Activated Sludge Developments And Sustainable Solutions

Activated sludge is the most widely used biological wastewater treatment process globally to date, although its high energy demand makes it a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Over recent decades it has been constantly modified and retrofitted to treat ever higher loads or improve effluent standards which have often resulted in even greater carbon emissions. Conventional activated sludge treatment is at a crossroads where new sustainable solutions are required if we are to protect the quality of our rivers and meet net-zero carbon targets.The book details current operation and design with special emphasis on the biological aspects of the process. From the microbial kinetics to the fascinating process of floc formation and development, the book explores the development of our understanding of the process looking at new sustainable designs, including biological nutrient removal and new aeration systems. Sludge separation problems and control options are explained, with a trouble-shooting guide to non-bulking problems. Environmental issues including noise, odor, aerosols, micro-plastics and nanoparticles are all reviewed, as is pathogen removal and the problem of antibiotic resistant genes and bacteria. The development of membrane bioreactors has increased process reliability and effluent quality, while integrated fixed-film activated sludge processes are more efficient and compact. The book concludes by exploring how activated sludge can become more sustainable, for example, by carbon harvesting and byproduct recovery.This interdisciplinary book is essential reading for both engineers and scientists whether training at university or practitioners and consultants in the wastewater industry.Related Link(s)

Technical information for using activated sludge to treat effluents from multiple industries Covers virtually all traditional and advanced methods, as well as treatability and process modeling New methods for removing U.S. and European regulated microconstituents, trace organics, active pharmaceutical ingredients and other contaminants Explains advances in water reuse and plant retrofitting Useful for in-house training This comprehensive book presents critical information on the applications of activated sludge for treating industrial wastewaters, as well as other effluents that impact POTWs. The book offers details on how advances in activated sludge can be deployed to meet more stringent discharge limits by explaining many novel variations of activated sludge and offering technical guidance on process modeling and optimization. Special attention is given to emerging contaminants and water reuse strategies. Case studies are drawn from the pharma, food and shale gas industries. Based on short courses taught by the authors, as well as hundreds of hours of in-plant consulting, this book offers the tools to understand and modify the activated sludge process for superior and sustainable wastewater treatment. From the Authors' Preface: "After speaking with practitioners, operators and engineers, the authors felt a new text was needed...to cover the following developments: "the continued evolution of the activated sludge process and its numerous designs, configurations and technology developments; "design of industrial water reuse systems...to achieve industry sustainability goals; "changes...from BOD, TSS and nutrient removal to removal of specific organics, toxicity...microconstituents, and more stringent effluent permit limits; "advances in process modeling tools that can be used in combination with treatability testing tools for plant design, optimization and troubleshooting; "concerns over industrial wastewater discharge impacts to POTWs, such as nitrification inhibition, the impact of frac water...and the fate of microconstituents through POTWs."

Creating decent living conditions for all people while decoupling economic growth from the increasing use of virgin resources and environmental impacts is the major challenge of this millennium. There are many approaches suggested for solving these problems, including changing consumption behavior from material products to services, finding technological solutions to create more closed loops for materials, and using fewer virgin resources and energy obtained from clean renewable sources. A main issue to address is sludge formation during wastewater treatment. As such, this book, over seven chapters divided into two sections, investigates the application of biosolids or sewage sludge together with possible resources for sustainable development. It also presents information on resource efficiency from a more complex perspective, looking at several resources and the causal links between them in order to point out new pathways towards a more sustainable use of resources.

