) 16,0
14,0
0,25
3
(m /m2d)
Pond 0,5 m
0,20
Pond 1,0 m
12,0
0,15
10,0
8,0
0,10
6,0
Pond 0,5 m
0,05
4,0
Pond 1,0 m
2,0
0,00
0,0
0
50
100
150
200
0
250
50
100
150
200
Daytime (d)
Daytime (d)
VLR
SLR 0,020
2
(kgTKN/m d)
0,020
Pond 0,5 m
(kgTKN/m3d)
Pond 0,5 m
250
Pond 1,0 m
Pond 1,0 m
0,010
0,010
0,000
0,000
0
50
100
150
200
250
Daytime (d)
0
50
100
150
200
250
Daytime (d)
Historical Data Series, Box-Whisker
Diagram for Ammonia N (1st Phase)
N-NH3
(mg/L)
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Facultative Pond
0
50
Pond 0,5 m
100
150
Pond 1,0 m
200
250
Daytime (d)
N-NH3 50
(mg/L) 45
25%
40
50%
35
90%
30
25
10%
20
Min
15
10
Max
5
75%
0
Facultative Pond
Pond 0,5 m
Pond 1,0 m
Results
 Phase 02 – (HRT =10 days)
HRT
(d)
18
HL
16
(m3/m2d)
0,14
0,12
14
0,10
12
10
0,08
8
0,06
6
4
2
Pond 0,5 m
0,04
Pond 1,0 m
0,02
0
Pond 1,0 m
0,00
0
SLR
Pond 0,5 m
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Daytime (d)
0,008
40
60
80
100
120
140
Daytime (d)
0,010
(kgTKN/m3d)
0,008
Pond 1,0 m
0,006
20
VLR
Pond 0,5 m
(kgTKN/m2d)
0
0,006
0,004
0,004
0,002
0,002
Pond 0,5 m
Pond 1,0 m
0,000
0,000
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Daytime (d)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Daytime (d)
Historical Data Series, Box-Whisker
Diagram for Ammonia N (2nd Phase)
N-NH3
(mg/L)
50
Facultative Pond
Pond 1,0 m
40
Pond 0,5 m
30
20
10
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Daytime (d)
N-NH3 50
(mg/L)
25%
40
50%
30
90%
10%
20
Min
10
Max
0
75%
Facultative Pond
Pond 0,5 m
Pond 1,0 m
Results
 Phase 03 – (HRTD-1,0m=15 days; HRT D-0,5m= 7,5 days)
(Same surface area and flowrate)
HRT
(d)
HL
25
3
0,08
2
(m /m d)
20
0,06
15
0,04
10
5
0,02
Pond 0,5 m
Pond 0,5 m
Pond 1,0 m
Pond 1,0 m
0
0,00
0
SLR
10
20
30
40
50
Daytime (d)
0
Pond 0,5 m
2
(KgTKN/m d)
0,012
0,004
0,008
0,002
0,004
0
10
20
30
40
50
Daytime (d)
40
50
Pond 0,5 m
Pond 1,0 m
(kgTKN/m d)
0,000
30
0,016
3
Pond 1,0 m
0,006
20
Daytime (d)
VLR
0,008
10
0,000
0
10
20
30
40
50
Daytime (d)
Historical Data Series, Box-Whisker
Diagram for Ammonia N (3rd Phase)
N-NH3
(mg/L)
60
Facultative Pond
50
Pond 0,5 m
Pond 1,0 m
40
30
20
10
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Daytime (d)
N-NH3
(mg/L)
60
25%
50
50%
40
90%
30
10%
20
Min
10
Max
0
75%
Facultative Pond
Pond 0,5 m
Pond 1,0 m
Results
 Comparison between phases
Alkalinity
Dissolved Oxygen
Results
 Comparison between phases
pH
Temperature
Results
 Comparison between phases
Total BOD
Total COD
Results
 Comparison between phases
Ammonia N
TKN
Conclusions
 The experimental results so far have shown the
feasibility of ammonia N removal by means of
tertiary complementary ponds, and the influence
of pond depth.
 Experimental results from subsequent phases
should lead to treatment conditions that are
necessary to obtain tertiary pond effluents with
target ammonia N levels.