This book constitutes the referred proceeding of the 1st International Conference on Engineering Solutions Toward Sustainable development (ESSD2023), organized by the Faculty of Engineering, Port Said University and held in Port Said, Egypt, during May 2-3, 2023. The book is devoted to fulfill the need for sustainable development that has never been more urgent. It shows the crucial role of engineering to play in this transition from consumption culture to responsible culture. This book explores the relationship between engineering and sustainability, highlighting the vital role that engineering plays in achieving sustainable development. The book provides a comprehensive guide for engineers, researchers, and experts from different disciplines that are interested in sustainable development. From renewable energy sources to green infrastructure, the book delves into the latest technological advancements providing insights and practical strategies for designing and implementing sustainable solutions. With practical examples and case studies, readers will gain a deep understanding of how engineering principles and practices can be harnessed to develop sustainable solutions that balance economic, social, and environmental needs and to mitigate the negative impacts of human activity on our planet. The books is very useful for graduate students, researchers, policy planners, decision makers and stakeholders in the field of renewable energy, clean water development, climate actions, smart cities and communities and green infrastructures.

Many hydrological, geochemical, and biological processes associated with water reclamation and reuse are poorly understood. In particular, the occurrence and effects of trace organic and inorganic contaminants commonly found in reclaimed water necessitates careful analysis and treatment prior to safe reuse. Water Reclamation and Sustainability is a practical guide to the latest water reclamation, recycling, and reuse theory and practice. From water quality criteria and regulations to advanced techniques and implementation issues, this book offers scientists a toolkit for developing safe and successful reuse strategies. With a focus on specific contaminant removal techniques, this book comprehensively covers the full range of potential inorganic/organic contaminating compounds and highlights proven remediation methods. Socioeconomic implications related to current and future water shortages are also addressed, underscoring the many positive benefits of sustainable water resource management. Offers pragmatic solutions to global water shortages Provides an overview of the latest analytical techniques for water monitoring Reviews current remediation efforts Covers innovative technologies for green, gray, brown and black water reclamation and reuse

Smart Solutions for Wastewater: Road-mapping the Transition to Circular Economy, the latest release in the Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering presents up-to-date information on research and technological developments of resource recovery in wastewater treatment in terms of carbon, nutrients and energy. The book fulfils the gaps and current challenges that hinder the application of resource recovery facilities in wastewater treatment plants, discusses knowledge gaps, provides future research perspectives, and discusses strategies to solve problems from a circular economy perspective. It is an excellent, interdisciplinary and updated overview of technologies in terms of potential yields, pollutants removal, nutrients recovery and energy production. Covers different aspects of resource recovery technologies and research gaps in wastewater treatment Focuses on different MBR configurations and systems/hybrid systems in treating a large variety of wastewaters Provides state-of-the-art technology developments, including technology, advantages and challenges as well as strategies to overcome limitations Includes technologies for managing sewage sludge in order to foster solutions for recovering in a circular economy context

There are 2.4 billion people without improved sanitation and another 2.1 billion with inadequate sanitation (i.e. wastewater drains directly into surface waters), and despite improvements over the past decades, the unsafe management of fecal waste and wastewater continues to present a major risk to public health and the environment (UN, 2016). There is growing interest in low cost sanitation solutions which harness natural systems. However, it can be difficult for wastewater utility managers to understand under what conditions such nature-based solutions (NBS) might be applicable and how best to combine traditional infrastructure, for example an activated sludge treatment plant, with an NBS such as treatment wetlands. There is increasing scientific evidence that treatment systems with designs inspired by nature are highly efficient treatment technologies. The cost-effective design and implementation of ecosystems in wastewater treatment is something that exists and has the potential to be further promoted globally as both a sustainable and practical solution. This book serves as a compilation of technical references, case examples and guidance for applying nature-based solutions for treatment of domestic wastewater, and enables a wide variety of stakeholders to understand the design parameters, removal efficiencies, costs, co-benefits for both people and nature and trade-offs for consideration in their local context. Examples through case studies are from across the globe and provide practical insights into the variety of potentially applicable solutions.

This book offers an overview on the perspectives of countries in which the question of water resources will be one of the most explosive topics in the next decades. Focal points include: technical and social aspects of water management, wastewater treatment, water distribution, and health and sanitation. Moreover, possible solutions for problems of wastewater treatment in rural areas are demonstrated, exemplary strategies to harvest rainwater are explained, a river development plan is presented and sustainable landuse is defined.